Home Security Guard

Each family has to create its very own home security plan. For each household or family unit, there will be certain methods of security that work, and those that just plain don’t. Some families have too much traffic in and out to constantly be resetting a monitored system. Others travel enough that it doesn’t make sense to use a guard dog, because it spends all its time alone. While it may seem like the cheaper alternative to paying for a monitored home security system on a regular basis, getting a guard dog for a family has its own drawbacks, including the fact that it can be quite expensive, especially should the animal become injured or ill. Before running out and buying that ideal designer guard dog, or even going to the local pound, consider some of the following points.

Owning a dog isn’t cheap. While the regular cost attached to a monitored security service might seem steep, a dog also has regular needs. Although a bag of dog food might come economically enough, the shots, medical attention, grooming and training that a dog will need can be costly, and the costs are generally unexpected or unforeseen and require immediate attention. If the decision is to go with a guard dog, make sure it fits into your budget, and isn’t an economically influenced decision while trying to save some money.

Dogs require not just financial, but time investment. Not only does the owner of a dog have to spend money, but time as well making sure the animal is well attended to. The dog will need walks, and especially in a city the owner will need to schedule regular times throughout the day for the dog to be taken outside. Many owners solve this problem by installing a ‘doggy door,’ but that can be an even bigger home security risk than taking no action in the first place. Dogs that receive no human attention, training, or positive reinforcement, no matter how fierce they are meant to be, will turn on and attack the owner without hesitation, failing to distinguish between the owner and an intruder or attacker.

Dogs can be a dangerous weapon. There is always a risk that a guard dog will attack the owner, and as such owners must be prepared to treat the dog with care as with any dangerous weapon. Just like with any dangerous weapon it must be contained (for example by fencing in the yard) and controlled by the owner, and the owner should have special training when it comes to this particular ‘weapon’ and its usage. There is always the risk that the dog will attack someone else as well, someone who is not an intruder, and the consequences can range from an angry neighbor, to a court case and even the sentencing of the dog to be put to death if deemed dangerous.

Any living thing is fallible. While a fierce guard dog would scare away even the burliest of burglars, dogs can often be persuaded with treats or toys, especially food. If the dog does not feel threatened but merely finds some food in the yard, it could be laced with poison thereby debilitating or even killing the animal. Always treat a dog as one aspect of an entire home security system, and not as the only thing between you and dangerous criminals.

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