[familyop]

"Alarm systems (dogs) that work without electricity is third."

Howdy neighbor. There's PV solar with good, cheap golf cart batteries, which hardship I am limited to (grid miles away). There are cheap driveway alarms with motion detection. Camera systems and good fences can help to keep the NIMBYs ("lib-traitor spy neighbors") and other criminals away. The camera systems can be home-installed, component by component, and run with free software (much Internet study needed). Soft, solar lighting can also be used to great benefit for home security (if well done, negates need for night vision equipment).

But yeah, dogs are great. I have a two-shepherd, malamute mix for helping with yaks (very cold and windy here, at a higher elevation just west of some 14-ers in a large, treeless place). It's good to remember to stock up on dog food, too, though (necessity in winter here).

Always "prepping" for the next winter in a place like this (three feet of spraying ice last winter).

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

good, cheap golf cart batteries

That seems to be something of an oxymoron. I have looked and deep cycle batteries are good but they ain't cheap. Where do you get the cheap ones?