This article discusses the various advantages and disadvantages of having a dog to protect your home.
Let’s agree on the definitions of watchdogs and guard dogs. Both watchdogs and guard dogs alert their owners when there are home invasions. In addition to these alerts, however, the guard dogs are capable of attacking the home invaders.
There are, however, disadvantages that come with a dog that protects you from burglars and home invaders. Keep in mind that:
- Not all apartments or rental houses will allow you to keep a dog.
- When you travel, you might have to leave your dog behind and search to find a friend, relative, or pet hotel to watch your dog for you.
- You must take your dog outside each day for your dog’s urination, defecation, and exercise needs.
- If untrained, your dog could irritate your neighbors with its constant barking.
- If untrained and unrestrained, your large guard dog might bite an innocent neighbor or visitor.
- Your large dog could be expensive to feed.
- Any dog will require a significant financial investment for its initial costs, as well as for its veterinary fees, medications, immunizations, and any required animal hospital procedures.
If these disadvantages seem too significant, you could consider using an electronic watchdog.
There are many advantages, however, to having a dog to help protect your home. Examples of these advantages are:
- Your barking dog might scare a burglar away from your home and motivate the burglar to search for a softer target.
- If a home invader forces his way into your home, your guard dog will confront him long before the police are able to reach your home.
- The act of taking your dog outside each day might put more regularity into your walking exercise program.
- Dogs can be loving companions for you and your family members.
- If there is a loss of electrical power, a dog will continue to protect a home long after the batteries have failed in the home burglar alarms.
Although all dogs have some ability to be watchdogs, some dogs are better watchdogs than others.
Do you have, or have you ever had a watchdog or a guard dog? Do you have any stories to tell about how they protected you and your family? Do you prefer burglar alarms? Why?
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