man that sucks.

well time to get a dog like everyone says but NOT one of these:

http://bestdogsforkids.org/wp-conten...pillon_dog.jpg

but one of these, preferably from the local police K9 Unit:

http://images04.olx.com/ui/2/99/93/34309693_2.jpg

or one of these

http://dobermansden.com/wp-content/u...-doberman1.jpg

If you do that, then this dogg would definitely approve:

http://media1.break.com/dnet/media/2...068679113.jpeg

one of these might not hurt as well that way next time when you ask ur wife for a gun.... you'l be ready to show them your little friend..

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ifle_AK-47.jpg

The OP is no doubt a man of taste and would prefer the original Dogg:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_83lhXTaGsX...217908509.jpeg

So sorry about the violation of your privacy at home and loss of property. It's a terrible feeling.

This sad looking thing can tear apart a stuffed animal and eat it raw over the course of a day or two. And he shows no remorse, until he throws it all up.

However, he's 90 lbs, has a huge bark and has scared the beejeejus out of more than a few University frat boys cutting through our property and he will never let strangers in the house without a big fuss. He wouldn't bite but they don't know that. Animals are cool.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M...0/DSC02318.JPG

Intruders are a very bad thing, my sympathies. Walking in on them or being at home when they break in is the scariest thing I can think of short of a house fire. Before you get a dog or another handy item, secure your home with some of the many wonderful electronic devices available and good door & window locks. I've done that with the main goal of preventing intruders while someone is at home. I haven't obtained a dog yet because I like dogs too much to OWN one, I can't take care of it properly, besides I wouldn't want it to be harmed by an intruder.

Had a cop tell me that the best home defense firearm is not a pistol but a 12 ga pump shotgun with the barrel shortened to the minimum legal length and filled with double-ought buckshot. Easier to aim in the dark, harder for someone to turn around on you and one shot almost anywhere on the body is ah, disabling, at a minimum. Also, the lower muzzle velocity of the buckshot means that it less likely to pass through exterior walls.

I'm not willing to take the risk of hitting a cat. We're having a wrought iron gate made for the rear door, iron bars placed around the AC, and I have ADT over at 2pm today. We're going to get a family dog, and if it helps secure the house, great. I think between the bars and an alarm system, we're a lot better defended.

I see too much potential downside to a gun/shotgun...I don't think it justifies the advantage for us. Everyone is different.

But Kokpin makes a nice shotgun scabbard that would look great on your Sachs tourer!

Since you were planning to get a dog anyway, get one that fits in with your family. Too many people pick a dog by how they look, without knowing anything about the breed's personality or temperment. Almost any dog will be territorial enough to bark at a strange noise in the night, or a stranger in the house. On the other hand, we have a Malamute that barely lifts her head to any noise or knock at the door. Strange cars in the drive, she just runs to greet with tail wagging. From what I have read, they were bred to pull sleds from place to place so they had to learn to get along with strangers outside of their own territory. So she is huge and looks like a wolf, but she wouldn't hurt an intruder unless they tripped over her in the dark.

Huh? Did I miss something? Are you a cat hitter? ;)

Aaron,
If you are getting a dog please check you home owners insurance policy for exclusions or cause for cancellation of the policy due to certain breeds of dogs. In Florida they could (Can?) cancel you for owning a Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepard (Alsatian), pit bull (bull terrier) and a few others. Not sure if your state insurance laws allow this but better safe than sorry.

Aaron, just shoot anyone who looks suspicious. Stand your ground and all.

good advice

good advice

"ignore Rootboy"

good advice

Double-barrel scattergun, some rock salt & peppercorns ought to be a fitting season for a thief's a$$. I joke, but our family shepherd is all business when it comes to home invaders. Feeling secure in your own home is worth a fair bit more all the recommendable options combined. Glad you're both safe, hopeful you can recover them important losses.

Worth checking qcp...thanks.

I just shoot SRAM riders :D

I wish I liked dogs. This thread is making paranoid.

Thanks for the heads up:twitchy:. I'll skip your ride next time:rolleyes:.

I dunno. Maybe I'm an anomaly, but I'm not generally a frightened person and I would take on any 3 dogs if I could have a can of pepper spray and a club. Do you really want a dead or dying dog on top of a burglarized house?

My home defense gun is a M1911A1. 45ACP with the first five shells loaded with #9 shot and the last three 185 gr. JHP. If my shooting them in the face 5 times with a nonlethal load doesn't get the point across, the next 3 rounds sure as hell will settle things.

Don't be...we were asking for it with an AC like that. I knew it was an issue...I debated about it with my wife and she just didn't want to believe it. She bought the house when the area was still cheap and run down. She thought because her roots went back, and because she was good to her neighbors, volunteered with local kids and helped clean things up that she was immune. Everone has their issues and baggage. Honestly, I knew it was just a matter of time. There were prior break ins on the block, a mugger was arrested hiding in our yard...all of the signs were there. I am a little surprised that they would be so brazen and do it while I was sleeping a foot away. We're beefing up security and I don't think we'll have another problem.

All things considered, we get off relatively light. Waking up with them in the house was terrifying, but it limited what they got. They didn't get the bikes, they didn't get the iMac and they didn't touch the jewelry. No one got hurt. It was a tough lesson, but it was a slap, not a beating. My wife definitely got the message and it won't happen again. The truth is that home owners insurance is making the dollar loss VERY minimal and I actually was able to capture a lot of my prior work on my old laptop. The most important protection, from a property sense, isn't an alarm, it's insurance.

One of the detectives thinks they were targeting our night owl neighbors and counted houses wrong.

I'm not really sweating it, but two good points here Aaron. I've neglected visiting my insurance agent, and for guys like me, with all sorts of vintage stuff, a rider is probably a necessity, though I'm loathe to pay extra. Claims on some old, valuable stuff can be a nightmare I've heard. And yes, some of these cretins do case an area and chose the target of opportunity. They don't want to run into someone in the house, who just might be armed, any more than we want to run into them. I live in a relatively sparsely populated neighborhood, but I do what I can to try to "encourage" them to go elsewhere on the street if they come and peruse the neighborhood. It amazes me, but our whole street is totally dark at night, except my house. Against my wife's pleading to save electricity, I insist on keeping the house and yard fairly well lit at night. Nothing over the top. Just enough to say to potential thieves "Go elsewhere. It's much darker down the street."

I've had had a Shepard, we had to put her down about a year ago. And currently have a Lab/Pit mix. Both dogs love(d) the cats but they grew up with the cats. Both are great dogs in there own right.

Funny antidote with the Shepard, she didn't bark much and we knew something was "up" if she did. First time I heard her bark I was out front and some sketchy looking solicitors started walking up my driveway, I just looked at them and said you got 5 seconds to get back on the sidewalk or I'm letting the dog loose. Completely on cue the Shepard barked at them from behind the chain link fence. They were well past my yard in that 5 seconds.

I just came across this old thread and wanted to update folks - they caught one of the guys who broke in a few months back. When police came after the robbery they seemed to want to do the minimum. I argued, pushed and cajoled until they took prints (which they didn't want to do). I then called the police and print labs persistently for a month. Finally they ran the prints...they got a match. They picked him up a month later and he's now on trial for 11 other burglaries. I'm the only witness who can ID him. He's been unwilling to roll over on his compatriot thus far.

Some interesting tidbits...

He used a local store that sells online as his fence. Apparently they've been acting as a fence at this location for 3 generations and the police and DA seem uninterested in pursuing the store owners. I've been making a pain of myself trying to get them to do something and they're doing their best to ignore me. Their attitude seems to be that the fence/store isn't the real problem since they don't break in. I disagree...they're the bigger problem because thugs are more replaceable...getting rid of a three generation fence would make more impact. They must know someone or have some political protection. I love Philadelphia, but it can be a frustrating city at times.

A few months after the break in, and while we were still deciding on a dog, my wife's brother died. We took his dog in (he'd lived at the house for several years before that as well). He's such a wonderful creature...he's intelligent, sweet and fun...but I wouldn't want to be an intruder as he's very territorial with strangers and he's smart enough to understand his role and the difference between friend and foe. I have little question that his bark is going to scare away 90% of problems and he can handle another 5%.

This is Monty. He's a mut...we think St. Bernard and some kind of Sheppard (probably Australian). He is such a great addition to our family and I'm truly thrilled to have such a loving friend.

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...0D5A1E50DC.jpg

The best dogs find you.