Have you tested your four legged alarm/deterrence system?

[hothoog]

Have you tested your four legged alarm/deterrence system?

I’ve been watching a reality show in which a family hires a guy to burglarize their house. In every case I saw the dogs didn’t do any good. They either barked a bit or then were easily tricked to go outside or bribed by the burglar or happily greeted the stranger in their home.

I decided to test my German shepherd. I paid my cousin (Whom the dog had never met) $20 to sneak in the window late one night at a random time so that I wasn’t expecting him either.

I am proud to say the dog heard him coming in and investigated without even waking me. Then when she discovered the threat she got really loud and aggressive. He didn’t get bit but he barely got out that window in time.

A week later I let my cousin in through the front door and the dog treated him like she treated everyone else who came to visit, polite but cautious.

Problem is, I see a lot of people have a lot of faith in their dogs on this forum but I wonder if that faith is justified.

1. Do you think your dog would protect you from an aggressive offender?

2. Do you think your dog would protect your property if your weren't home?

3. If so do you think the law suit liability in the case of a mistaken identity (dog bites someone who is not a bad guy) is worth it?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[DM2]

I have two dogs. My Cocker Spaniel is 6 and my German Shepherd is 4. I don't have dogs for protection. I have dogs because I live alone and love the companionship. The most I expect from them is an early warning if something is not quite right when I'm home. A BG has zero chance of approaching undetected. They are my early warning, and the alarm system is their back-up.

If I'm not home, they are in the house and my property is clearly marked that dogs are present. There is no reason for anyone to be in my home if I'm not there unless it's on fire. That being said, I know without a doubt that my little one will make more noise than she will do damage. Saying the word "food" will have her running to your side for a treat. My Shepherd, on the other hand, does not like anyone that is not me. You approach/enter at your own risk. In the event that I'm not home, I just pray that the BG would leave my dogs unharmed. I don't have anything that cannot be replaced.

[Hiram25]

My dog is a female Golden Retriever who is so friendly that she would welcome any BG into my home. She is a true "Watch Dog" as she would watch everything that he did, and miss him when he left. That's not good, but I love her anyway.

I still have two sons who live at home and due to their schedules either one of them, or I am at home most of the time. They love to shoot as much as I do, and I'd hate to have to stand in front of either one of them if it came to a shooting situation.

[wmhawth]

Have you tested your four legged alarm/deterrence system?

I’ve been watching a reality show in which a family hires a guy to burglarize their house. In every case I saw the dogs didn’t do any good. They either barked a bit or then were easily tricked to go outside or bribed by the burglar or happily greeted the stranger in their home.

I once had a German Shepherd who slept soundly in my tent while two black bears rummaged around in my camp one night. The dog I have now is a small poodle weighing in at a whopping 18 pounds and nothing gets past him without setting off his alarm system.

[retsupt99]

I once had a German Shepherd who slept soundly in my tent while two black bears rummaged around in my camp one night. The dog I have now is a small poodle weighing in at a whopping 18 pounds and nothing gets past him without setting off his alarm system.

Hard to believe...German Shepherds are very smart, and I'll bet he was wide awake with his eyes closed...hoping those things would go away.

[ncsteveh]

Yes I have tested my 2 Malinois and all I can say is damn, I would not want to be on the outside trying to get in, it was like someone flipped their switches, they tore the drapes down, scratched up the walls and door and tried to get out a second floor window before I could gain control of them. It was a expensive test, fix dry wall, repaint door and replace torn screen. The drapes washed out fine.

[dademoss]

Never been tested, but I know he can be a trip hazard if nothing else :-)

[Hopyard]

I didn't answer the poll question. My former two 4 legged alarms failed a real test miserably. Not only did they not bark at or attack an intruder who broke the gate of a 6 foot high wood fence to gain access to the back yard, but they ran away when I went to confront the person-- which I did because I mistakenly thought it was a young person who just wandered into the yard seeking a short cut, and didn't realize he was bit older and had broken his way in.

The strange thing is that one of my former 4 legged alarms had a fairly bad reputation with our neighbors, and had attacked one of my BILs after he was warned to not play with the dog.

Lesson learned, nothing is 100% foolproof.

[maddyfish]

1.No I do not expect my dog to protect me physically
2. I sort of expect my dog to protect my property when I am gone
3. No, she is a small dog

I have a Jack Russell Terrier, I expect her to bark her head off when somebody is snooping around, and she does.

I have sneeked up to my house at night, wearing my motorcylce helmet and played around with the doorknob and she goes nuts. Definately enough to alert me. Possibly enough to deter an attacker.

And to your #3 question additionally; I used to have a Brindle Boxer, she was pretty dark and aggressive looking. She has since died. 2 years ago a lady, and a city cop show up at my door, the lady has a bandage around her arm. She shows me the teeth marks. They tell me my vicisous dog has bitten the lady. I call the dog in and hold her mouth open. No teeth. Not a single one. She was 10 years old, had bad teeth since birth and I had the vet remove the last couple rotten teeth a few years before. The cop looked at me, then the dog, then the lady. I slammed the door and walked back into the house. I was too irratated to care what that cop did with the lady.

[Zippy]

A few years back my wife and I were at a function in the next town over. It was an EMS assignment and she had forgotten her pager and 2-way radio. I radioed our Fire Chief and asked him to stop by and pick them up. He has known our dog since he was a pup. The radio was on a shelf within arms reach of the back door and the pager was in the bedroom. He showed up with the radio and said there was no way he was even trying to get at the pager.


Last year I had the back door to the house open and was working in the basement. I heard him start barking and came upstairs. He had 4 door knockers pinned in their car in the driveway.

I say the mutt passed with flying colors.

[Guardian]

I'm with DM2 on this one, I have my dogs for companionship and I haven't test them, there is no need. When strangers approach the door without me or my better half being there, they raise the roof, so I know someone is coming, they are early warning, but that is it, they have sound the alarm at night here and there at sounds also.

My big one is a Golden Retriever, 75lbs of love, but will raise heck with strangers, but probably would not do anything unless they tried to hurt his little sister, a Black Female Dachshund that would raise heck in a heartbeat and try and bite you.

I don't use them for anything but companionship for us, the early warning is just a benefit to it.

[dukalmighty]

My 13 year old chocolate lab would probably sleep thru it,I think she's almost deaf and maybe losing some eyesight and is crippled up some,but I don't keep her around for security

[TOF]

Having personally observed my Walker Hound/Chesapeake Bay Retriever put a neighbor that failed to knock through the front door at flank speed, I consider her tested.

He barely avoided blood loss.

[Thumper]

I only expect my dogs to bark... anything more than that will be well rewarded!

I have a Golden Retriever and a Beagle. Between the two, watch out for that Beagle!

[SAMI]

I know our 7y/o golden retriever will alert us to unkown bumps in the night. I've been very curious what he'd do in the event someone was in our house during the wee hours. I came home the other night around 1am, which isn't normal, and as I entered the bedroom he let out a deep creepy growl. He was either A) pissed that I woke him up, or B) didn't have a 100% positive ID on who I was. I stuck my fist out and received numerous licks. I ho estly think that he'd get violent with an I truder, but I'm not sure of it.

I only expect him to aleert us, not defend us with his life. The 870 has a more effective bite than him. ;)