Of course you do. Even if your dog was originally acquired as home protection we can't help but fall in love with them. So why do I bring this up? Every security professional has heard this statement many times; "Oh I don't need an alarm system, we have a dog." Well if you love your dog you do not want to consider him to be part of your home security solution.
While it's true that most home burglaries are committed by opportunistic criminals who may very well be deterred by a barking dog, some percentage of burglars are career criminals who will not be the least bit worried about a dog. That's because they know they can beat it, scare it, poison it, drug it, or in the worst case kill it. Most dogs that are defending property will do so right up until they receive a swift kick near a vital organ from a size twelve boot. Would you wish any of these things on your pet? Even if not physically injured, it may be traumatized for life.
I actually had a friend years ago who lived in an affluent southern California neighborhood. Their house was broken into by burglars looking for a safe. They went right to the corner of the master bedroom, lifted up the carpet, and found no safe. They had the wrong house. But my friends wonderful, loving Irish Setter that would never have hurt anyone was found cowering in the corner of the back yard. We would never know what they did. But the dog would never go near a teenage boy again.
Dogs are family members. You would never ask your child to stay home and defend your home against burglars, why ask that of your dog?
