Your dog may be your best friend but if he keeps activating your home alarm system and setting off the noisy siren unnecessarily, he’ll soon become your neighbour’s enemy.   You may even decide not to use your home security system because of all the pet-provoked false alarms – and that’s definitely NOT a good idea!

The good news is that there are intelligent home alarm systems available which are specially designed to distinguish between your furry friend and unwanted visitors.  This means you don’t have to risk your safety and security by turning off your system or compromising the placement and direction of your sensors, you have the peace-of-mind that your system can be fully activated even though pets are in the property.

Pet-friendly home security systems operate along the same principles as regular home alarm systems.  They shouldn’t cost any more but they should be installed by a professional security consultant because the correct placement of the passive infrared (PIR) sensors is crucial.

It’s also important to know that not all systems are the same.  Some simply use standard sensors which have been ‘blinded’ from looking towards the floor so as to accommodate an animal’s smaller size whilst others use intelligent detectors which can actually tell the difference between human and animal attributes like height, hair and limbs.

These PIRs use electronic sensors to measure the infrared energy radiating from an object (ie body heat) and because an animal has more hair than a human, it radiates a lower infrared signal.  PIRs are constantly looking out for variations in the thermal environment and animal-friendly ones can tell the difference between a 45kg dog or 10 cats and a human.

Humans also have thicker limbs which means they emit higher microwave signals and the pet-friendly sensors ‘know’ this.  They will only react when they detect human movement.

Pet-friendly PIRs are also programmed to distinguish between animal and human movement based on height.  The coverage pattern is higher for humans because they’re taller and pet-friendly sensors  make allowances for this by varying the sensitivity of the detection zones based on height.

Advances in motion technology and digital communications have revolutionised the home security industry and many people are choosing to take advantage of innovative features like wireless operation, remote control, intuitive LCD control pads, video streaming to mobile devices and 24 hour monitored response.  Systems can even be installed into rental properties for quick and easy removal and transfer when required.

If you have pets at home and are interested in finding out more about having a pet-friendly home alarm system installed, talk to your security provider about solutions that meet your needs and your budget.

Crown Security is a trusted and reputable supplier of home security systems and security cameras in Perth and they will happily meet with you to discuss your home security requirements and work out the best option for keeping your home, family and your pets safe and sound.