Monitored Alarms vs. Dogs
Take a look at the picture above. How well do you think the dog in lying in the garden is going to save that house? Chances are that that homeowner’s best friend isn’t going to hurt a fly.
The chances of a dog protecting your house are slim. Many burglars that know there is going to be a dog on the property they are invading will do their research beforehand. The top three things a burglar will do before making your home the target are: drive by a number of times in a week or month to figure out what times you will be gone and for how long; figure out if there is a security alarm and, if so, where the electrical box is; and to see if your family has a dog. If there is a dog on the property, chances are the intruder is going to bring a bone or piece of meat to distract your furry friend.
Top Five Reason Your Dog Is Not The Best Security System
Here are the top five reasons why your dog doesn’t make the best security alarm:
1. Family Dog To Watch Dog
If you are teaching your dog to protect your house, that’s great. At the same time, you could be gearing yourself up for a lawsuit. Your dog might scare off a child, but do you think it is going to scare off a burglar? Maybe not. Is it going to scare off someone who is welcome on the property, such as the mailman, UPS delivery guy or a police officer? Sure, it could at the worst time and harm a non-intruder. When that happens, you could face a major lawsuit against you. Is that something you are willing to risk? Choose wisely and make the decision to get a security alarm so the family pet can remain the family pet.
2. Dogs Need Outings Like People
Your dog won’t work as an alarm if they aren’t present all the time. When your family goes on vacation and takes the family dog, that leaves your home unprotected. Your dog needs to be taken for walks and definitely likes to go for car rides. Once again, your home becomes unprotected in terms of your dog being used as a watchdog.
When you have a security alarm, you are contacted by the security company if something happens while you’re away. If you feel the need, like most homeowners do, you can use your electronic devices, such as your Smartphone, to check on your home.
3. Your Dog Doesn’t Provide Camera Surveillance
How does your dog tell you that one of your children’s friends stole an expensive piece of jewelry off of your night stand? The dog doesn’t. By having camera surveillance through your security alarm company, you are able to monitor your kids and your home from anywhere you are such as work, running errands, etc. If there is activity on your property and it sets the alarm off, your alarm company and the proper authorities will be contacted. If it happens at a specific time and you know that one of your kids or even a neighbor is in the home with your permission and they trigger the alarm, you can check the video and call the alarm company to let them know it was a false alarm.
4. Your Dog Gets Injured or Stolen by the Intruder
When a burglar breaks into your home, they don’t want to be bothered by your dog. If your furry friend is going to be a problem for the intruder to get in and out fast, chances are they might injure your dog. If the person who is robbing your house has any knowledge of what full breed dogs are worth, they might steal the dog and try to sell it. The protection of your dog is another reason why having a security alarm is great, especially the video surveillance cameras to capture the face of the burglar if they aren’t wearing a mask. The triggering of the alarm also immediately gets the authorities involved and the video footage can be used to capture the thief.
5. Your Security Alarm Gives You a Break on Homeowner’s Insurance
By having the alarm system you could be saving 5-10% on your homeowners insurance. Who doesn’t like to save money?
Dog or Security Alarm?
If all this talk about security alarms hasn’t convinced you, ask a professional. As pet owners, it’s important to treat our furry friends as a bigger part of the family. If anything were to happen to your dog that you could have prevented, you would feel regretful about not getting the security alarm. Security alarms not only protect your dogs and family, but also protect your home from fires, floods, carbon monoxide, and many other home-related incidents. Don’t put off calling your security company, make the decision today.
Call SPS Fire & Security today at 585-770-0348 to learn about your home alarm options.
