I hate dogs. Ok, so I’ve lost half of you already, and I’m sorry; but dogs are always trying to lick your face one minute, and sniff your private parts the next, and I hate that.

But if I don’t like dogs, burglars like them even less! There’s no doubting the deterrent effect of a big, mean hound in the home.

With Rex Plus, the electronic guard dog, you can have a pal to watch over the home that doesn’t need taking for walks, poop scooping etc.

This gadget is more sophisticated than you might think. It uses a microwave radar detector that can pick up intruders outside the walls of your home, within a range of 20 to 90 feet. As soon as the bad guy approaches, Rex kicks off with an array of barks, ruffs and snarls – just like a real dog. As the intruder gets closer, the barks become more urgent and louder. Then, as the would-be thief leaves to look for an easier target, Rex “calms down”.

At $60 US, Rex doesn’t come cheap, though he’s probably less expensive than the real thing, and certainly a lot less hassle.

Rex Plus product page.