The phone rings.
It's one of those home security companies wanting to equip your house with the latest alarm system.
You thank them and tell them that you already have an effective system - on four legs.
Our dog Molly was without a doubt the most effective alarm system we have ever had.
She would bark at anything; at the doorbell, at people walking down the back lane, at anything moving in the garden.
This was her territory and anything that showed up that was not part of the household got her attention.
My brother-in-law who's a videographer, once needed to film a barking dog.
Normally when you want a dog to bark on cue, it doesn't happen.
With Molly it was no problem.
In fact the biggest problem was to stop her barking at the slightest thing.
She'd bark when other members of the family came to visit, even though she'd been around them hundreds of times.
She'd bark at the garbage truck.
She'd bark at hearing the mail being deposited in the mailbox.
Given that kind of record, anyone trying to break in wouldn't have a chance.
I was grateful to her for keeping an eye on the garden.
We feed the birds, particularly important in the winter months.
Because we have a heated birdbath and several feeders, we get a lot of birds.
Whether I like it or not, cats are attracted to the garden.
One black and white cat would sneak in and hide under some bushes in hopes of catching an unwary sparrow.
Molly would sit by the kitchen window and watch for these intruders.
When she spotted one she'd rush furiously to the door to be let out.
Once in the garden she would race towards the intruder.
I'm happy to say that she never caught one but she did scare them off, leaving the birds to feed in peace.
I'd like to say that our dogs have always successfully kept intruders out of the house.
It wasn't always true.
When I lived in Vancouver, our West Highland Terrier was more friend than foe.
We had a number of break-ins, almost all of them searching for and finding alcohol.
We suspect it was neighborhood kids who knew the dog anyway and who also knew where the alcohol was kept - which just goes to show that a dog won't solve everything.
In a good many cases, however, a dog is as good as, better than, and almost certainly cheaper, than a regular alarm system.
If you're looking for a dog, or you're a breeder with a dog for sale, Pet Match Park offers a friendly atmosphere where customers and breeders can interact with one another one on one.
It's one of those home security companies wanting to equip your house with the latest alarm system.
You thank them and tell them that you already have an effective system - on four legs.
Our dog Molly was without a doubt the most effective alarm system we have ever had.
She would bark at anything; at the doorbell, at people walking down the back lane, at anything moving in the garden.
This was her territory and anything that showed up that was not part of the household got her attention.
My brother-in-law who's a videographer, once needed to film a barking dog.
Normally when you want a dog to bark on cue, it doesn't happen.
With Molly it was no problem.
In fact the biggest problem was to stop her barking at the slightest thing.
She'd bark when other members of the family came to visit, even though she'd been around them hundreds of times.
She'd bark at the garbage truck.
She'd bark at hearing the mail being deposited in the mailbox.
Given that kind of record, anyone trying to break in wouldn't have a chance.
I was grateful to her for keeping an eye on the garden.
We feed the birds, particularly important in the winter months.
Because we have a heated birdbath and several feeders, we get a lot of birds.
Whether I like it or not, cats are attracted to the garden.
One black and white cat would sneak in and hide under some bushes in hopes of catching an unwary sparrow.
Molly would sit by the kitchen window and watch for these intruders.
When she spotted one she'd rush furiously to the door to be let out.
Once in the garden she would race towards the intruder.
I'm happy to say that she never caught one but she did scare them off, leaving the birds to feed in peace.
I'd like to say that our dogs have always successfully kept intruders out of the house.
It wasn't always true.
When I lived in Vancouver, our West Highland Terrier was more friend than foe.
We had a number of break-ins, almost all of them searching for and finding alcohol.
We suspect it was neighborhood kids who knew the dog anyway and who also knew where the alcohol was kept - which just goes to show that a dog won't solve everything.
In a good many cases, however, a dog is as good as, better than, and almost certainly cheaper, than a regular alarm system.
If you're looking for a dog, or you're a breeder with a dog for sale, Pet Match Park offers a friendly atmosphere where customers and breeders can interact with one another one on one.
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