Thursday 15 December 2011

Guard Dogs

By Carter Thomas


The use of a dog as a component in security goes back thousands of years. Chinese palaces were protected by dogs. Even Greek myths have Cerebus guarding the gates of Hades. Some dogs are loyal, bark at strangers or have other attributes that suit them well for the role of guard dog.

Everyone is familiar with the image of a trained Doberman Pinscher or German Shepherd police dog as a guard dog. Certainly, those breeds make excellent guard dogs, when properly trained. They have the size, the temperament and the teeth to keep anyone out. There are others, such as Bull Mastiffs and Rottweilers.German Shepherds and others can be taught to discriminate between those who are allowed in the home and those who are not. They operate by sight and smell and distinguish not only family members but 'authorized' visitors. Friends are greeted with a friendly tail wag, strangers receive a warning growl. Continuing advances by strangers get a bark, followed by a nasty bite if they persist.

Though any dog can be put down by poison or a gun, very few burglars are going to go to that extent. Most, once they become aware of the presence of a guard dog, will simply pick an easier target. There are, after all, plenty to choose from. Larger dogs represent, at least psychologically, a bigger threat and you increase the protection with a specialized dog.But even much smaller breeds can serve well as guard dogs, provided they're trained properly and their environment is correctly arranged.

Some stay outside almost all the time. Some are predominantly indoor dogs. Both methods have their pros and cons. But a dog that is allowed both inside and out can cover the entire area.A safe room consists of fortified walls and ceiling, with an especially hard-to-enter door. In addition, it will usually incorporate a few extras to make it habitable and for communication.Though it might make some burglars nervous, if the owner is used to ignoring the warning because of too many false alarms, the basic purpose is defeated. Training can solve that problem with most breeds. Most dogs can be taught to bark only at likely threats.Arranging the environment to maximize your guard dog's effectiveness is equally important.

One key is making access available to the dog, but not potential intruders. Some doggie doors make home intrusion ridiculously easy. A doggie door can allow most breeds access to the outside, for bathroom breaks and to patrol. At the same time, they can usually be made large enough for the dog, but too small for most men.If you can't place them far enough away from the door handle to prevent unlocking, consider a two-sided key system deadbolt. That locks the door from the inside, requiring a key to unlock it, not just a twist.




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