The 5 Most Effective Pets at Guarding Property

When most of us think of animals for security purposes we tend to think about canines. The “Beware of the Dog” signs take pride of place on many doors and side gates of homes across the nation. In a lot of cases, dogs can be effective as burglar deterrents, but not all dogs, and not with all criminals. Some house burglars know how to pacify what are often just noisy family pets. Other, more hardcore crooks may take drastic action to shut a hound up. Not all good guard dogs are necessarily good attack dogs either. Then again, most households won’t want an attack dog in their midst. Click the link to read more about the best protective dog breeds.^[1]

Guard dogs that protect commercial properties are usually aggressive compared to family pets. Many of these types are trained specifically for the job of guarding. As a general rule, a guard dog is more effective when it is part of a bigger security setup than it is as the only deterrent. What some of you may not realize is that guard dogs are not the only effective animals for home security either. They’re certainly not the only creatures that farmers rely on to protect their farms.

The five animals most effective for property security include:

1. Dogs (especially certain breeds)
2. Geese
3. Swans
4. Guinea Fowl
5. Llamas

Most residential properties only have room for one guard dog. But folks with a bit more land and larger areas to protect find that the big birds above, and even llamas, can be incredibly effective. Even so, those who have other animal deterrents usually have at least one dog as well.^[2]

Points to Consider

Whatever animal you decide on to protect your property, there is a word of warning: get to know the animal. Too many people invest in a large dog or other animal without knowing much about the creature other than what it eats. Home security is as much about protecting the residents as it is the property and valuables. In fact, people should always be the first consideration. You certainly don’t want an aggressive and unpredictable creature around you or your children.^[3]

With any animal make sure you understand the following:

1. All about the breed
2. History and habits
3. Tips (how to) own responsibly

If security is your primary reason for owning the animal, make sure you get professional help and guidance on how best to care for it. There really is a lot to look into. Don’t forget also that animals are not predictable like machines. Despite sharing some similarities within a breed, each creature has its own temperament and personality, just like we do.

Resources:

1. http://www.petmd.com/dog/training/evr_dg_attack_dogs_versus_guard_dogs
2. http://hubpages.com/animals/animals-for-protection
3. http://www.caninejournal.com/best-guard-dogs-for-families/