Homeowners who install home security systems are serious about protecting their property and loved ones. But if your loved ones are also vigilant protectors of you and your property, problems can arise. There have been an alarming number of reports in the news lately about police officers, fearing for their own safety, shooting homeowners’ dogs when investigating breaches of security. Just before Christmas, in Clayton County, Georgia, a police officer shot a family’s beloved golden retriever after it ran up to him barking. According to the police, the dog did not stop when the officer told him to do so and he shot him to protect himself. According to the heartbroken family, the dog was restrained by an electric fence – a restraining collar that gives the dog an electric shock when it ventures beyond a certain distance from the property – and could not have reached the officer at all. Now, this is not a blog about who’s right or wrong, but this incident serves as a tragic example of what can happen if you don’t think your home security system through properly.
If you have dogs, especially dogs that are large and protective, and you let them freely wander around your yard, they serve as a living component of your home security system. Big, barking dogs are a proven deterrent to burglars. They scare them away – but they’re also a threat to somebody, like a police officer, who may have to enter your property in response to an alert. Because electric fences are invisible, and nobody but an expert dog handler will recognize the specific collar used for this type of pet control, simply restraining your pet in this manner leaves it exposed to danger in situations that could be interpreted in a number of different ways, like in the aforementioned case. For your pet’s safety, it’s always best to have a visible barrier between visitors or intruders and the area in which your dog resides. A high, sturdy fence might not be visually attractive and may obscure your view of the road from the house, but it will definitely warn anybody entering your property that the area they’re about to enter is fenced off for a reason. And if you place signage on the fence clearly stating your home is guarded by a dog, it should be enough warning to stop anybody with a sense of self-preservation.
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