Having a furry companion in your home is one of the great joys of life. Not only do dogs bring joy, companionship, and unconditional love, but they can also provide a sense of safety and security to their owners. This begs the question: does having a dog deter burglars?
When it comes to home security, there are many factors to consider. This includes alarm systems, video surveillance, and lighting. But one of the oldest forms of security is a four-legged guard dog who can deter any would-be intruder. After all, who wouldn’t be scared away by a loud barking dog?
The truth is, there is no definitive answer as to whether having a dog will deter burglars. The effectiveness of a security dog depends on the breed, the training, and the situation. In this blog post, we will explore the different factors that can determine whether or not having a dog can act as a deterrent for burglars.
A faithful canine friend can be a great companion as well as a frontline defense of you and your home. Does having a dog deter burglars? We examine how a dog can help keep you safe—but how it’s not a foolproof method.
By Meghan Wentland | Updated Apr 8, 2022 11:23 AM
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A dog will start barking as soon as it realizes that there is an intruder.
Most burglars will enter through first-floor doors, especially if they are hidden by bushes or trees. A burglar will need to kick the lock in or break glass if you have upgraded your locks and reinforced the glass on these entry points. Even dogs who aren’t trained to be guard dogs will typically begin to bark when they hear a crash; they’ll typically do so right away, and they’ll be even more likely to do so if they see or smell that the source of the noise isn’t a familiar person. Immediate noise is a deterrent to burglars because they don’t want to draw attention to themselves. Additionally, a dog could pose a physical threat; additionally, even though an alarm signals that police are on the way, a burglar might still take a moment to grab anything they can before fleeing. An approaching barking dog will give a burglar a more compelling reason to give up on a home invasion attempt without looking around the house first. Advertisement.
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Can a barking dog deter criminals?
Most dogs will meet your needs if all you want from them is for them to bark to let you know if a stranger is approaching your home, as they usually do when someone rings the doorbell or approaches from the outside.
Louis Wood, the proprietor of a private security company in San Antonio, claims to have heard multiple accounts from burglars who claim that, given the choice, they will always choose a home without a dog.
No matter the size, says Wood, a barking dog may be enough to convince a burglar to move on to another house that is free of dangers. “How can I make my house as unappealing to robbers as possible?” he advises is a good mindset for a homeowner to have.
But the data isnt quite so decisive. In a study published in the journal Society and Animals, researchers at the University of Louisville found that “households with licensed dogs … enjoyed property crime rates 1.71 percentage points lower than households without licensed dogs” — a significant difference, though not a dramatic one.
However, the notion of dogs barking as a deterrent is widespread, to the point where Amazon now provides recordings of dogs barking as a security measure on its Echo smart speakers.
FAQ
What dogs are burglars most afraid of?
- Akita.
- Bullmastiff.
- Doberman Pinscher.
- German Shepherd.
- Great Dane.
Do burglars enter homes with dogs?
While dogs are a great deterrent and can slow down a burglary until help arrives, they can’t always prevent a burglary. For that, you’ll want to support the dog with a good security system or alarm that calls for human help.
Can dogs sense burglars?
Dogs can easily distinguish the scent of a person they are familiar with from a person they have never met. Dogs can detect a person’s presence even before they enter a room using their hearing and smell senses.
Will my dog protect me from an intruder?
Answer: It highly depends on the individual case. When compared to untrained dogs, trained dogs are more likely to defend their owners from harm. However, it doesn’t necessarily follow that a typical family pet dog would remain motionless in the event of a break-in. Some family dogs would also make every effort to stand up for their owners.