Home security is important. There are many ways to keep your home from being broken into. One such way is to get a dog. Dogs have been used for thousands of years by humans to increase the level of vigilance a home has. Dogs hear and smell much better than people, and are generally the first to notice if someone comes to the door. Furthermore, a large dog can often actually serve as a deterrent. Even if not technically aggressive or highly dangerous, a large dog will often bark and scare off a burglar who doesn't know how friendly the dog actually is. Often, regardless of the actual danger a dog poses, a burglar will head to the next house, one that has no dog. The risk is simply much lower.

Another good way to reduce the possibility of break in is to keep the yard neat and clean. A cluttered yard, one with unkempt shrubs and trees, provides plenty of hiding places for potential thieves to hide in. Trim trees up to six feet off the ground and keep bushes cut well back, especially near walkways. At the edges of the property, you can be less careful, and allow plants and tress to grow a little more. The goal is to create lines of sight between the road and the house, such that anyone walking up to the house or standing next to the door is fully visible. It might seem like creating cover is a good way to keep a house safe, but cover only provides safety for criminals.

Also, keep the house secured well with deadbolts and security doors. A standard door latch is operated via a spring. Because of this, it can be slipped by a person with a thin, flexible object such as a credit card. A deadbolt solves this problem by eliminating the spring, and replacing it with a lever-activated bolt that sinks deeply into the door jam. The bolt is moved in and out by rotating the tumbler, which cannot be turned except by a key from the outside or a handle from the inside. Double cylinder locks require a key from both the inside and outside. While double cylinder locks are considered more secure, as a thief cannot open the door by reaching through a window, they can present more of a hazard in case of a fire or other emergency.

Finally, a home should be equipped with a security system. The best locks and most visible sightlines to the house will not stop a person from breaking in if they decide they want to. A rock or baseball bat to the window, and the house is now open. But a security system will ensure that you as a homeowner are alerted, and will create a feeling of urgency for the criminals, possibly preventing them from actually stealing much, if anything.