By this point in the winter, you already know how to keep yourselves and your homes safe, warm, and in working order as blizzards and ice storms dump frozen precipitation relentlessly.
However, there may be one aspect of your family's security that you haven't considered -- keeping your pets safe inclement weather.
Being the pet lovers we are, we're going to share a few tips on how to make sure Fido and Fluffy are just as warm, safe, and secure as you are for the rest of this season -- which hopefully won't be too much longer.
We've previously talked about what you should consider before getting a guard dog for your home.
But were you aware that there's a camp of thought that uses the illusion of dog ownership as a home burglary deterrent?
The theory is that if it appears that you own a dog -- without actually having a canine companion -- would-be thieves will skip your house based on fear of attack alone. Whether or not this is a plausible form of home security is valid or simply anecdotal, we have some ideas on how to make it appear Fido has your back.
Motion detectors are a popular choice for homeowners seeking additional security. They can be installed in a number of places, including throughout the exterior of your home to active floodlights. And thanks to improved technology, many motion detectors are now created to ignore pets ranging from 40 to 80 pounds.
If you have animals, you may not have previously considered motion detectors at the risk of constant activation should the animal cross the detector's path. Pet-immune detectors, however, use a variety of features, including pet-rejection lenses, multi-level signal processing, automatic temperature compensation and others to create a more accurate alert that isn't compromised by false alarms.
Getting to know your neighbors. can be one of the simplest ways to keep your home safe and secure. But what happens when your neighbors aren't willing to cooperate?
That photo is of my backyard, which shares a fence line with my neighbor's garage and driveway. I hadn't noticed the giant ladder leaning against our shared fencing, which leans into my yard, until my mom pointed it out. I became instantly nervous because we often forget to lock our back door after letting our dog in and out throughout the day. With that ladder basically inviting someone to sneak into my yard, my laziness at turning a deadbolt could cost my family's safety.
However, our unlocked door was really the least of my problem. I can lock a door. I can't help that my neighbor stores his ladder half into my yard. So when my husband got home, I asked him to politely go introduce himself to this neighbor we've yet to meet, and then ask him if it was possible for the ladder to be stored somewhere less conspicuous. He did ... and yet the ladder hasn't moved.
