# Do you think dogs make good burglar deterrents?



## Patchworkpony (8 May 2017)

Do you think dogs make good burglar deterrents? Any examples?


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## Moobli (8 May 2017)

Yes, definitely!  Burglars are after the maximum loot with minimum risk.  Even a small, fairly ineffective dog that barks is likely to put off a low level or career criminal.  A large dog (especially of a guarding breed) is likely to put off almost any type of burglar other than if the house or homeowner is a specific target.

https://www.ackermansecurity.com/news/study-top-10-factors-that-deter-burglars-from

#4) Dog inside
If you were wondering if dogs deter burglars, now you know! According to the study, burglars hate dogs.
There are basically two types of dogs that can boost your security:
Guard dogs, the big, scarier looking ones that intimidate;
Alarm dogs, the yappy ones that alert you to someone&#8217;s presence around your home.
We&#8217;re not saying buy a dog for the sake of security, but if you&#8217;re thinking about getting a dog that also helps keep your family safe, it&#8217;s something to consider.


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## Moobli (8 May 2017)

Prolific thief Leon Reid jailed for a string of burglaries handed police a checklist of steps that householders should take if they want to avoid being targeted.

"He also advised that a dog or even just a sign warning of a dog. Burglars would not risk entry, even if there was a hint of a dog ."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-produced-checklist-to-help-householders.html


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## Moobli (8 May 2017)

The Field wrote an article on the best breeds to deter burglars.

http://www.thefield.co.uk/country-house/the-best-guard-dog-breeds-26145


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## Kaylum (8 May 2017)

In my mum's street loads of houses were broken into but not hers she had a jack russell


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## CorvusCorax (8 May 2017)

Yes, anywhere I've ever lived the neighbours have remarked how glad they are to have us next door lol.
My dog knows when something is amiss and has an impressive set of pipes

Having said all of that I would never put my dog at risk to protect property or possessions nor would I put him in the position where he could get into trouble, he's more important than 'stuff'.

Actual guard dogs have to be licensed and a handler must be on site at all times.

There also appears to be a market for massively overpriced (but very pretty) dogs who may or may not actually do anything except bark in certain scenarios.


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## Archangel (8 May 2017)

My sister had a Chesapeake Bay Retriever - they were the only house in the road not burgled.  They say two dogs are best, a  big scary dog and a small noisy dog to wake the big one up.   We live in a remote house and I never leave the dog home alone.  She is worth more than anything in the house tbh. 

It always makes me laugh in films when the bogey man is hiding in the back seat of the car.  If you have a dog then in reality dog will have sunk teeth into bogeyman long before you got in the car.


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## Dobiegirl (8 May 2017)

I have 2 Dobermanns and I Lancashire Heeler, I live outside the village, no one walks down our road without me knowing about it, if the Dobes dont hear anything then the Lancashire Heeler would alert them.

My dogs like to sit or stand in the window seat so if you walked down the road and past my house you would see them and you would have to be pretty daft to think about breaking in here. 

I think any dog regardless of size if its liable to bark will deter burglars.


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## C1airey (9 May 2017)

I have two JRX.  They may be pint-sized, but nothing goes by unnoticed: I know (in stereo) whenever someone so much as looks at either our driveway or the neighbour's.


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (9 May 2017)

The dogs here do a pretty good job of letting us know when there's someone around; I respect their opinion and if they bark or are indoors and look alert for any reason, ten to one there's a reason for that, I've not ever known them get it wrong yet. We have someone else's Ginger Cat that comes around here, unbidden, and Little Dog is possessed of psychic knowledge for when that one is on the place  

My late uncle had a Gander (alias Tyrannosaurus Rex) which he used to keep in the farmyard, loose. It put the fear of God up the most hardy of visitors to the yard, would come hissing and hooting with its neck stretched out, and grab the trousers of anyone who dared invade its territory! Everyone knew about the dang vicious thing.

We have Guinea Fowls here: if there's anyone they don't know or recognise comes onto the premises day or night (we live on site), they'll set up one helluva racket which alerts us to someone strange on the place. They're clever little birds!


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## Karran (9 May 2017)

we had a lab growing up and got broken into.  she was still in that jumping up boisterous stage and we think they hit her with the brick they used to gain entry. She was never the same dog after


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## Patchworkpony (9 May 2017)

Karran said:



			we had a lab growing up and got broken into.  she was still in that jumping up boisterous stage and we think they hit her with the brick they used to gain entry. She was never the same dog after 

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 Oh that's so awful. You must feel very sad.


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## Patchworkpony (9 May 2017)

Thanks for all the replies - confirmed what I thought. Does anyone know where I can get a "Beware loose dogs" sign? I am going to screw it on the gate even though our reserved puppy is still in the womb at the moment.


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## eatmyshorts (9 May 2017)

How awful Karran :-( xx

I think hardware stores such as B&Q do Beware of the Dog signs Patchworkpony.

I had a salesman come to my door trying to sell me a burglar alarm. I told him as i had dogs (including a very large Doberman x GSD x GSP who doesn't like strangers) i definately didn't need one. He was persistent & told me a story about someone being burgled while their dog was asleep in another room. I replied that if he could come in by my front door, make it through my house, & exit via my back door, then i'd be convinced & happily buy his alarm. Needless to say, he didn't take me up on the challenge


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## Karran (9 May 2017)

Patchworkpony said:



			Oh that's so awful. You must feel very sad.
		
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We all felt so guilty - we could never leave her alone after that as she would completely panic and destroy everything around her - including eating the washing machine and would uncontrollably mess everywhere. She lived to be 16, so was hard work, and on edge with people she didn't know although typical loving lab once she had been "introduced" via us


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## Alec Swan (9 May 2017)

To answer the OP's question;  Those with teeth that they're prepared to use generally make excellent deterrents.

Alec.


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## blackcob (9 May 2017)

Is it just me that has two large dogs that are utterly useless at this sort of thing? Neither one barks at all really, maybe sometimes in play (and a lot of woo-ing and yowling) but certainly never an alert bark at the door or at someone crunching up the driveway. I have a 'loose dogs - do not enter, do not open gate' sign but that's so no-one lets them escape, not because they'd chomp anyone who came in.

Little spaniel is a fantastic barker but doesn't have the looks or bite to back him up.


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## hopscotch bandit (9 May 2017)

Yes our little cairn would give anyone a run for there money ha.


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## Moobli (9 May 2017)

Karran said:



			we had a lab growing up and got broken into.  she was still in that jumping up boisterous stage and we think they hit her with the brick they used to gain entry. She was never the same dog after 

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So sorry Karran, that is so sad   I suppose at least the scumbags didn't steal her too, but dreadful they left her with mental scars for life.


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## Gypley (9 May 2017)

Im in two minds about this depending on the situation. 
In terms of your average Fido in the home, yes. I think this is a deterrent as the dog will potentially make a lot of noise before someone can gain entry. 
However, I would NEVER have guard dogs running loose on property or leave them on the yard over night to protect property. Having heard stories about dogs being poisoned, I could never forgive myself.


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## Moobli (9 May 2017)

Patchworkpony said:



			Thanks for all the replies - confirmed what I thought. Does anyone know where I can get a "Beware loose dogs" sign? I am going to screw it on the gate even though our reserved puppy is still in the womb at the moment.
		
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I have this sign ....








I can't find the exact sign I have on ebay, but the link takes you to plenty that are similar if that is the kind of thing you are after.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/sis.html?...+Gate+Sign+6+x+2&_trksid=p2047675.m4096.l9146


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## blackcob (9 May 2017)

Snap! I liked the wording of it over the traditional 'beware' as mine aren't a danger to anyone but themselves.


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## CorvusCorax (9 May 2017)

'Beware of the dog' signs can leave you liable if anything goes wrong. The signs above or a generic dog breed picture/symbol are better.


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## Patchworkpony (9 May 2017)

eatmyshorts said:



			How awful Karran :-( xx

I think hardware stores such as B&Q do Beware of the Dog signs Patchworkpony.

I had a salesman come to my door trying to sell me a burglar alarm. I told him as i had dogs (including a very large Doberman x GSD x GSP who doesn't like strangers) i definately didn't need one. He was persistent & told me a story about someone being burgled while their dog was asleep in another room. I replied that if he could come in by my front door, make it through my house, & exit via my back door, then i'd be convinced & happily buy his alarm. Needless to say, he didn't take me up on the challenge 

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 I love it!


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## Patchworkpony (9 May 2017)

WorkingGSD said:



			I have this sign ....








I can't find the exact sign I have on ebay, but the link takes you to plenty that are similar if that is the kind of thing you are after.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/sis.html?...+Gate+Sign+6+x+2&_trksid=p2047675.m4096.l9146

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 Thanks that's so helpful.


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## Patchworkpony (9 May 2017)

CorvusCorax said:



			'Beware of the dog' signs can leave you liable if anything goes wrong. The signs above or a generic dog breed picture/symbol are better.
		
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 Very good point in today's world!


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## Patchworkpony (9 May 2017)

Alec Swan said:



			To answer the OP's question;  Those with teeth that they're prepared to use generally make excellent deterrents.

Alec.
		
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 So my spaniel will be no good then at all.


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## Moobli (9 May 2017)

blackcob said:



			Snap! I liked the wording of it over the traditional 'beware' as mine aren't a danger to anyone but themselves. 






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Great minds think alike!


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## Snuffles (9 May 2017)

The law of s*d says I will get burgled now, but in 40 years we are the only house out of 6 that hasn't been burgled, and the only one that's always had dogs.  Present dog will alert to front door burgling, but not back however!


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## Sandy200 (9 May 2017)

Luckily most of you all seem to have more useful dogs but when we were young we wer burgled when me, my brother and mum were downstairs with the retriever and labrador who completely failed to hear or notice the burglars steeling Mum's jewellery from the bedroom upstairs!!


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## CorvusCorax (9 May 2017)

My friends had a crossbred that barked like hell whenever someone came in the house. When they did get burgled she hid under the bed.

I shouldn't admit this but a few months ago I pulled into a popular chicken restaurant on a long journey home from a meeting, where I had collected some money to pass on to someone else. 
When I got back to my car, the folder was lying open on the passenger seat and there were notes and forms spread all over the seat and the footwell.
I can only imagine that in my tired/absent minded state, I left the door unlocked, someone tried their luck and didn't see the cage behind the driver's seat. I bet they heard what was inside it, though!!
All monies accounted for....


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## Clodagh (9 May 2017)

Gypley said:



			Im in two minds about this depending on the situation. 
In terms of your average Fido in the home, yes. I think this is a deterrent as the dog will potentially make a lot of noise before someone can gain entry. 
However, I would NEVER have guard dogs running loose on property or leave them on the yard over night to protect property. Having heard stories about dogs being poisoned, I could never forgive myself.
		
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I would much rather people cleared the house out rather than hurt the dogs.
Our older lab though has a hell of a woof on her, and won't even let friends in when we aren't here, she gets really fierce.


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## Clodagh (9 May 2017)

CorvusCorax said:



			My friends had a crossbred that barked like hell whenever someone came in the house. When they did get burgled she hid under the bed.

I shouldn't admit this but a few months ago I pulled into a popular chicken restaurant on a long journey home from a meeting, where I had collected some money to pass on to someone else. 
When I got back to my car, the folder was lying open on the passenger seat and there were notes and forms spread all over the seat and the footwell.
I can only imagine that in my tired/absent minded state, I left the door unlocked, someone tried their luck and didn't see the cage behind the driver's seat. I bet they heard what was inside it, though!!
All monies accounted for....
		
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I love that.
We had a dobe x kelpie in Oz. He was a strong minded character and always sat in the passenger seat, then when I got out he hopped over to the drivers seat until I got back - no mud there of course. I never closed a window or locked the door. Once I had to get a man's arm out of his mouth, who had apprently decided to pat him while he sat there - WTF!?


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## AdorableAlice (9 May 2017)

We had a working JR stolen from the garden in Worcestershire.  Finally found him in Manchester and got him back.  However in the six weeks he had been gone he had been used for fighting and was in a terrible state.  He never recovered and spent the remainder of his life in my husbands landrover, he never worked again and was too frightened to leave the vehicle unless he was lifted out and carried.


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## Moobli (9 May 2017)

Gypley said:



			Im in two minds about this depending on the situation. 
In terms of your average Fido in the home, yes. I think this is a deterrent as the dog will potentially make a lot of noise before someone can gain entry. 
However, I would NEVER have guard dogs running loose on property or leave them on the yard over night to protect property. Having heard stories about dogs being poisoned, I could never forgive myself.
		
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I agree - nothing I possess is worth more to me than my dogs.  

Regarding guard dogs, the Law states that a guard dog must be accompanied by a handler at all times, the exception being when he/she is secured so not at liberty to roam loose around premises.  This could still leave the dog vulnerable to some kind of attack, poisoning etc


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## Moobli (9 May 2017)

AdorableAlice said:



			We had a working JR stolen from the garden in Worcestershire.  Finally found him in Manchester and got him back.  However in the six weeks he had been gone he had been used for fighting and was in a terrible state.  He never recovered and spent the remainder of his life in my husbands landrover, he never worked again and was too frightened to leave the vehicle unless he was lifted out and carried.
		
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Oh gosh, that is awful!  How did you manage to get him back from Manchester - was it his microchip?


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## AdorableAlice (9 May 2017)

WorkingGSD said:



			Oh gosh, that is awful!  How did you manage to get him back from Manchester - was it his microchip?
		
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No, it was quite a long time ago.  Working terriers were often targeted and several had been picked up before ours.  The hunting world worked together alongside the Police to identify the gangs that were stealing the dogs and ours was one of very few that was found.


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## Cinnamontoast (9 May 2017)

I used to think so, but my OH assures me having a dog is no longer a deterrent and tells me some of the burglaries he attends have injured dogs. Apparently (sorry, tmi) the burglars tend to use iron bars. If a burglar targets a rich house, he will persist, regardless. We live near a very rich area, part of his patch. Cheryl whatsherface has just put her house up for sale there. I reckon we're OK, the cars are old enough not to encourage burglars! 

My lot would be epically useless after initial barking from the youngsters. They lick my hand if I put it through the letterbox. Don't know what they'd do to a stranger's hand. The worst they'd get once inside would be a sulky Zak and an attempted snap if they tried to touch him without us being there.


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## Annette4 (9 May 2017)

With my dog yes, he barks when someone comes into the house etc. My girl however doesn't make a peep and I don't think would put anyone off at all.


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## conniegirl (10 May 2017)

My dog sounds about 5 times bigger than he is. I've never had reason to test him but I do think that he probably would use his teeth if the house was being broken into.

He certainly didn't like it (growling and lunging for the door) when the police had to force entry to my house because I had fallen down the stairs, destroyed my ankle and couldn't move to get to the door to unlock it for the ambulance crew. Thankfully I had hold of the dog (who came to call for once).

He is a Beagle but has such a deep growl that he sounds like we have a mastiff of something else huge in the house.

As an aside, our area has suffered a lot of break ins recently, including my next door neighbour. So far no houses with dogs have been targeted.


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## turkana (10 May 2017)

I have asked a house burglar what puts him of breaking into a house (I work in a men's prison) & he said "a big dog" nothing else would put him off - even an alarm would not stop him, as he would be in & out before the police got there.
But he did say that the dog had to be big & staffies are no good as they are too small, he would not hesitate to break into a house with a staffie in it


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## Cahill (10 May 2017)

turkana said:



			I have asked a house burglar what puts him of breaking into a house (I work in a men's prison) & he said "a big dog" nothing else would put him off - even an alarm would not stop him, as he would be in & out before the police got there.
But he did say that the dog had to be big & staffies are no good as they are too small, he would not hesitate to break into a house with a staffie in it
		
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staffies would want to kiss the burgler


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## Sandstone1 (10 May 2017)

It's not unheard of for dogs to be stolen in house burglarys though so having a dog is not necessarily a deterrent.


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## Moobli (11 May 2017)

I would imagine that breed would make a difference - and the attitude of the dog, if the house had been watched prior to the burglary.


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## MotherOfChickens (11 May 2017)

WorkingGSD said:



			I would imagine that breed would make a difference - and the attitude of the dog, if the house had been watched prior to the burglary.
		
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growing up, my mum had a friend who kept Afghans. They were burglad 3 times over the years, on two occasions the dogs were fed.


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## ace33 (11 May 2017)

I think they are a deterrent, we only have 2 dogs now and the larger one will happily tell people entering isn't a good idea. We have just lost our st Bernard to bloat and he has the best characteristics. Extremely large and would intimidate people with his size and take them off their feet but not bite. 

We used to have signs up at the parents house when we were kids Saying "Beware of the dogs, they bite" (and they would) but in this day and age it is not worth the risk. We shut the dogs away upstairs if we go out. The animals are the most valuable things to us they can have anything else it can be replaced.

I must order a new loose dogs sign for the yard gates tho because our current dogs will not hesitate to take on someone entering especially if our baby is wandering around.


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## Hexx (11 May 2017)

No!  I got burgled when I took the dogs for a walk!  They were watching the house and saw me leave with the dogs.

I had had a new DVD player delivered that morning, when I phoned the company to say it had been stolen - they told me I was the 4th person that had rung to say the same thing!  Some naughty people following the delivery van, I would say!


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## ace33 (11 May 2017)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dogs-Loos...ee-P-P-/331909716410?var=&hash=item4d475c59ba

This is the sign above I have just found on ebay if anyone is interested.


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## Fellewell (11 May 2017)

The problem here is if you jump every time you hear a noise outside you're going to have a very unhappy dog, some feed off their owners emotions worse than others. I see fear biters are making a comeback, unfortunately they are used for protection because they will go forward every time. However in a heightened state of excitement the fear biter is just as likely to come up the lead and nail you!
Do I think dogs make good burglar deterrents? No, I think burglar alarms make good burglar deterrents.


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## Moobli (11 May 2017)

Fellewell said:



			The problem here is if you jump every time you hear a noise outside you're going to have a very unhappy dog, some feed off their owners emotions worse than others. I see fear biters are making a comeback, unfortunately they are used for protection because they will go forward every time. However in a heightened state of excitement the fear biter is just as likely to come up the lead and nail you!
Do I think dogs make good burglar deterrents? No, I think burglar alarms make good burglar deterrents.
		
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Not sure exactly what you are meaning in your post?  The type of owner who feel their dogs offer them a certain level of protection from burglars are all quivering, nervous wrecks?    Fearfulness is instinctive and how it manifests itself in behaviour is controlled by the dogs personality, which is determined by his genetics.  Like you, I also believe that some dogs react negatively to their owner's emotional response to certain stimuli - such as an already nervous dog may react fearfully which can manifest itself in fear aggression; but I don't believe that a confident, social dog would become fearful and reactive in the same situation with the same owner.

ETA:  Sorry for going off topic a wee bit!


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## Moobli (11 May 2017)

Rather appropriately, this came up on FB newsfeed this afternoon.  It is a US article and I haven't even heard of some of these dogs ... there are a few I definitely wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of!

http://www.thedogdigest.com/dog-breeds/top-20-best-guard-dog-breeds/


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## Moobli (11 May 2017)

Having just gone through the above "top guard dogs" ... I can safely say the article is trash, and don't bother reading it 

It mentions Huskies - who are well known for being useless guard dogs, as well as wolf-dog crosses!!


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## CorvusCorax (11 May 2017)

Lol. No fear here. My dog has ignored my neighbour next door chopping up wood with a chainsaw and trimming the hedge just metres away. Plus the grandkids having a shouting completion on a Saturday morning 

The one night that someone was messing about outside the house and I was asleep on the sofa, the whole neighbourhood knew about it lol.


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## Patchworkpony (11 May 2017)

ace33 said:



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dogs-Loos...ee-P-P-/331909716410?var=&hash=item4d475c59ba

This is the sign above I have just found on ebay if anyone is interested.
		
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 Excellent - thank you.


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## conniegirl (11 May 2017)

Fellewell said:



			Do I think dogs make good burglar deterrents? No, I think burglar alarms make good burglar deterrents.
		
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then you are naïve in the extreme! Burglar alarms are not a deterrent, nobody pays them any notice as they give so many false alarms so it is unlikely that anyone will call the police and even if the police are called by the time they get there the burglar has been in, cleared the place out and is likely 10 miles down the road! the average burglary lasts between 8 and 12 minutes, generally by the time someone has tracked down which house is alarming, called the police and the police have turned up it is 20 to 25 minutes.

The house opposite me the alarm is forever going off in false alarms! we no longer react to it at all.


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## Clodagh (11 May 2017)

Conniegirl - you must live in a fairly urban environment? You can call the police here about a crime in progress and they don't come out at all.


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## Fellewell (11 May 2017)

WorkingGSD said:



			Not sure exactly what you are meaning in your post?  The type of owner who feel their dogs offer them a certain level of protection from burglars are all quivering, nervous wrecks?    Fearfulness is instinctive and how it manifests itself in behaviour is controlled by the dogs personality, which is determined by his genetics.  Like you, I also believe that some dogs react negatively to their owner's emotional response to certain stimuli - such as an already nervous dog may react fearfully which can manifest itself in fear aggression; but I don't believe that a confident, social dog would become fearful and reactive in the same situation with the same owner.

ETA:  Sorry for going off topic a wee bit!
		
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Well, nervous wrecks or drug dealers as you explain so well on the dog attack post #6 ; 'dogs can be kept as weapons or to intimidate others, it's not the fault of the breed or type who by the wrong ownership are gaining an undeserved reputation' I'm paraphrasing but that's pretty much what you said. So you should know what I mean? I don't breed dogs because I've always had plenty given to me that were ruined by other people. So I assure you it can happen, even with overly confident dogs.


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## Fellewell (11 May 2017)

conniegirl said:



			then you are naïve in the extreme! Burglar alarms are not a deterrent, nobody pays them any notice as they give so many false alarms so it is unlikely that anyone will call the police and even if the police are called by the time they get there the burglar has been in, cleared the place out and is likely 10 miles down the road! the average burglary lasts between 8 and 12 minutes, generally by the time someone has tracked down which house is alarming, called the police and the police have turned up it is 20 to 25 minutes.

The house opposite me the alarm is forever going off in false alarms! we no longer react to it at all.
		
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Who needs a burglar alarm with a neighbour like you. Well done on being so vigilant.


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## Llewellyn (11 May 2017)

Pip has an good track record, 4am shed break in she went spare I thought she was busting for a wee so rather sleepily went downstairs, opened the back door, she shot out and seconds later heard 'them' vaulting the back fence, she came in pleased as punch- shed door was broken but nothing taken. Couple of years later living in a flat some oik tried the front door at two am, other half sprang out of bed as did dog- needless to say the choice language and barking dog soon had oik running from the block! (They 'escorted' him out as we were second floor in a locked block)
Also used to run at night with her and every time a bloke was nearby she barked like she was 5 times her size being black they probably thought she was, more than one apologised for coming 'too close'. (Within 20 metres!)
Whenever OH came back from nights her default position was always outside the kids rooms at the top of the stairs- set to destroy until she's addressed by name. 
Unfortunately now she's as deaf as a post and sleeps like a stone.
I do think pip has always protected us rather than the house. Rather long winded but in short yes I think dogs do put criminals off or at least alert you to potential danger which is half the battle.


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## conniegirl (12 May 2017)

Fellewell said:



			Who needs a burglar alarm with a neighbour like you. Well done on being so vigilant.
		
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We used to call the police, but now as the alarm goes off a minimum of twice a day we don't bother.
Boy who cried wolf syndrome. There is only so much police time I am willing to waste.

mind you there were several times when we did phone the police about the alarm going off and they were not interested at all. no one turned up. Police have more important things to do than to turn up to every false alarm.


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## conniegirl (12 May 2017)

Clodagh said:



			Conniegirl - you must live in a fairly urban environment? You can call the police here about a crime in progress and they don't come out at all.
		
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close enough to Hull for the police to actually come out, that and the town council is constantly on the polices case about the crime in the area since the police station in the village was closed so they do come out fairly quickly. Mind you there was an armed car jacking at the end of my road a few months ago and since then police presence has been much higher and more visible so it may take even less time now


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## Crosshill Pacers (12 May 2017)

My dogs certainly do.

The Weimaraner acts as the muscle and the five Beagles act as the burglar alarm.  Nobody in the village would sleep through the noise they can make when something isn't right.


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## turkana (12 May 2017)

conniegirl said:



			then you are naïve in the extreme! Burglar alarms are not a deterrent, nobody pays them any notice as they give so many false alarms so it is unlikely that anyone will call the police and even if the police are called by the time they get there the burglar has been in, cleared the place out and is likely 10 miles down the road! the average burglary lasts between 8 and 12 minutes, generally by the time someone has tracked down which house is alarming, called the police and the police have turned up it is 20 to 25 minutes.

The house opposite me the alarm is forever going off in false alarms! we no longer react to it at all.
		
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Very true - as somebody who spends her working days with criminals -they are not a deterrant, every burglar I have ever worked with has told me that a burglar alarm does not put them off - as they will be in & out long before the police get there


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## yhanni (12 May 2017)

I lived in a remote location with a bridlepath running through it. I had 2 Rottweiler x Mastiffs in the yard and 2 Rottweilers and a couple of Patterdale terriers in the house. We were never burgled although our travelling brethren would show up regularly but would never get out of their vehicles until someone went out. I also work in a prison and can confirm that most burglars won't tangle with dogs and treat alarms with disdain! If the 'spoils' are valuable enough, then they will do whatever necessary to get in. I'm never likely to have anything worth nicking though!!


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## Fellewell (12 May 2017)

conniegirl said:



			We used to call the police, but now as the alarm goes off a minimum of twice a day we don't bother.
Boy who cried wolf syndrome. There is only so much police time I am willing to waste.

mind you there were several times when we did phone the police about the alarm going off and they were not interested at all. no one turned up. Police have more important things to do than to turn up to every false alarm.
		
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We have our alarms serviced yearly and the one false alarm we did have was down to spiders. They come into the house to breed in the autumn, they're enormous and they sit on the sensors. Would help if I dusted occasionally.

You're quite right the police are overstretched.


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## alainax (12 May 2017)

cinnamontoast said:



			I reckon we're OK, the cars are old enough not to encourage burglars! 
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I was just having this same conversation earlier with my hubby as a house in a neighbouring street got burgled and a car stolen. Hubby said the thieves would be too worried about getting either of our cars to start


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## alainax (12 May 2017)

Does cctv make a good deterant? I'm thinking with the app on your phone, not easy to tamper with etc.


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## yhanni (12 May 2017)

The problem with CCTV is that the burglars can wear hoodies, face masks etc so if you don't manage to record a car number plate then it's not enormously helpful.


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## AudreyT (13 September 2017)

Yes, dogs help to prevent the burglars to an extent. WorkingGSD is right, burglars hate dogs. Many burglars said that barking dogs and the CCTV cameras are most effective burglar deterrents. But I don't suggest you to completely depend on dogs for the home safety and protection because they won't offer the reliable techniques like the professional security companies provide.
Here are some mistakes you might be doing with your Big Dogs:
-Most bigs dogs are not good barkers. The trained dogs will do makes noises and act accordingly when they find the burglars. 
-Dogs can be easily distracted by the burglars with a piece of bone or meat.
Give a proper training to your dog to mold them into a guard dog. Consider these tips to train your dog:
-teach them the basic obedience skills
-establish yourself as the master
-Socialize your dog
-train them to bark and cease barking upon command
-walk with your dog on the perimeter of your property.


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## Auslander (13 September 2017)

My dog would be utterly useless if someone broke in. The most he would do is open one eye, roll over and present his tummy for a tickle.


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## MissTyc (13 September 2017)

My big dog would never use her teeth but at nearly 40 kg and tall and a terrible habit of jumping up and down and barking like an absolute lunatic Id be surprised if anyone got past the window or the door. My little dog meanwhile being a terrier probably would use his teeth and go in for the little calf nips while big dog is busy  raking her claws down would-be burglars face.


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## conniegirl (13 September 2017)

My little dog would not be distracted by food for more than a second, unless food comes from a person he trusts or he has discovered it in a hedge then he is very suspicious.
he also sounds like a massive dog! got a proper Hound baying bark.


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## MotherOfChickens (13 September 2017)

They might put off opportunists but if people really want to get in, a family mutt isnt going to stop them. tbh I dont want my dogs at risk, dogs can and do get hurt during break ins, so if mine stay in their beds then thats fine with me, there's nothing in the house worth more than my dogs.


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## SpottyMare (13 September 2017)

WorkingGSD said:



			Having just gone through the above "top guard dogs" ... I can safely say the article is trash, and don't bother reading it 

It mentions Huskies - who are well known for being useless guard dogs, as well as wolf-dog crosses!!
		
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The article also mentions malamutes, and even says that they're unreliable 

The husky barks if anyone gets too close to the front door, and I suspect he would be the same at the back.  Although as the back garden is double fenced (sled dog security), surrounded by neighbours and can only be accessed via the house or garage it's quite an effort to get in...  The malamute would probably stand on his hindlegs to say hello and knock them over...although he does also make a very interesting noise which has been variously described as an 'unearthly screech' and 'angry wookie howl' which might put people off...


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## rara007 (13 September 2017)

Our fairly normal lab won't let men in the house when the male of the house is out, and it'd take a bold dog person to try to get in when we're all out. We don't need to lock the back door. We've had stuff taken from the yard but not one has ever gone in the house.


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## blackcob (13 September 2017)

On Monday night someone left a car idling on the kerb, crunched up the gravel driveway and tried the shed door. The dogs managed to not hear any of this and didn't even manage a bark when sent out. Instead my OH heard it and went sprinting down the garden in my crocs, far more effective.


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## PucciNPoni (14 September 2017)

My young toy poodle can hear every single grasshopper which passes wind in the hedges across the street, so can be a very good alarm. I think most burglars are opportunists and if they think there is a chance of getting rumbled by a dog, then they probably won't bother.  Unless they think something inside is well worth the risk....


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## wren123 (14 September 2017)

cinnamontoast said:



			I used to think so, but my OH assures me having a dog is no longer a deterrent and tells me some of the burglaries he attends have injured dogs. Apparently (sorry, tmi) the burglars tend to use iron bars. If a burglar targets a rich house, he will persist, regardless. We live near a very rich area, part of his patch. Cheryl whatsherface has just put her house up for sale there. I reckon we're OK, the cars are old enough not to encourage burglars!

My lot would be epically useless after initial barking from the youngsters. They lick my hand if I put it through the letterbox. Don't know what they'd do to a stranger's hand. The worst they'd get once inside would be a sulky Zak and an attempted snap if they tried to touch him without us being there.
		
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OMG horrified to read this, my husband is a retired police officers and always says most burglars go for an easy target ie no dogs in house, get in through open windows, dog  flap, unlocked door etc.


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## PucciNPoni (14 September 2017)

Surely there will be burglars who will go for a particular house regardless, but most garden variety burglaries are probably where it's less likely to be caught?


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## Snuffles (14 September 2017)

wren123,  target houses with no dogs, but get in through dog flap ? Confused burglars methinks !


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## scats (14 September 2017)

We have a Great Dane x Husky who sounds absolutely immense.  She barks at the slightest noise.  If I were burglar and I heard her bark, I certainly wouldn't be going anywhere near it.  Now if they broke in and confronted her, she would stand her ground and bark (hackles up etc) but she's actually quite a wimp.  Still, I think any sane person would turn and run as she is big and can look very imposing.


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## wren123 (14 September 2017)

Snuffles said:



			wren123,  target houses with no dogs, but get in through dog flap ? Confused burglars methinks !
		
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Haha, the dog was out!!


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## paisley (15 September 2017)

Not if its a whippet. Unless the burglars were after the sofa and his blankies, then he'd have 'em fully restrained and the police in the way!


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## maisie06 (15 September 2017)

My WCS has an impressive voice and sounds bigger than he is - would put people off I hope, although I wouldn't use him for guarding , I'd be too worried he'd get hurt, he's a bit of a wimp too, gives it his all noise wise but backs off PDQ!! The JRT in his heyday was not to be messed with, nowadays a burglar would be more likely to fall over him than get bitten as he likes to wander about right around your feet!!


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## Dano1223 (19 September 2017)

Do you find Whippets are alert to noise or are they too content on the sofa lol


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## honetpot (19 September 2017)

Before we bought our smallholding I got a rottiX who barks at every noise, including planes, thunder and the TV. We have small glass panes of glass either side of the door and even though I know her she looks **** scarey when she shows her teeth. I used say that she protected the lurcher when they were in the car together.
  A traveller buys his hay from me, he will not come on the yard if she is out. The funny thing is he has a large terrier in his yard as a deterrent and that is really nasty, I have seen it go for someone.
  I also have a couple of phone cams on the front of the house. My next door neighbour has been burgled twice, she has an all singing camera system, but no dog.


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