Home Protection at Night

[M9FAN]

I believe a good home security requires layers.

It seems that many people think you should get an alarm OR a dog OR a gun.
Some combination for a multi-layered defense system seems the best choice to me.

+1

[gregthehand]

The shoe was off of an intruder that he scared away.

Minature Schnauzers are tenacious! Not really but Alvin does bark a lot when someone so much as walks up to the door. Occasionally he will see a cat or squirrel outside and kind of let out a very quiet "woof" but not a full on barking frenzy like he does when someone knocks on the door or a car pulls up.

[CodeJockey]

Be EXTREEMLY careful about what you "train" your dog for. Having been in the "dog world" for over 30 years in almost all aspects, the "trained guard dog" without the person controling it even more dedicated and trained than the dog is like taking a .357 and loading it and putting it on the living room table. Sooner or later, it's going off and more likely than not, it's going to hurt someone. Except for the experts, having an attack dog is a very, very poor decision.

That said, I firmly belive that all dogs (oh yea, we have over 15) should have basic training and manners. Teaching them to alert is basic and often comes "pre-programed" in many breeds. Some are better than others, esp good (normally) are those that were bred to "guard" sheep, cattle, people, etc.

Garry N

I appreciate the advice. I should've been more clear. I was thinking more in the way of manners / obedience than an attack dog. Not really having much / any experience with a dog, I would probably want to have it properly trained by an expert. That is really what I meant.

[dac1842]

I agree with everything PT145 said but would like to add to the plan part. We have the dogs, alarm system and weapons. At night we have the alarm set to if any exterior door or window is opened then the alarm goes off. between about 1900 hours and the time we go to bed we set the alarm so that we can move around the house without setting off any alarms.
The part I wanted to expound on is the family plan. if something goes down the wife goes into a locked closet which also serves as a gun closet and if she has not already done so has called 911.. A spare key to the gun safe is hidden in this closet and a Sig Pro .40 caliber is loaded in the gun safe at all times, not to mention a Bushmaster AR 15. IF someone other than me or the police attempt the open the door she is perfectly capable of giving them a case of heartburn that Tums can't touch.
The key is have a plan that everyone in the house is trained on. Every bedroom has an attic access. All the kids/grandkids are trained to climb into the attic and get still and quiet.
Just a small insight into what we do.

[CompVest]

Be EXTREEMLY careful about what you "train" your dog for. Having been in the "dog world" for over 30 years in almost all aspects, the "trained guard dog" without the person controling it even more dedicated and trained than the dog is like taking a .357 and loading it and putting it on the living room table. Sooner or later, it's going off and more likely than not, it's going to hurt someone. Except for the experts, having an attack dog is a very, very poor decision.

That said, I firmly belive that all dogs (oh yea, we have over 15) should have basic training and manners. Teaching them to alert is basic and often comes "pre-programed" in many breeds. Some are better than others, esp good (normally) are those that were bred to "guard" sheep, cattle, people, etc.

Garry N

I respectfully disagree. I think it takes someone pulling the trigger to cause a gun to go off. A dog on the other hand trained or not can go off with out any obvious trigger.

[solaritx]

I still stand by my statement, but maybe with more clarification?

Sooner or later, either with the weapon or the attack dog, someone will activate the trigger (dog or weapon) and someone can get very seriously hurt. I used to work in the children's hospital over in San Antonio (Santa Rosa) and one or twice a year we would get some kid that had been mauled. Not by a pit bull, but by someones "trained attack/guard dog". Often it was not the family child but rather one of the kid's friends. The dog precieved that it needed to protect, and had been taught the way to protect was to bite.

I personally want and have dogs that alert and bark, bringing into play the back-up protection system.....me, my wife or Samantha with required force if needed <g>

Garry N

[Barron76]

Dog.
Or several dogs.
Pistol by the bedside with enough ammo to get me to the closet where the Shotgun is.

[Venus Pax]

Every bedroom has an attic access. All the kids/grandkids are trained to climb into the attic and get still and quiet.
Just a small insight into what we do.

This is an excellent idea. Did you build the house like this purposely, or did you just happen to purchase a house that had this feature? My husband is a builder, and I've never seen more than two attic doors per attic. (Some homes have more than one attic, especially if separated by a cathedral ceiling or two story den.) This is an excellent way to let attic space double as the "panic room".


It's an excellent idea for getting the family together from various areas of the house without having to navigate the halls and open areas.

[dac1842]

Venus,
We have two story house, I bought house about 10 years ago it was already designed.Each room upstairs has attic access. I have laid down plywood sheets so that in case of intruder they can get in and lay down. I also am getting to install pulls on inside so that they can more easily pull the small doors shut once inside easier.

[frankie_the_yankee]

On dogs.

I am not a fan of having a so-called "attack dog". I think that most people aren't aware of or prepared for the effort and responsibility involved.

Some breeds are more "naturally" protective of either their turf or what they perceive to be their "pack" than others. As another poster pointed out, these tend to be the "working" dogs like shepards, etc.

Almost any dog will bark if it senses a stranger approaching or any unusual sound. Fortunately, it's pretty hard for someone to force entry into a house or apartment without making some sounds that to the dog will be unusual. Jimmying a door, forcing or breaking a window - all these things make sounds that are out of the ordinary.

Most dogs have more than one bark, and it is easy to distinguish the different barks that dogs will use in different situations. My German Shepard, for instance, has what I call a "social" bark that he uses when he wants to just make noise or call out to some other dog(s) in the area who may be barking at the time.

But he also has a VERY different bark that he uses when something is going on that he doesn't like. I couldn't imaging anyone confusing the two.

Sometimes he'll come out with the social bark if he sees a deer in the yard or something like that. When I hear that I just ignore it.

But when I hear his "other" bark, I reach for a gun and investigate.

This is a rare occurrence, and it all works well for me.

[USMC-COL]

Great ideas suggested. Layered security is always best. For me, first and foremost is having a plan that considers all possible scenarios, abilities and limitations of house members, available weaponry, and is exercised frequently enough under different levels of light and at different times so that all members of the household will remember what to do under stress. It is also simple to make a make-shift strong or safe room. One suggestion offered (for part of the plan) is to place a solid door leading to the master bedroom and lockable with double security bolts.

[CJATE]

I vote alarm w/ service, little thing that really helps my wife feel secure. In addition, an indoor dog, most any dog will bark or show alarm is woken at night. I can’t find but read the statistics on home invasion gone bad when the alarm was set and functioning properly. Very low.

Or lab will show you were the hidden key is for a little attention, but our Winnie dog will rip your hand off of you try to pet her when my wife is uncomfortable.

[Venus Pax]

Or lab will show you were the hidden key is for a little attention,

Sounds like something my miniature schnauzer would do. We love him, but we don't have complete trust in his watch-dog capabilities.

[9mmGuy]

But he also has a VERY different bark that he uses when something is going on that he doesn't like. I couldn't imaging anyone confusing the two.

This is VERY true! when something is not right in the night, he will raise his head very quickly to hear better and i can hear his collar gingle before he even barks. not only do they have different barks, if a dog gets really TRULY defensive, they turn into completely different animals. and most of the time someone or something is going to get hurt.

as far as waking up in the night, with out a dog. our home came with an alarm and we have it set to chime when ever a door or window is opened. its pretty loud in the still of the night and wakes me every time the wife comes home late.