Adelaide Nightstalker

[Aidan3]

Dogs are a good deterrent. However I would never advise for someone to get a dog like they were purchasing insurance. Dogs need a considerable investment of time, money and affection.

[RallyValley]

What Aidan said is what I mean. Where will these dogs come from? What will happen when the threat is gone.

[Lhok]

The advice that you should get a dog for security was given to one of my uncles. They went out and got a German Shepherd, and the kind of life that dog had was horrible. They really only treated the dog as if it was an alarm system as it never got out of the backyard and had a poor diet.

As the dog died recently they were looking at getting another one to replace the dog as they don't feel secure anymore. It made me mad when I found out. Luckily though in this case they are looking at getting a better home security system and upping their insurance.

--Lhok

[Guest Willow]

A guy I know is a truckie, and he parks his truck outside his single female neighbours house down the street (at her request) to make it look like a bloke is at home.

I didn't buy my dogs for security, but I do feel safer knowing that at least they would hear an unusual noise before i would. I remember one night waking up and not being sure if it's because I heard soemthing, or if i dreamt it....I listened for the dogs and they didn;t stir so i knew it must have been me dreaming.

[PetSitters]

The advice that you should get a dog for security was given to one of my uncles. They went out and got a German Shepherd, and the kind of life that dog had was horrible. They really only treated the dog as if it was an alarm system as it never got out of the backyard and had a poor diet.

As the dog died recently they were looking at getting another one to replace the dog as they don't feel secure anymore. It made me mad when I found out. Luckily though in this case they are looking at getting a better home security system and upping their insurance.

--Lhok

That can happen, but it can also introduce someone to the pleasure of owning a dog where the dog does get a good life. A freind of our rescued a Rotty X from the pound for that purpose initially and they adore this dog so I guess it can go both ways. The one's I dislike are yard dogs I remember a GSD years ago in a car yard I ended up being able to feed and pat him through the fence, his life was pretty aweful

[Tim'sMum]

Buy a dog? Both good and bad advice.

Some people would give a dog a great home, other's wouldn't.

I must admit to getting a dog for a similiar reason many years ago. The 'Granny Killer' was operating in the suburbs around our home and my Mum was at home alone during the day and in her 70's, as was the lady next door and our back neighbour. They both had dogs who had died that year and our GSD had died the year before.

We adopted a young ACD who had been dumped/lost. He was a fabulous dog, very protective too and we could go to work feeling happy in the knowledge that Mum had some protection. He lived a good long life too...we had him for 14 years.

[Maxiewolf]

These days... people are so darn cruel that if they seriously want in your house, a dog is no more of an obstacle than you are. I imagine that Unless you do have a "man stopper" of a dog that isn't deterred by anything that someone may do to him long enough to Alert you, and allow you time to get to safety and call the police then a dog isn't really much of a defence.

Dogs, Locks and Alarms only Deter honest Criminals.

Besides... Brutus didnt read the Canine's Guide to What Breed of dog you are and what your surposed to do, he thinks he is a small lap dog and that everyone is friendly and that you should wag your tail and look as pleasant as possible, by hanging your tounge out and giving a dopey grin. (if it wasnt for the fact he has a docked tail (so you actually have to read the whole dog to know he's happy.. which most people dont...) and wears a two inch thick studded staffy collar... he looks about as intimidating as a labrador puppy.)

Well okay.. he barks at "Cat" Burglars.

[Aidan3]

Dogs, Locks and Alarms only Deter honest Criminals.

If they really want something in your house, that is probably true. But I think most crims would overlook a house with a dog if the house next door didn't have one, or the house with the alarm if the house next door didn't have one. You hear a lot of stories about crims who case a street and make notes which houses have dogs, alarms etc

I'm very confident with dogs and I would definitely decide against breaking into my house

[Mags]

We have lost 2 beautiful cattle dogs to the injuries done to them by intruders trying to break in. They didn't get in but we lost our dogs which was not a good deal in my opinion. My disabled hubby and cats were in the house so I could have come home to worse than I did but what I found was one dog that looked like she had been kicked/beaten nearly to death and the other standing guard over her - scared and also badly beaten. We lost one dog very soon after to her injuries and the second we had to have put down because of her uncontrollable anxiety made worse by the loss of hearing and sight she suffered from the beating.

I would much rather lose stuff than my dogs, stuff is just that - the dogs we lost were members of our family.

[Aidan3]

I'm so sorry, Mags, that is truly horrible.

[RottnBullies]

I'm so sorry, Mags, that is truly horrible.

Agree how awful so very sorry to hear this

[Keira&Phoenix]

That is so horrible Mags sorry for your losses

I have heard of that happening and it is just horrid people would do that. My dogs sleep in my room and would definitely wake up and bark if they heard anything suss, actually they wake me up every now and then when the hear people etc outside.

Luckily I also live across from the main police station in our area

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Snook

A strange man (as in a stranger, not that he seemed strange.. lol) came to my door and asked if a man I'd never heard of was home (I've been here for the last 7 years so definitely not a past tenant and odd to ask for someone by their full name).

asking for someone by their full name is what sheriffs with summons documents do. And maybe police with arrest warrants but definitely court summons.

So it can happen if person hasn't updated their electoral roll when they moved and their name comes up for jury duty. And it can happen if they're wanted in court for something else and they gave a false address or incomplete address, or they used to have your address and haven't been caught for x years.

I have had the experience several times of someone coming to the door and rattling off a full name. One time it was to summons a witness for a court case. Another was for my neighbour, I think, but I'd never heard his full name before. And he'd moved out. That summons guy asked me to pass on the documents and I refused. Yikes. And I've had it a couple of times for jury duty.

I just find it's best when someone rattles off lots of names, that the person isn't home, and no I can't pass on the documents either. If it was something you wanted to do, they wouldn't need a summons.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

I agree with Mrs RB. It will deter opportunists who have softer targets to hit, but if it is you specifically someone is after, and they are serious, then they will deal with the dog before going after you.

I have always considered it my job to protect the dogs, not the other way around.

That said, I've been doing a bit of wandering after dark with our Wolfhound, and if he wasn't mine and I saw him coming up out of a stand of pines I would be scared witless. The way they move in the dark definitely gets your attention.

[Skitch]

Eeek double post. :/

Edited June 6, 2011 by Skitch

[Skitch]

It's not bad advice really - in a sense it's very true.. a dog does act as a deterrent for criminals, even small ones. The police found a map at the scene of a break in down our street that someone had made up of who had dogs and who didn't on our street! However.. delivering the message this way is going to have idiots rushing out and buying 'scary' dogs for sure. Not good..

I'm glad to have my cattle dog X.. she's an amazing guard dog, we're very lucky.

[jackie_a1]

Rott as scary as your dogs look even if they charged me if I was breaking in I'd try and steal a kiss. I'd be like come here they'd probably eat my flesh but at least I get bully love ahah :p

In regards to having a dog around your house it is safer, usually even a maltese is a good deterrent because dog barks makes noise people wake up criminal (hopefully) buckles and runs away.

If it is a more dangerous area a bigger dog in the yard is probably a deterrent. I heard a while ago that if someone comes into your yard e.g trespasses for whatever reasons and they get bitten that your dogs cannot be liable because they were on your property? I don't know if that's changed but I hope not. I'd like to see a big chunk missing from any robbers ass regardless from a chi or a dane.

[WoofnHoof]

Dogs, Locks and Alarms only Deter honest Criminals.

If they really want something in your house, that is probably true. But I think most crims would overlook a house with a dog if the house next door didn't have one, or the house with the alarm if the house next door didn't have one. You hear a lot of stories about crims who case a street and make notes which houses have dogs, alarms etc

I'm very confident with dogs and I would definitely decide against breaking into my house

Yep a woman I know had a home invasion (didn't have a dog at the time) and when she went to court one of the pieces of evidence they found was a map of the area with red crosses on all the houses with dogs. They are a good deterrant but as has been pointed out if they are targeting you or your property specifically a dog will not hurt them.

I also agree that it's not really the best thing for police to be advising people to go and get a dog as if they were a set and forget alarm system. Dogs are deterrants but they are still living breathing creatures that require adequate care and consideration. Re the size thing I remember hearing about some insurance research a while back which found that all dogs are equally valuable as deterrants no matter the size or breed, little dogs can make a lot of noise and they always know where you are before you know where they are ;)

[B-Q]

Although its not the reason I have them, I love having the dogs in my room at night, it makes me feel much safer, even if just to give a warning.

Buster I do feel would likely protect me, Quinn would run away as fast as she could which I'm fine with.

We have foxes in our paddocks atm and sometimes I think the moonlight catches the horses walking around at night in a weird way, I've woken up several times with Quinn standing over me, looking out my window and growling quietly. Very unsettling way to wake up.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Snook

The guy was dressed very casually and had no visible paperwork on him at all. He certainly didn't sound as though he was asking in any kind of official capacity either.

The one that came after my neighbour was dressed casual too. I dunno where the papers were. Some have had them inside a jacket pocket. It's usually just a few pages of A4 so easy to hide inside a jacket. I've never seen one in uniform or dressed in a business suit. Maybe that scares off the people they're looking for - like rattling off a full name wouldn't.

I keep asking questions about why and what kind of documents... and then they have to tell you. At least they've all told me. Never mind I might not have been entirely honest with them but after Terminator "Are you Sarah Conner" who would be?

But it could have been something else.