One large dog, especially one large trained dog, is a great control against intruders. However, an armed intruder that knows how to can neutralize it. Even an unarmed intruder that know how to and has the nerve to control himself can do so, albeit generally with a few painful holes acquired in the process. Two large dogs, especially two trained large dogs are another matter entirely. A skilled handgun marksman with nerves of steel is unlikely to be able to neutralize two trained dogs coming at him. Even armed, the average burglar would become hamburger meat.
Of course inmates are going to say that dogs don’t scare them--they don’t want people to have them for fear of running into them while trying to rob someone’s house. Just the presence of a dog is usually enough to deter a thief.
In our old neighborhood, we had some local cops come talk to us about home security for a Neighborhood Watch meeting. They mentioned that in a neighborhood setting especially, any dog will give a robber pause. Even if the dog isn’t big enough to cause physical harm, like our two dogs, they can and do bark and that raises the risk of a neighbor becoming aware of a problem. In our new house, we have the added bonus of a next door neighbor that has two huge huskies that spend most of their day in his front yard. They’re sweet as can be but I can imagine their size would deter anyone from trying anythink sneaky in their immediate surroundings.
Our old dog—the now defunct German Shepherd—simply had to stand in our fenced in front yard to convince people to move along. They really moved along when she bounced along the fence line, barking and baring those great big German Shepherd teeth.
Our new dog—the half Sheltie, half border collie—has all of the scare power of a marshmallow.
Several years ago I had a Rottweiler that I eventually lost to cancer. She was so gentle that while treating her the people at the vet’s office didn’t muzzle her even while probing around her tumors and causing her pain. They said they always muzzled Rottweilers, but they didn’t muzzle her. Until the onset of the cancer, I kept her on a long leash attached to a pulley on a cable between two telephone poles. That gave her as much territory as a good-sized yard. When strangers would come up our 800 foot driveway, she’d see them coming and get excited, and by the time they got up to the house she’d have that front telephone flipping back and forth like a fishing rod. All she wanted was to get to them and get some loving, but they didn’t know that, and even though she was leashed they sometimes refused to get out of their car or truck. A large dog is a great deterrent to burglars and trespassers. Like was said earlier, even a little noisemaker is enough to keep most of them away.
Ok, all people with dogs and kick-ass security are off my list now. But I’ll bet there is still plenty of other houses out there if there are no laws as LD says.
I went shopping at Westroads yesterday. I was really impressed with how packed the place was—including a gazillion kids.
Von Maurs—where the shooting took place—was still closed. I went down the corredor to see if anything was to be seen. The night doors were pulled closed. Several feet from the actual entranceway, two tables had been set up and equipped with colored paper, writing utensils and scissors. A sign invited people to make a snowflake and tape it to the doors. The doors were covered, the side wings were covered, about five or six feet of floor in front of the doors were also covered. There were a couple of nosegays, a teddy bear and a couple of balloon bouquets. It was all very quiet, very respectful.
I really have to say that the Von Maurs have been extremely supportive and decent during this whole episode. Instead of merely issuing a pretty statement from HQ, the head Von Maur hopped the first plane to Omaha. He got to Westroads before the shooter was even officially declared dead. Von Maurs has been paying its employees their full salaries while the store has been closed. They have also taken out several full page ads in the local rag to express their sympathy for the victims and their families and to assure Omaha that they would reopen the store as soon as possible. Once the store reopens, I will make a point to buy something there.
What good is a gun for home defense if it’s locked up in a gun safe?
If your home it doesn’t need to be in the safe.
Why not? Are there still rules with where it can or cannot be? How about in another room, so long as you are home? What if you are asleep? Must it be locked then since it’s not in your control? What if you are in your backyard and no resident is in the house? And on and on.
Because there is not a reasonable expectation that it should be in my opinion… since its my suggested rule, it can be whatever I want / think it should be. :)
That aside, my goal is keep them from being stolen when your not home. Not anything else.
On this safe thing, unless you own a real safe, one that probably runs in the $4500+ range at a minimum, a determined thief is going to get inside of it in minutes. Your typical several hundred to a few thousand dollar safes are really what are called RSC’s or residential security containers if I recall correctly. They are easily defeatable or can just be hauled away.
The problem with laws on how firearms must be stored is that laws tend to be fairly vague, if a law is passed do they mean any old locked container or closet door for instance or will it require a $10,000 jewelry safe? Or is a trigger lock enough, again easily defeatable in minutes. Also assuming I don’t have kids and have a locking closet and dogs, should I really be required to buy a safe? Am I required to put my car in a garage to keep it from being stolen, cars kill way more people than guns do every year?
Laws requiring guns to be locked up sound like a really great idea, until politicians start writing those laws.
Von Maurs will reopen Thursday morning. There will be a short remembrance ceremony a little before 10am, then the doors will officially open at 10.
I’m not nutty enough to go back to Westroads two days before Christmas (my next day off), but I will hustle out there some time in January and buy something.
Laws requiring guns to be locked up sound like a really great idea, until politicians start writing those laws.
I’m at the point where I have so many I will spend $1000+ on a safe just because the guns are worth more much more than that… and I’ll take the time to bolt it to the floor et cetera…
One large dog, especially one large trained dog, is a great control against intruders.
My heavily trained attack cat would immediately immobilize an intruder by wriggling continually between the intruders ankles, then licking said intruder into submission whilst purring and mewing for a tasty handout.
Laws requiring guns to be locked up sound like a really great idea, until politicians start writing those laws.
I’m at the point where I have so many I will spend $1000+ on a safe just because the guns are worth more much more than that… and I’ll take the time to bolt it to the floor et cetera...
While I agree with you, and I have bought real safes, as I do have a large enough collection it’s worth more than the safes, a $1000+ can be gotten into with a power tool in about 5mins, I’m obviously not going to post details on how to do it.
The problem with laws mandating so called “safe storage” is that unless they actually specify a particular method of storage, it’s entirely subjective as to a DA filing charges, and in addition could be equated to a poll tax as far as constitutionality.
Laws requiring guns to be locked up sound like a really great idea, until politicians start writing those laws.
I’m at the point where I have so many I will spend $1000+ on a safe just because the guns are worth more much more than that… and I’ll take the time to bolt it to the floor et cetera...
While I agree with you, and I have bought real safes, as I do have a large enough collection it’s worth more than the safes, a $1000+ can be gotten into with a power tool in about 5mins, I’m obviously not going to post details on how to do it.
The problem with laws mandating so called “safe storage” is that unless they actually specify a particular method of storage, it’s entirely subjective as to a DA filing charges, and in addition could be equated to a poll tax as far as constitutionality.
I believe you but I think most of the home robbers in my area are too dumb to learn how to crack safes (even with power tools). They’re gonna go for the TV and any cash laying around....
