ᐅ Security system upgrade with two cats – any technical experience?

Mottenhausen schrieb:
Owner not at home: who cares about a barking dog in the neighborhood?

The dogs in our village – believe me, no one goes in there voluntarily. There isn’t a single small yappy dog. Mastiffs, Great Danes, German Shepherds, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Hunting Terriers, Rottweilers, Dobermans – usually two to three of each. One owner even has six Bernese Mountain Dogs. When someone approaches, the fence erupts, and you’re pushed back. And when it’s quiet, like with the two Great Danes, it’s even more intimidating. You might get in, but you won’t get out. 🙂

None of the mentioned measures will prevent an intruder from entering the garden or the house in any way. Maybe if the owner is standing right next to the dog giving commands learned for protection dog training, and the intruder happens to be wearing the bite suit from the training ground. Barking also stops as soon as something tasty is thrown; no dog barks with a full mouth. Aside from that, dogs that get extremely agitated behind the fence will probably leave immediately once someone enters the garden and suddenly there’s no longer a fence separating them.

If intruders are good at anything, it’s handling unfamiliar dogs. They remain calm and relaxed, let the dog sniff them, avoid eye contact, give treats, and so on. Within seconds, the situation is calm. But let’s leave it at that now, since it’s off-topic anyway.

Mottenhausen schrieb:
None of the mentioned measures will prevent a burglar from entering the garden or the house in any way.

Really? I wouldn’t dare to go in there. I used to train dogs and was even a decoy once. It probably also depends on how determined the intruders are to get inside.

Mottenhausen schrieb:
But let’s leave it at that now, it’s off-topic anyway

No problem, it’s my thread after all, and a dog was once an option.

Mottenhausen schrieb:
None of the options mentioned will prevent a burglar from entering the garden or the house in any way.

I’m not sure where you got your ideas from, but dogs are quite effective at deterring the typical “in and out quickly” burglar because they make noise.
And the theory that you just have to throw treats or wave your hand and all dogs will happily carry out your valuables is interesting too.

I’m not just saying this because we have dogs ourselves. Our little one is exactly as you describe—he makes a huge racket but once you’re through the gate, he’s very happy to see you.
If you do that with our big dog outside, you’ll find yourself pressed against the wall! He doesn’t bark, but waits patiently and then confronts uninvited visitors without permission.

So I’d be really careful with statements like these depending on the dog, because there are plenty of breeds/dogs that burglars would rather not encounter, regardless of whether the owners train them for protection or not.

It also depends somewhat on the location—farm dogs here are generally much more alert and aggressive than typical city dogs because they are still allowed to guard.

Also consider that a house without a dog is the first choice.
In and out without risk of injury

With many dogs, you can hear growling and barking when the neighbor’s cat passes by or when someone unknown approaches.

Without a dog, in my opinion, passive security is also a top priority. That means windows and doors with RC3 (resistance class 3) ratings, lockable handles, multi-point locking systems, and so on.