Five Reasons To Give Your "Guard" Dog A Break With A Security System
Posted on: 4 February 2015
A dog who protects the family can be a comforting thought, but a guard dog is not the most effective home security method. For true home safety, consider replacing your guard dog with a security system. Here are five reasons, you should invest in a security system and let your Cujo turn into a cuddler.
1. Dogs are valuable too.
When a thief comes into your home, he or he is likely looking for tools, electronics and jewelry, but in many cases, thieves grab the dogs too. According to the American Kennel Club, dog thefts are on the rise, and between 2012 and 2013, they increased by almost a third to nearly 600 reported dog thefts per year.
While expensive or hard-to-find breeds may be at the top of most criminals' wish lists, even beloved mutts can be at risk of dognapping. Keep in mind that thieves, like most people, have all kind of motivations, and they could steal pets for resale, to give their children as a birthday present or sadly to torture. However, with a security system in place, you deter criminals from entering your home, thus protecting your dog from criminals as well as your home.
2. Most dogs cannot call the police or fire departments.
Service dogs can be trained to call for help, but without special training, most dogs do not have the knowledge to complete this task. Monitored security systems, in contrast, contact emergency professionals automatically, every time something is amiss. If the system detects an intruder, a fire or even too much carbon dioxide, it connects with the monitoring station, and the representative from the monitoring station dispatches the relevant emergency service professionals to your home.
3. Security systems will never bite the mailman.
Unfortunately, a guard dog or even an anxious regular dog may occasionally lash out at someone who is not an intruder. If your dog bites the mailman or any other person or pet, you will be held liable for that injury. You may have to cover fines, medical bills or even criminal charges. A security system, in contrast, will never run out of your house and bite anything.
4. Security systems can save you money in insurance costs.
Rather than being a liability, a security system may reduce your liability on certain issues. In particular, you may save money on your home or renter's insurance premiums if you have a security system installed. Even putting a system in your car can lower your car insurance premiums. Dogs in contrast do not warrant many discounts. In fact, if you are a renter, you may have to pay extra money every month just for the privilege of living with your dog.
5. Maintaining a dog costs more than maintaining a security system.
Although you can add new gadgets and toys to your security system indefinitely, you do not have to buy anything after your initial purchase. If you opt to get a monitored system, monitoring costs about a dollar per day or $365 per year. Until your system wears out and needs replacing, that is the basic amount that you should anticipate spending per year. Owning a dog, in contrast, costs between $580 and $875 annually, and during the first year, these costs range from $1,300 to $1,800.
That means that it costs anywhere from about $200 to $1,500 more per year to have a security system than a dog. If you are only buying a dog for security, you may want to consider these numbers and invest in a security system instead. If you already have a dog, these numbers should remind you that supporting your dog with a security system is not that expensive compared to the overall cost of caring for a dog.
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