Even asleep, I wake up a few times nightly to walk the house and look outside. Definitely, when/if my dogs are barking at something outside, I'm up and looking.
Dogs!, or even just one, bring such an important level of home security. Property security. Our only inside dog is a golden retriever and now 2 has grown to be massive in size for his breed but all muscle and lean with a very alpha attitude for protecting. Very blessed that he is our best friend. We never worry about a good nights sleep or about our home while we are away. The best Situational awareness scanner any family can have is a good dog.
I so worry about my S.A. skills. Our 12 yr old has the best in our family and while we all practice and preach inside our family to each other, she seems to be the meter the 8 of us use in evaluating our own personnel abilities. Any form of Martial arts is your best training tool for great S.A. skills. Back that up with range time and the ability to carry then we feel even more capable of good self defense.
Trust me, there is a good positive way to practice this in each family without feeling that it is sad we need to live in a constant state or level of awareness. Proud & blessed to live in these United States of America as threats are everywhere in our world. IMHO, most Importantly, it is also about being a good neighbor or citizen. It is not sad, just important and necessary, to stay alert for everyone around you daily. It will always be God, Country and Family in our house. Good people did not just start helping little ol' lady's cross the street since 9/11. There has always been a great need for Situational Awareness.
Saving lives is important, not just your own.