At ADT, we love pets, and we understand that your pet is another member of your household. You want them to be comfortable, loved, and safe, just like anyone else. 

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than half of U.S. households include at least one pet. For us, that means if you are searching for the best home security options for your family, you probably want to include Fido in your calculations. 

You may wonder, what kind of security measures do you need to take to help keep your pet safe. What considerations should you have when you think about different security features? We are here to help. 

This guide will outline the basics of pet safety and some of the primary pet-friendly features available with a home security system. 

Pet Safety Basics

While we can do everything on this list to keep our pets safe, it is best to plan for the unexpected. Make sure you have a vet you are comfortable with, know their hours, and also see where the nearest emergency vet is to you. If you have a pet sitter or dog walker coming into the home, make sure to post the veterinarian’s information somewhere they can easily find it. 

Top 5 Pet-Friendly Home Security System Features

You’ve read about pet-proofing your home. You may be wondering how a home security system lends itself to keeping your pet safe – beyond the obvious alert of a break-in. Did you know that your home security system can make your home smarter and, therefore, better able to keep an eye on your beloved animals? 

Today’s home security systems offer a wide variety of features and customizations to ensure your home and those in it are protected – including your pets. Below are five features you’ll want to integrate into your home security system to make it more pet-friendly.

• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• Motion Sensors

• Glass Break or Door and Window Sensors

• Flood Detectors

• Indoor and Outdoor Security Cameras

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

When your pets are home, but you are not, having a connected smoke or carbon monoxide detector will mean a faster response – and rescue. Sometimes, a problem occurs when you least expect it, and the problem isn’t always the candle we forgot about. Our beloved pets have been known to create mischief on their own. You never know when a pet might cause a disaster in the kitchen or need to be rescued from something outside of your control. Connected alarms send an immediate alert to professional monitors who can then call for help on your behalf. 

The ADT smoke sensors and carbon monoxide sensors can help. The sensor technology allows for earlier detection of smoke or gas. Our monitoring centers will quickly see an alert, notify your local fire department, and send you a notification. 

Motion Sensors

Motion sensors are there to detect when an uninvited guest is at your home. Motion sensors are an important tool in early detection, but are you aware the family pet can change the way a motion sensor works?  

You may worry that a pet will set the sensor off, triggering a false alarm. Newer systems now can ignore anything under 85 pounds, so most pets are off the hook. In fact, with ADT’s motion sensors, you can set the sensitivity level to the specific weight of your pet. 

However, if you have an extra-large animal, you risk the motion detectors going off and triggering a false alarm. In this case, glass break sensors may make the most sense for you. An ADT professional can help by looking at your home and pets to ensure the best options are in place. 

As an additional benefit, motion sensors are a great way to monitor where your pet is in the home. For example, a motion sensor can notify you if your pet is loose in a room they aren’t supposed to be in. 

Glass Break or Door and Window Sensors

Glass break sensors are capable of detecting the sounds associated with shattering glass. When they detect glass breaking within their range (typically about 20 feet), they send an alert. 

A door and window sensor is a two-piece magnetic contact sensor. When a door or window is opened, and the two pieces are separated, it triggers an alert. With these sensors, you can receive a text or email alert when they are triggered, and you can create an automation to turn on a camera to see who triggered your sensor. 

Both types of sensors are useful for pet owners. If someone were to enter your home while you aren’t there, these sensors would alert the ADT monitoring centers, and emergency services will be called sooner. 

Flood Detectors

A burst pipe is a big problem – particularly when you aren’t at home. The damage can mount quickly and put your pets at risk. Flood detectors are wireless, making them easy to place in hard-to-reach places by dishwashers, washing machines, basements, or anywhere else you might have flooding. If a flood occurs, an instant alert is sent to your phone, which allows you to respond faster, protect your pets, and get a repair crew in sooner. 

Indoor and Outdoor Security Cameras

Having cameras to keep an eye on things when you’re not home allows you to monitor when people come to your door and provides video footage when the unthinkable happens. But having both indoor and outdoor cameras also allows you to keep an eye on your furry friend when you’re gone. Here are a few things to consider when looking for the right camera.

• Is the camera compatible with your smartphone so you can watch your pet from anywhere?

• Does it have a live stream option?

• How clear is the picture, and does it have night vision for when you are away in the evening?

• Does the camera system allow you to switch between cameras and follow your pets as they move from one area to another?

• Does the camera allow you to set up custom zones, so you only get alerts from the areas you want to see?

ADT has cameras that offer HD video quality images no matter the time of day or amount of light. They are motion-activated, and you can receive live or recorded video clips when a camera senses motion. You can also watch your four-legged friends shift between cameras to track their movement. And it can all be controlled from your phone. 

Additional Smart Home Components

Whether you are home or away, it is nice to know you can keep your pet (and everyone else) comfortable and happy with smart home integration. A few taps from your phone is all it takes to keep an environment that is comfortable and happy for your pet. And that’s only the beginning of what smart home integration can do for you. 

A smart home keeps you and your family safe – and helps the family pets, too. Here are a few things to think about.

• Smart light bulbs. Safer for you, safer for your pets. It’s not uncommon to leave the house in the dark and arrive home in the dark. However, setting lights to turn on when you aren’t home will keep your pets more secure by warding off potential intruders. 

• Smart plugs. Smart plugs not only help you turn on or off lamps but also small appliances. You can use these to turn a TV or radio on or off and help to calm an anxious pet. You can also ease your own anxiety, wondering if you turned off the coffee maker. 

• Smart thermostat. Does the temperature of your pet’s favorite room change during the day? You can control your thermostat from anywhere and adjust the temperature of your home or a designated area. Check-in during the day – especially during extreme weather – to help make sure your pet is safe and comfortable. 

• Smart locks. Forget keys, and let smart locks make life with your pet easier. With one-touch locking options and nighttime illumination of the keypad, taking your eager dog for a walk is a snap. Do you have a dog walker or a pet sitter when you are out of town? Smart locks include virtual key combinations and live alerts, so you know who is accessing your home and when. And if they forget to lock up when they leave? A smart lock allows you to lock and unlock doors from your phone or set the locks to engage after a set period. 

• Arm and disarm from an app. Let’s say you are taking your dog for a walk. You want to set the alarm when you leave, but you’re being pulled by the leash. You return and need to unset the alarm, but your pet is excited, and there’s a tangle of legs and leashes. Make it easy on yourself by turning the alarm on and off from an app on your phone. 

• ADT and Sonos. Although this isn’t necessarily an additional safety feature, you can integrate your Sonos speakers with the ADT control app to turn music on remotely while you’re away. The additional noise can help create a calm atmosphere in your home, keeping your pet happy and potentially out of trouble when you’re out. 

Things to Keep in Mind When Building the Best Home Security System for Your Pet

As you begin to make decisions about what to include in your home monitoring system, there are a few considerations you will want to keep in mind depending on your pet, including: 

• Live Video 

• Take Advantage of Schedules

• Placement 

• Professional Monitoring 

Live Video 

Cameras can be easy to install and are a great way to check in on your pet when you can’t be home. With a live video feed on your mobile device, you’ll be able to check on Fido at any time anywhere, whether your pet is outside digging around or taking an afternoon nap by the window. 

ADT’s security cameras also work well in low-light environments, ensuring you know where your pet is at all times. 

Take Advantage of Schedules

Pets thrive on routine, which is something you can use to your advantage when making your home security system help monitor your pet. The ADT control app allows you to remotely arm or disarm your system, so if you know your dog tends to go outside for a walk in the morning, you can disarm motion sensors by the dog door until your furry friend comes back inside. 

Placement

It’s important to consider where you install motion sensors, glass break sensors, or cameras. The proper placement of sensors will not only mean they work correctly, but it can also prevent your pets from triggering a false alarm. 

With cameras, you want to consider where they are placed so you can see everything you need to and switch seamlessly between them. An ADT professional can help you here. Our experts know how to make the right equipment work the right way for you. 

You also want to make sure you place all of your home security devices so they are out of reach from your pets. Cats, for instance, are known to jump on doors, drapes, and bookcases. Installing sensors five to six feet out of reach from your pets will make sure they don’t knock them down. 

Professional Monitoring

When it comes to your home security, having professionals to monitor your system 24/7 helps protect everything and everyone you love – no matter if they have two legs, four legs, wings, or scales.

The average tenure of our monitoring center operators is five years, which means you have the most experienced operators in the industry. Unlike many of our competitors, we don’t outsource any of our monitoring centers, and your calls will be answered within a few rings. With three times as many monitoring centers as our nearest competitor, you’ll have peace of mind knowing there is someone else looking out while you aren’t home.

Keep Your Pets Safe With ADT

At ADT, our professionals care about keeping everyone in your home safe. We save lives for a living – it’s just what we do, and our people are passionate about what they do. By having the industry’s largest sales, installation, and service field force, we can help you secure your home quickly. And when you need help, we will answer the phone quickly with a real person who is ready to assist. 

ADT is a home security company that offers a variety of ways to protect you, your family, and your pets. Get started today by scheduling a free in-home consultation.