The Prevalence of Home Invasions
No matter where you live, home invasions can be a serious concern and a source of anxiety. The good news is that the rates of home invasions and burglaries have been declining over the past 30 years, and it is expected that they’ll continue to do so.1 Still, home invasions do happen, and they can be frightening to live through.
While there were over 2,000,000 reports of homes experiencing a break-in or burglary in 2012, the numbers have thankfully declined by over half since then, to 899,293 reported cases in 2022. The per capita burglary rate varies by state, but the overall per-capita burglary rate was 269.8 per 100,000 people in 2022.1 In 2023, the overall burglary rate further decreased by 7.6%, and residential burglaries went down by 38% from 2019 to 2024.4, 5 This ongoing decrease in home invasions is encouraging and is likely due to the increased use of various home security solutions. However, some states’ burglary rates are still quite high, at up to 518 burglaries per 100,000 people, and large cities have twice the burglary rates of smaller cities.6 As such, there’s still a significant need for increased home security, particularly for people living in the city.
Home invasions occur most often during the day, more often during the summer months, and usually when no one is home.6,7 However, research has indicated that at least one household member was home during the home invasion about a quarter of the time.7 When household members were present during a home invasion, research showed that the occurrence of violence decreased over the years, too.5 However, assault still occurred 15% of the time during a home invasion, followed by robbery 7% of the time and rape 3% of the time.7 Additionally, 55.7% of burglaries involved forced entry, indicating that locks simply aren’t enough to keep burglars and intruders out of your home.1
Clearly, these are disturbing things to think about, but the more prepared you are with proven home security solutions, the less likely you are to experience a home invasion at all. If you do experience one, you’re more likely to be able to get to safety and get help quickly.
Effectiveness of Protection Dogs
People used protection dogs long before home alarm systems existed, and they’ve continued to use them since because they’re extremely effective. Not only are protection dogs able to detect a threat well before they’ve entered your property, but they can also alert you to the threat with ample time to get to safety. Should the intruder choose to enter your home despite your protection dog’s warnings, your dog can take action and neutralize the intruder, holding them until law enforcement arrives. An alarm system certainly can’t do that.
But beyond the action that protection dogs can take, it’s also worth noting that protection dogs have proven to be a powerful deterrent against home invasions in several ways.
Burglar Deterrence
One of the best ways to prevent burglaries is to deter burglars before they even commit a crime. Burglars frequently describe observing a location before taking any action in order to look for residential patterns, entry points, obstacles, and security. Protection dogs are visible, audible, and intimidating, making them highly effective deterrents.
An investigative report surveying 86 burglars found that a “big, loud dog” was a major deterrent for most burglars.8 In fact, convicted burglars have stated that “dogs are a deal breaker” and “big breeds, home protectors are the best to keep people out.”8 The San Francisco Deputy Sheriff’s Association and Miami Police Detectives advocate for getting a protection dog, too, noting that “for an alarm to go off, certain things have to be triggered. A dog, regardless of what door or entrance you come in, he’s always there.”9, 10
Crime Rate Reduction
Beyond deterring burglars from your own home, dogs in the neighborhood have been found to contribute to lower crime rates there. Research shows that neighborhoods with higher concentrations of households with dogs show significantly lower crime rates:
- Robbery rates are two-thirds lower in areas with more dogs 3
- Homicide rates are half as high in neighborhoods with a higher presence of dogs 3
Researchers point out that, “…people walking their dogs are essentially patrolling their neighborhoods.”2 The result is that people see when things are unusual or when suspicious people are loitering in the neighborhood. This community activity also encourages more trust among neighbors, strengthening relationships and making those neighborhoods harder to burglarize. As such, criminals are less likely to target these neighborhoods.2
Enhanced Home Security
The bottom line is that protection dogs offer heightened home security because they can detect, alert, deter, and neutralize criminals. The benefits are significant, and there’s a reason organizations like the NBA and many police departments, including the National Police Association, frequently recommend dogs for protection.3, 11
- Homes with dogs experience less theft and vandalism compared to those without dogs.2
- The presence of dogs has a greater impact on crime rates than factors such as the proportion of young males, residential instability, and socioeconomic status.5
- Neighborhoods with dogs have a better system of watchfulness and trust overall, making them less desirable to criminals.2
Advantages of Protection Dogs Over Other Security Measures
Alarm systems can be beneficial and can certainly be an effective part of a home security system. However, they can only do so much, and they rely on you to activate them. Even once activated, the alarm is only tripped once the intruder is actively entering your space. At that point, the alarm can do little else. Even if your system calls emergency services for help, an alarm can’t do anything to stop an active threat.
Protection dogs can take action, both while watching a potential threat and after the threat becomes active. Once an intruder is inside, your alarm system won’t help you. Your protection dog, on the other hand, can immobilize the intruder until additional help arrives. Moreover, protection dogs are loud, physically imposing, and always on duty, so they’re there to deter, alert, and act when necessary, no matter what.
Some of the ways protection dogs exceed other security options include:
Active Alerting System
- Dogs can detect a threat long before it’s imminent. Alarms can’t do that, and cameras may miss something.
- Unlike passive security systems, dogs can immediately alert homeowners to the presence of intruders before entry, providing crucial extra time to call for help and ensure family safety.12
24/7 Protection
- People don’t always arm their alarm systems, making burglaries easier.11 Dogs don’t need to be armed or disarmed. Instead, they’re on duty 24/7 and constantly on alert.
- Protection dogs offer constant vigilance, even when homeowners are asleep or away. Both firearms and security systems require humans in order to operate correctly.12
Psychological Deterrent
- The mere sight or sound of a protection dog is often enough to deter even motivated intruders.8, 9, 12
- A study of the perceptions of police canines on a college campus in Florida showed that 67-70% of the students surveyed believed that the police dogs on campus deterred drug use and reduced crime.13
Statistical Impact on Neighborhood Safety
It seems obvious that a big, intimidating protection dog like a German Shepherd or a Belgian Malinois will keep you safer. However, it might surprise you to learn that neighborhoods with large numbers of dogs of any size or breed also experience fewer home invasions and street crimes.14 Some burglars say that small dogs don’t concern them, so why do more dogs equal less crime?8 A comprehensive study on neighborhood-level crime rates revealed the answer.
More dogs in a neighborhood also translates to more people out in the neighborhood walking their dogs, and that leads to more “eyes on the street.”14 In other words, a higher percentage of dogs in a neighborhood leads to dog walkers in those neighborhoods becoming their own neighborhood watch.2 With more residents out and about walking their dogs, they tend to observe things in the neighborhood more closely. That extra watchfulness discourages criminals from committing crimes in those areas.3 This study showed that census block groups with higher rates of households with dogs showed inverse associations with:
- Robbery
- Homicide
- Aggravated assault (to a lesser degree) 2
Even more impressive is that these associations were observed even after controlling for neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics, temporally lagged crime, and spatial factors.2 The research showed that higher concentrations of dogs in a neighborhood also corresponded with higher levels of trust among neighbors. This is because people who regularly walk their dogs in their neighborhoods tend to see the same neighbors repeatedly. They get to know each other, and then trust each other, and that trust translates to a willingness to look out for each other. Neighbors with higher levels of trust also talk to each other about what’s going on in the neighborhood, increasing general awareness of anything unusual.14
While personal protection may be the main priority for getting a protection dog, it’s helpful to know that the mere presence of your dog, and your commitment to exercising them daily, could contribute to a safer neighborhood overall.
Protection Dogs Offer Well-Rounded, Comprehensive Security
The data clearly demonstrates that protection dogs offer significant benefits, serving not only as highly effective deterrents against home invasions but also contributing significantly to overall neighborhood safety. Their ability to detect threats early, actively alert homeowners, provide constant protection, and create a psychological barrier for potential intruders makes them a valuable investment in your home security. Alarms, cameras, and even firearms can be beneficial parts of a comprehensive home security solution. However, protection dogs rise above these other security measures because of their ability to intimidate criminals and take immediate action when threats occur, offering well-rounded, reliable protection for you and your family.
If you’re interested in learning more about protection dogs for sale, contact Scott’s K9 to hear about our available dogs and what they can offer you. We’ll get details about your lifestyle, family, and security needs so we can match you to the right protection dog for your situation. The security, companionship, and peace of mind you’ll get with a protection dog from Scott’s K9 are unmatched. We look forward to delivering your ideal protection dog to you.