Survivalist Forum banner

Canine Versus Security System

9K views 93 replies 31 participants last post by  Eddie_T 
#1 ·
For strictly security purposes. Is a dog better than a security system?

Pros/Cons?
 
#3 ·
Both have pros and cons.

Dogs could be poisoned and a system can be cut/hacked/lose power. I would guess in the long run a dog is going to cost you more with feeding and healthcare. You also don't have to pick up a security systems crap. But a security system won't lay with its head on your lap. Then again, you won't get sued if a security system bites someone.

Ah hell, just buy another gun!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
#4 ·
Mine are set up to be complimentary . I think you could argue all have pros and cons , I think the trick is to layer them so they work together with additional psychological deterants complimentary . Think multiple layers such that no one in their right mind would case the place and then proceed to pick you for a victim in the first place but if they were extra stupid would be regretting the experience by the moment .
 
#6 ·
Dogs smell.
Dogs cost money.
Dogs require attention.
Dogs sleep.
Dogs get sick.
Dogs crap and need attention.
Dogs can be shot, stabbed, poisoned...
Dogs are a liability if they eat the face off a child.
Dogs have a mind of their own and no matter how well you claim you trained them they can and do go off the deep end.

Security systems don’t need any of the above attention like feeding, vets, petting, cleaning up crap, purging their butts, flea baths...
Security systems don’t bleed all over, hump legs, chew $2500 couches...

Security systems can be a witness after the fact.
Security systems can have battery backups.
Security systems can be admissible in court.
Security systems can warn you just as early if not earlier than a dog...
 
#11 ·
List is Lopsided on Dog/System Comparison



Omitted from the above:

Security systems cost money: requiring either large initial outlay ($$$) or upgrades for more functionality ($$)
Security systems need attention: REGULAR operating systems updates (either by operator or by third party who is paid to)
Security systems need attention: require monitoring and adjustments (e.g., is the camera still pointed in the correct direction? Are all pieces still functioning?)
Security systems can be subverted: hacked by trained individuals
Security systems can be avoided: modified / destroyed by attacking individuals (paint vs. bullet vs. wire cutting vs. jamming)
Security systems can be subverted: subpoenaed for use against you in court proceedings
Security systems’ battery backups need attention: must be replaced on a regular basis ($$); could possibly be repurposed if common size
Security systems‘ warning triggers need attention: must be calibrated for your setup (E.g., how many times have you heard a car alarm screaming about wind / passerby’s?)

I.e., if you believe security systems don’t have expensive recurring charges ($$) too, you haven’t been paying attention. :rolleyes:
 
#7 ·
I am a dog person , and I love Dogs, dogs require training in order to be Good at whatever their task is , my hounds are in Kennels in the barn , we have 2 long haired Chiawawas , Biggie Spuds and Tito if they are going to be worthless dogs they just has well have worthless names , these 2 turds are house dogs , then we have IZZY German Shepherd x Blue Heeler 80 pound gyp and spayed and she stays outside with me throughout the day at night she comes in , if you break in too bad for you , the turds will wake me up, Izzy will be chewing on you and I will put you out of your MISERY! House dogs have to be house trained for sure. Fly swatters work on children and Puppies , if one waits till they get to old it will be like trying to reign in a unruly teenager you will have to use a GD Club to get their attention. JMHO and S/FI!
 
#8 ·
I like dogs too. I have been juggling the idea of getting another one but then I remember the 3+ hours I spent walking my last one almost every day and it turns me off. If we lived on some acreage where it could roam freely it would be a done deal.

As it is now, in the burbs, I could walk the dog on the nearby hiking trails but then that would be more time away from the household we are supposed to be protecting in the first place.
 
#13 ·
I use both. A dog can help with the short period of time your empty house may be waiting on the police to arrive.

Here is another tip.

When we leave the house, we open the bedroom doors that have important items in them. If you have a safe or jewelry, etc in any room. Leave those doors open. That way if someone goes into the house through a window the dogs can get in there. A lot of people close all their interior doors. that's fine, just open the important ones when you leave.
 
#14 ·
We have 4 dogs, 3 of them large guard dogs ( one GSD in the house, 2 Great Pyrenees to guard the livestock).
If you live in a rural area and are mostly home, a security system would be nonsense. If you are not home, and someone breaks in, it would take a very long time for any sort of police to show up, if at all. Besides, we don't have a phone line , so probably not possible.
Dogs bark, and will bite intruders ( human and animals) and we will know and can shot them.

If you live in a city and are away from home a lot, a security system might be a better option. So it depends on your situation
 
#17 ·
If you’re not home and you are that far away from civilization a dog isn’t going to keep a serious crook from robbing you.
A hardened criminal will have no qualms in shooting your dog.

If you have internet you can be alerted that your system is going off.
If you have cameras that save to the cloud and some crook kills your dogs while you’re not home at least there would be the possibility of getting a look at the crooks.


But your right, different situations might call for different types of protection.
 
#18 ·
Seems to me that many dog owners have this unrealistic view that their dog is somehow a supernatural being not capable of being harmed by an armed and hardened criminal.

If a criminal or more than one criminal breaks into your home bent on taking your stuff and they are willing to kill you to do so they sure in the hell wouldn’t have a problem dispatching the barking dog behind that door.
 
#19 ·
A dog(s) can only do so much in a situation where none of their humans are present. Many perps will stay away if dogs are in the home but determined crooks can defeat them when they are alone there.
For us, dogs are the first line of defense to slow down or dissuade bad people while we gather ourselves and our arms to defend the property. It gives us another option in our defensive arsenal.
Security systems are very useful but lack an actual presence to physically intervene and effect the outcome of a conflict.
 
#21 ·
I have multiple security “systems”.
The first and main one is through Comcast.
Door and window sensors, remote alerts, remote access.

I also have a closed circuit system with a monitor in my bedroom and access from my cellphone.

Motion sensors on both porches, the basement and the garage.
I’m thinking about adding an Arlo to the garage.

All this combined with some additional hardening inside gives me plenty of time to hear and prepare for an intruder.
And no vet bills, no noise, no smells, no walks at 2am...
 
#23 ·
For anyone opened minded about the real value of their dog as a protector of the home:
https://www.peakprosperity.com/discussion/82194/dogs-false-sense-security
Watch the video.

My neighbors have three large dogs.
They are loud and obnoxious when out in the yard.
However I can walk right up to the fence with some dog treats and they will immediately sit down and wag their tails like some drug addict waiting for their next fix.
This was the response the very first time I met the dogs.
The owner wasn’t pleased.

I have the keys to my buddies shop that is below the main floor.
I can open the door and the dogs upstairs will bark, as soon as I yell “quiet” they stop barking.

I know some of you just hate to hear it, who refuse to accept it, but your dog isn’t stopping a criminal who breaks in with a gun in their hand.
If this happens when you aren’t home you’ll come home to an emptied out home.

Is this every dog?
Nope, I know some are trained differently and some are more naturally agressive and protective.
But even the agressive/protective ones are not poison or bullet proof.
Sorry, but that’s just a fact.


If you like dogs and want to have one for the companionship or because you like their smell then that’s great, but claiming that they are your home protectors is just silly in almost every case.
 
#27 ·
I know some of you just hate to hear it, who refuse to accept it, but your dog isn’t stopping a criminal who breaks in with a gun in their hand.
If this happens when you aren’t home you’ll come home to an emptied out home.

Is this every dog?
Nope, I know some are trained differently and some are more naturally agressive and protective.
But even the agressive/protective ones are not poison or bullet proof.
Sorry, but that’s just a fact.
If a criminal breaks in with a gun and no one is home?

Well then he deals with 2 dogs. Shoot them..OK...You presume the bad guy is an excellent shot at multiple moving targets and is ..what..only going to have to use 2 rounds?

Well...shots fired does usually bring police to the scene so a hasty retreat is what the bad guy will usually do. Thus resulting in NOT getting cleaned out in the short time available to him.

Poison?..haven't seen too many bad guys just carrying around poison for dogs..more than likely, an unlikely scenario. Unless the bad guy already knows what you have inside your home and premeditates the crime.

YMMV of course :rolleyes:
 
#26 ·
I believe in dogs. I have 2 trained Labs. It takes time and effort to train them.

I also have a security system. Cameras with movement alarms that go to our phones and entry alarms.

My dogs are active security. Not reactive and passive like the security system.

If I could only have one. I'd choose dogs.
If you can't stand dogs..fine....do your own thing.

I'm just going to say this....

I've never heard a LEO tell a bad guy to come out/stop/etc or I'm sending in the security cam.....
Now..sending in the K9 can bring about a whole different reaction.
 
#47 ·
You seem obsessed with how dogs 'smell' for some reason.

I suggest shampoo along with a dog that is healthy to begin with. No smell that way friend...
Dogs smell.
It’s not an obsession it just the way it is.
A wet dog smells, they roll in who knows what, they fart, they get Klingons, their breath smells...

Dog owners are like liberals when it comes to their dogs, both groups refuse the truth and make excuses.
 
#53 ·
Dogs smell.
It’s not an obsession it just the way it is.
A wet dog smells, they roll in who knows what, they fart, they get Klingons, their breath smells...
Thinking you need to hang with people that better care for their dogs cause your generalization does not really apply to all dogs.

Guessing you got bit a few times when you were young? LOL! :D:
 
#28 ·
Spoke to a Baltimore Policeman once, while he couldn't endorse a security system, he did say homeowners with medium to large dogs saw the least amount of break-ins. Security systems do NOTHING to advert break-ins knowing the average response time is 12-25 minutes for LEO to arrive. Plenty of time to take some hooch.

What that same LEO adviced, if you see unfamiliar kids/folks playing with your dog through the fence that is an early warning sign that those kids/folks are conditioning your dogs to be friendly to them. Either to steal your pets for training pit-Bulls or planning a future break-in. There was no grey area.

This is the world we live in.
 
#32 ·
Not just dogs, but trained dogs... they are priceless. Regular dogs make a lot of noise. A trained dog can be trained to alert in silence, giving you the upper hand. If you can afford it, both together is best because dogs can't be everywhere all the time. If I had to choose one over the other, it would depend where I was at. Rural, large acreage... dogs for sure. Inner city or in the burbs... proper security system could do the job. Just don't expect some security company to get the law there in time to save you.. depend on yourself.
 
#34 ·
I have both, and each are layered.

Ring doorbell, 4 stationary cameras and 2 nice PTZ all are hardwired (yes some is exposed) but loss of signal is also an alarm setting to phone and console if wires are cut. Cameras goto DVR and control station, and can be viewed from any TV in the house as well and my phones.

Settings are important false alarms from birds, squirrels, pets can be tiresome. I have an athome setting, an away setting, and off.... for the motion detectors and such. For now it is dialed down. My system is old and cloud free, other than ring. I want to upgrade, but most systems wont give me the versatility I have now without a monthly subscription and outside monitors (not gonna happen)

Dogs, the snot line 4foot up on the main windows cleaned regularly, the front door has a small window (not good security I know) One of the dogs likes to spring up and bark and see who it is. Its funny to see all the knockers jump back when it happens (ring doorbell) They are two steps down below door so when it happens all they see is are snapping teeth above and in their face so I left it.

Training for dogs is important and is situationally dependent on what you want. This in and ofitself has many topics here so not going to go on other than be the alpha.

I will close with saying you cant eat your cameras
 
#43 ·
A nervous 3lb Chihuahua, that hears everything...as in, a pin drop from 3 states away (exaggerated..) will wake up the whole house..

It can be punted across the room. Sure. But by that time, firearm will be in hand.

A dog of any size is a cheap, easy addition to most families that fills mulitple roles, as opposed to some system that has one single role (loss of property, sometimes via fire or break in).

A security system could be indispensable for some - a dog may serve the family in a much more real, day to day role.

Neither will stop a true, hardened individual (or group) hell-bent on devastation.

I'd take both. Mulitple layers of both.
 
#44 ·
A dog of any size is a cheap, easy addition to most families that fills mulitple roles, as opposed to some system that has one single role (loss of property, sometimes via fire or break in).
My dog was pretty expensive. Especially later in her life. I agree though, a dog fits many other roles than just security.

If it were strictly security purposes only, a security system is a fraction of the cost.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top