We have seen more than eight different brands of barking dog alarms that are currently on the market. While there are a number of other sites out there that have barking dog alarm reviews, we find reviewers haven’t tested the products themselves, rely on product paper work, or user comments after owning the product for a very short period of time.  Some of these reviews are not barking dog alarms at all, but have a dog breed as part of the brand name and others have comments or reviews that cover the wrong brands or models. 

Almost none of these reviews cover the expansion features that add on sensors provide, or offer setup help to customers beyond the included package instructions. 

Since 2010, we have been working with, testing, and selling the best barking dog alarm systems out on the market today. As a result, we are dedicating this site to share information from our years of experience with our readers and customers.

It is well known that most thieves will look for an easy target. The best way to protect your home or office from these crooks is to make them think it will be harder to steal something from your property than to go somewhere else. One way to do that is to have a large dog. During interviews, burglars have admitted that they would look for an easier target if they checked out a property with a large sounding dog.

Many victims interviewed have had a dog in the past and still want the secure feeling that their dog gave them. But they either don’t have time for, or can’t provide the extra effort to care for a live canine.

The next best thing to a live dog  is to have a quality electronic barking dog, because it sounds real from the outside of a home or office and all it needs is power to make it run.

About 2009, we began to research information about what the best electronic barking dog was and how it works. For the results of that search and to see a demonstration video click here. You may see a message the only secure content is showing. You will need to click on show all content to see the video.

We found a number of barking dogs alarms that work, but we wanted to find the best ones that sound realistic from the outside of a building. As a result of our research and product testing , we compiled a list of features that we believe make up the best barking dog alarms today.

1. It works with a provided AC to DC power adapter and continues to work if power is lost by using a set of back up batteries.
2. The main unit has a batteries getting low indicator.
3. It is loud enough and has the quality to sound like a real large dog from outside of a structure.
4. It can detect motion through objects such as wood; glass; brick; and plastic.
5. The main unit uses an adjustable sensitivity Microwave Radar sensor and has limited detection from the sides and speaker side.
6. The owner can arm and disarm it with an included remote control, removing the need to move the unit or have it barking while trying to turn it on or off.
7. The remote control has a panic button that will sound a siren alarm through the barking dog alarm speaker.
8. To our knowledge there is no barking dog alarm that can detect through solid metal, however these have available optional wireless add on sensors to be placed to get around metal, or to protect different areas by triggering the main barking dog unit.
9. The optional add on sensors can be matched to the main unit one at a time and will only work with the alarm they are matched to.
10. Each barking dog alarm is unique and more than one can be used in the same building without interfering with each other.
11. Both the Barking Dog Alarm Main Unit and at least one optional motion sensor is independently adjustable for different situations.
12. A Door/Window/Vibration sensor has magnetic contacts that can be expanded in series.
13. The included AC to DC switching power supply can be used in the USA out of the box and internationally from 110 AC volts up to 240 AC volts with a simple plug adapter (not included).
14. One Year Manufacturer Warranty.

As of this date, we have found four barking dog alarms that meet the above features. They can be found under the brand names of HomeSafe model 639SR; SafeFamilyLife model EWD-1; Safety Technology model EWD-1; and StreetWise model SWEWD. We have tested all four of these units and they are identical with the exception of the brand names and model numbers stamped on the products.

All four of the alarm main units can use three specific HomeSafe branded sensors and extra remote controls to expand their coverage and ability . We have reviewed these sensors on another blog post. Click Here.

The shape, size, and look of each of these alarm main units is the same. Only the brand name is different. The barking dog alarm main unit stands 7 inches tall. At the front is a five inch speaker with an output of 5 watts; which is all you want to make the sound realistic from outside of the building.

The bottom left LED will glow green when plugged into power and the batteries are good. It will glow yellow when the power has failed and you are running on batteries, the batteries are getting low, or are missing when plugged into power.

The bottom right LED will glow red when the system is armed. (The system has a one minute setup time before it will detect.)

The right side of the alarm has two adjustment knobs. One is for on/off volume control and the other is for Sensitivity or distance the unit will detect.

The volume control on/off click is at the low end of the volume. The sensitivity control lets you adjust for detection distance. This will also help you adjust how the sensors pick up through different thicknesses and types of walls, windows or doors.

The left side of the unit allows you to set the alarm to Bark, Chime, or Siren.

There is an Arm/Disarm button in case you don’t have your remote control. This side also has the port that the supplied AC to DC adapter plugs into.

The below photo of the back of the main unit shows the open battery compartment. 8 AA alkaline batteries (Not included) are placed here to run the alarm in case of power failure.

A note here about batteries: We recommend that you use quality brand names such as Energizer due to the possibility of leakage. Leakage can corrode and destroy electronic contacts and components. In any case you should check often and switch out batteries that have the slightest sign of leakage in any electronic device.

This back side of the Main Unit is the only part of the system that can penetrate objects with the microwave sensor, however there are three types of optional sensors that can be added to enhance functionality. The learn button, shown above, is used to mix and match these sensors or additional remote controls to the unit. (Up to 16 total can be added). This battery side of the unit faces the wall, or other object you want to see through. The speaker side faces into the room, so the sound of the bark can bounce off of walls and ceilings to make it realistic sounding from outside or another room of the structure.

The figures below shows the general microwave detection areas of these dog alarms when mounted on a wall. These detection areas can be increased or decreased with the sensitivity control on the main unit side.

The Below figures show the right and wrong way to set the Barking Dog Alarm location when protecting a door or wall.

The included remote control is powered by an included CR2032 button battery. This battery should be changed every six months, or when you need to be close to the alarm for it to work. With a fresh battery the range of the remote is up to 30 meters (98 feet); 20 meters or (65 feet) is average.

This remote control comes branded with the same logo as the barking dog alarm. Any new add on additional remote controls will have the HomeSafe brand.

There are three buttons on the remote control. The PANIC button will cause the alarm to SIREN. It will reset after 30 to 90 seconds. Many people request that this button cause the alarm to BARK, however that is not the case and currently there is no way to change this on the main unit. The ARM button will activate the alarm and it will give a short bark (in Bark Mode). After about a minute the alarm will give a tone and be ready to detect movement. The DISARM button will deactivate the alarm, acknowledged with a tone immediately, including the panic mode.

In our opinion, these are the general features of the best barking dog alarm main unit.

A note about all motion sensors and barking dog alarms that use microwave radar movement detection. Some people think that these sensors and alarms will only detect people. That would be great if they did, but these are motion detectors. Just like a real dog they will bark at anything that moves, even what we might not see including: large animals inside or outside; plants blowing in the wind; curtains moving with your heater or air conditioners; air circulation fans; and walking close by the unit on any side.  All of these are usually easy to manage with the proper setup.

You can view and purchase the alarms on our sister site ForSecuritySake.com . You can check out the alarms here.

Be Safe out there!

The best barking dog alarms on the market can detect movement just as well as a real large dog, however sometimes customers need to detect around metal, or  want to protect locations outside the detection area of the barking dog alarm main unit. Both can be done by adding one or more optional sensors to the main unit.

By adding inexpensive optional sensors that enhance the detection abilities of the main unit, the entire building can be protected.

The sensors match to the dog alarm main unit with a simple one time procedure that insures the sensors only work with that one main unit, or other main units you want to add. 

There are four brands of barking dog alarms that will accept the HomeSafe brand of sensors. The HomeSafe model 639SR; SafeFamilyLife model EWD-1; Safety Technology model EWD-1; and the StreetWise model SWEWD. We covered how those alarms work in a prior post. You can read that post by clicking here.

There are currently three optional sensors that can be matched to the barking dog alarm. Up to 16 mixed and matched sensors or remote controls can be added to each main unit to enhance the protection coverage of the system.

They all work with long lasting alkaline batteries and we recommend only quality battery brands be used to reduce the chance of battery leakage.

Once the sensors are matched to the barking dog alarm main unit the sensors are always on (as long as there is battery power). They will only trigger when the main unit is armed and will cause the main unit to immediately go into its most vicious barking mode, chime, or siren; depending on what you have the main unit set to do. They will continue to trigger as long as there is detection. (Depending on which sensor is triggering). When detection stops, the main unit will reset.

The Window/Door/Vibration Sensor Model 600WR:

This optional sensor has two *plus sensors in one.

To use this sensor, the body is mounted on a door, or window frame where protection is wanted. A wired magnetic contact half is mounted on the door or window frame with the sensor body and the second wireless half is mounted on the door or window.

How it works:

While the main barking dog unit is protecting one area of your building, this unit will protect one additional door or window by sensing any strong vibration, or if the magnetic contact is broken (as if opening the door or window). When triggered it will send a signal the main unit to activate. As long as the contact is broken, or vibration continues, activation signals will continue to the main unit.

There is also a small internal alarm in the sensor body that is switchable to on or off. This switch will only effect the internal alarm and it can be used independently of the barking watch dog alarm main unit.

When we tested the sensor vibration there had to be a hard knock or pounding to trigger and send a signal to the main unit to activate. It did not trigger with a light knock. This sensor is not adjustable for vibration sensitivity and it is designed to protect one door or window with vibration detection, however the magnetic contact is *expandable.

*The sensor comes with one magnetic contact, however a number of contacts can be added in series without the need to add more sensor bodies.

This sensor works with one long lasting alkaline 9 volt battery. Once matched to the main unit, it is always working. There is a LED on this sensor that will blink when the sensor is triggering and it will blink when the battery is getting low.

To learn more or purchase this sensor you can find it here at our sister site ForSecurtySake.com

The Motion Sensor model 615PR:

This non-adjustable PIR sensor is designed to detect movement inside any room, covered porch, or patio area. It can be used within or outside the protection range of the main unit. It can send an activation signal to the barking dog alarm within its radio frequency (RF) range of up to 300 feet unobstructed.

How it works:

This sensor cannot see through objects. Only the main unit can do that, but it can send a RF signal through objects to activate the main alarm unit when moton is detected by PIR.

Once matched to the main unit, it will trigger anytime there is movement within the sensor window of up to 8 meters (26 feet) at 110 degree motion detection angle. We have tested the unit in a number of rooms and when put in a corner,  covered the entire room very well. It will continue to send activation signals as long as movement continues.

This sensor works with one long lasting alkaline 9 volt battery. There is an LED that will flash when movement is triggered and it will flash when the battery is getting low.

To learn more or purchase this sensor you can find it here at our sister site ForSecurtySake.com .

The Adjustable Indoor/Outdoor Motion Sensor Model 616PR:

This PIR sensor is the newest and most popular optional add on motion sensor available today. It works similar to and can be used in the same areas as the motion sensor above, however it was designed to mount in areas where adjustment is necessary to hide areas of movement, or reduce detection distance that would otherwise trigger false alarms from any object movement. It can send an activation signal to the main unit within its radio frequency (RF) range of up to 300 feet unobstructed.

How it works:

This sensor is unique in that it is adjustable two ways. There are sliding doors on each side of the sensor to customize angle of detection and a distance sensitivity adjustment is in the battery compartment. These adjustments allow you to block indoor or outdoor areas, such as plants and trees moving in the wind or common walkway areas that you may not want the sensor to trigger on. 

The adjustments also make it the preferred sensor to cover an area where the barking dog alarm can’t be used, such as a metal door or wall. The sensor can’t see through anything like the main unit, however it can be placed on the outside of the metal object and when triggered, send a RF signal through metal to main unit to activate.

The doors on the sides of the sensor can be set from the maximum detection angle of 150 degrees down to just a slit for a very specific detection area.

The control switch inside the battery compartment can adjust the sensitivity or distance that the sensor can see movement. In our tests, the sensor can be set as low as 10 feet and over 30 feet maximum distance. The product specifications show a maximum detection distance of 10 meters, or about 32 feet.   

These sensor adjustments are independent of the sensitivity control of the barking dog alarm main unit. Even with the main watch dog sensitivity set to minimum it will not stop the sensor from activating it as long as the alarm is armed.

This sensor runs on three long lasting AA Alkaline and in our tests they last longer than the Alkaline nine volt batteries of the other sensors. Remember to use quality Alkaline batteries to reduce the chance of battery leakage.

To learn more or purchase this sensor you can find it here at our sister site ForSecurtySake.com .

The HomeSafe Remote Control model 500R:

Additional remote controls can be added to allow other family members, or employees to use them with the same alarm main unit.  This remote control is a HomeSafe brand, but it is identical in the way the original remote works with the alarm main unit.

How it works:

Three push buttons on the face of the remote controls Arm, Disarm and Panic functions of the alarm.  More information for this remote is explained with the Best Barking Dog Alarm Post.

You can also learn more or purchase this remote control; here at our sister site ForSecurtySake.com .

These are the sensors and remote control currently available in the USA for the best barking dog alarms covered on this website.

Be safe out there!