For years, people with pets have struggled with home security sensors and pets. Though most people who have dogs consider their pet to be part of their home security, as well as their family, one of the number one reasons of false alarms in home security systems is caused by pets setting off overly sensitive sensors.
If you have a pet, maybe it’s time to take a look at how your pet functions as part of your home security system. It’s a well-known fact that burglars hate dogs, and the visible as well as audible presence of a dog in your home can act as a significant deterrent to anybody looking to rob you. Even a small dog can provide a great part of your home security by alerting you and your neighbors with his yapping, and cause a burglar to abort his attempts. Cats, though less of a deterrent to burglars, have been known to alert homeowners by displaying unusual behavior in the presence of an uninvited stranger. However, all household pets, no matter how well taken care of, can weaken a home security system. It’s easy for a paw to push open a window or door and set off home security sensors. Wires might be a fun project for a pet to chew through – but this can effectively paralyze your home security sensors, not to mention harm your pet. Additionally, motion detection sensors can sound an alarm if alerted by your pet moving through an area monitored by sensors.
It’s simple to see how pets can affect your home security, but are you aware of the fact that your own treatment of your pets can compromise home security? If you leave the door to the yard open for Fido when you’re not around, or even when you are, you’re making it easy for a burglar to sneak inside. If you leave the upstairs window open for Felix to come and go freely at night, so too may a burglar. Even if you are adamant about locking all your doors and windows, are you sure your pet doors are too small for a human to crawl through? No matter how good your intentions are, most options to allow your pets free access to your house leave your home security compromised.
Fortunately, new home security techniques that employ pet-immune motion sensors make it much easier to amp up your home security without your pet setting off the sensors in your alarm system. Most of these pet-immune motion sensors use passive infrared technology, which is also referred to as PIR. The finesse of passive infrared technology lies in its ability to sense sudden changes in temperature that cannot be caused by a shift in room temperature, and therefore must be caused by a living being entering the space. The sensors can be made pet-immune by setting a baseline temperature that allows for a pet to move around the room, but will trigger an alarm if a larger living being such as a human enters. There is a limit to these sensors, however. When a pet’s weight is over 60 pounds, it becomes impossible for the sensors to distinguish whether a temperature change is caused by the pet or by a human. If you have a large dog, you will have to take other, or additional, home security measures. The solution can be as simple as fitting the sensors in a space that is a potential point of entry for a burglar, and preventing your dog from entering it as long as the security system is activated.
If you’re serious about getting a home security system with motion sensors and you have a pet, it’s best to employ a home security company to install the sensors for you. Always explain your home security needs as well as your pet’s usual range of freedom so you can be sure to get the right home security system and motion sensors for you. Home security companies have many choices nowadays to accommodate pets, lifestyle and the security needs of their clients.
Photo via Johnymutton
