Security alarm systems are a great solution to protect your business or home from intruders and a variety of other events. An argument that regularly encounter is that a dog is on site all the time, which makes it unnecessary to have an alarm system. Unfortunately that is not exactly true, as we will touch in the points below. There are some obvious restrictions to having a dog as your only protection measure, whether it is a home or business.
Can your dog call the police?
Dogs have the obvious issue that they cannot talk. They may be able to understand us humans, but they are still unable to respond. Dialing a number for the fire department, police or emergency services may also become tricky. In the case of an alarm system, the second an intruder is detected, the alarm system will dial out to the central station. This happens via redundant communication paths in the case of our installations. That means if your phone line is down, there is still a way for the signal to travel to us, the monitoring station. From there you are contacted and the police as well in case of a burglary alarm. While the dog may not cost you a false alarm fee should it be a false alarm, having the police show up for nothing, instead of never is still a clear advantage.
Can your dog detect CO, fire or floods and warn you?
While dogs have a very fine sense of smell, they may be able to detect fires and CO leaks, but unfortunately animals are usually the first ones to fall victim to these disasters. With an alarm system and the right sensors it will give you early detection of the leak or fire, which will usually give you enough time to pack up your dog and leave the building before a life threatening situation arises. We don’t deny that dogs and cats have previously warned their owners of imminent dangers, but having a device that works 100% of the time is better than relying on something that may happen. Plus our call center will be able to dispatch fire and emergency services to ensure your situation is taken care of, something an animal can’t do.
Does your dog save you money on insurance?
Dogs need food, water, pillows and toys, all of which costs money. Depending on how spoiled your dog is, this may range from $20 a month to hundreds of dollars for multiple dogs. Alarm systems will also cost you money on a monthly basis, but most insurance companies will give you up to a 20% break on your insurance if your building has an alarm system. With our industry leading low rates, this takes care of most of your costs with us, which makes our alarm systems a very affordable feature.
Is your dog trained to attack intruders?
Knowing my dog, she would be happy to see anyone coming into the house. She will fall onto her back and hope to god that someone will pet her. Not all dogs are like that, but I have gotten to know more dogs that are out for getting love, than ones that are not happy with strangers. Another issue that may arises is that someone that your dog and your family knows may have other intentions. Dogs respond differently to people they know, which means your dog may actually accept the person intruding into your premises.
Should your dog attack an intruder, the worst part is that the intruder can actually try to take legal action against you and the dog. While most of these lawsuits are thrown out, there is a chance that you may spend time in jail as a result of your dog biting an intruder. While an alarm system will not bite the intruder, it will still bark at them in a sense, with the siren. Cameras and alarm systems are a higher factor of deterrent than a dog as well, which was found in a study of convicted intruders.
Alarm systems don’t need a sitter
When you go on holidays, the things you worry about is who is going to water my plants and you either take your dog with you or pay for a kennel to get your dog taken care of. Either way your dog will be gone from the premises that are supposed to be protected by it, during these times your premises are most vulnerable. An alarm system does not take holidays, neither do we, so we’re ready to help whenever you are enjoying your holidays and trouble strikes. Unfortunately things always happen at the most inconvenient of times, so having an alarm system and cameras readily accessible wherever you go can be a great help to eliminate headaches while you are out of town.
Conclusion:
While a dog is a great companion, an exercise machine and definitely more cute than the screen of the alarm system on your wall, they may not be as effective as an alarm system in both deterring criminals and protecting you in emergency situations. Having cameras and/or an alarm system can be much more effective at protecting your premises, because of the way that technology has evolved. Getting a call or push notification on your smartphone when the alarm is triggered or a fire alarm is triggered helps you stay in touch with your business and home, while not having to worry about a thing. We recommend getting both a dog and an alarm system, because no one should live without the love of a dog, or the protection of an alarm system.