# Burglars' Advice on Protecting Home



## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

Thought this was kind of interesting.

We asked 86 burglars how they broke into homes | WFAA.com


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

That was interesting, thanks. I think the sound of my two would deter anyone thinking of breaking in. (I hope)


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I'm doing ok--several big dogs and a radio left on:smile2:

I believe that someone did try to break in when I first moved in. The bottom of the door was dented-like it was kicked and Midnite shredded the wall with his nails right next to the window. I think they kicked the door--heard the bark and then went to the window where Midnite gladly met them face to face. 

I have never had another issue!


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

My very first night when I moved out here we got the last load in very late. We didn't unpack the van as most of it was my dog stuff, paperwork, expens, grooming tables, etc. I simply put Shiloh, my Doberman's crate right inside the front door, too tired to carry it all the way to my bedroom and we all collapsed in beds. I got up to find my van stolen. Shiloh hadn't made a sound. The toy dogs had all gone off but we'd ignored them as we'd also picked up a small dog on the side of the woods on one trip. A new dog moving in a crate is enough to often have the others barking. They were only about 15 ft from the door. Shiloh had been trained to be quiet in her crate. I then had to retrain her to bark if she heard something...


Now my house is known for having dogs and always a lot of cars/trucks parked here. I think I'm safe, as I can be.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Well, this tells me two things, assuming the results of this survey are generalizable: 1) I'm absolutely safe in assuming that a lot of these people who seem to have very weak reasons for being at my door may well have nefarious intentions, and 2) I was right to teach my dog to bark until I give her the command to stop.


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## stepkau (Jan 4, 2016)

great read, thank you


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

Thanks for posting this. I was reading it to my husband over breakfast the other day and was thinking I should post it on the forum, especially the part about big dogs being a deterrent. I got busy and forgot to do so. Glad you took the time. A lot of good info in there.


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## maxtmill (Dec 28, 2010)

Good info - thank you for sharing. My concern where I live is that burglars sometimes poison the family dog, then enter. I assume those are yards where dogs are kept loose outdoors within the fenced yard. Our dogs are able to run in and out while we are home, but are crated inside when we leave to shop or whatever. What does everyone think about posting one of the German Shepherd dog signs - good idea, or stupid?


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

Maybe I should remove the gun signs from around my house. Ditch the NRA stickers. There are always cars in my drive but anyone with half a brain can figure out that I am in my work van while working. All of my dogs are crated 20 feet from the front door but will still bark if anyone knocks or rings the bell. Don't know if just the dogs barking would deter a thief. Have to make sure the blinds are closed. Seeing 3 dogs in crates isn't real scary.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Great article!


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Deja doesn't bark when crated. I crate her at night or she'll wake up everyone numerous times at night to warn us about deer in the yard. It's still a toss up what to do. I would love for her to have the run of the house.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I thought of this thread when I seen this:grin2:


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

A friend of mine posted this on FB the other day. I thought it was interesting too. We're doing a lot of things right, lol! 

Doors kept locked.

No real valuables to steal and not the kind of neighborhood where a burglar would expect to find any (nice, but modest, middle class).

2 big dogs.

Lights and/or stereo on when we're not home. 

Vehicle in the driveway.

Densely populated, with small lots - homes are very close together and front doors are easily visible from the street. 

Good outdoor lighting. 

No regular daytime schedule (hubby at least). 

Neighborhood watch program.


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

maxtmill said:


> What does everyone think about posting one of the German Shepherd dog signs - good idea, or stupid?



I was told by a friend who is a deputy with the sheriff's department to never have a Beware of Dog sign as it says I know I have a dangerous dog, that I'm advertising it bites and this can be used against me if the dog bites someone, even if they are breaking into my house. He said I could be sued, even by the burglar and lose in a court of law. Instead I had a sign with the silhouette of a Doberman and one of a GSD with the words 'I can get to the fence in 2.8 seconds, can you?'


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

Deb said:


> I was told by a friend who is a deputy with the sheriff's department to never have a Beware of Dog sign as it says I know I have a dangerous dog, that I'm advertising it bites and this can be used against me if the dog bites someone, even if they are breaking into my house. He said I could be sued, even by the burglar and lose in a court of law. Instead I had a sign with the silhouette of a Doberman and one of a GSD with the words 'I can get to the fence in 2.8 seconds, can you?'


Yes, the same advice I got, too. My signs now have a silhouette of a German Shepherd with the words "German Shepherd Crossing." It gets the point across.


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## maxtmill (Dec 28, 2010)

Deb said:


> I was told by a friend who is a deputy with the sheriff's department to never have a Beware of Dog sign as it says I know I have a dangerous dog, that I'm advertising it bites and this can be used against me if the dog bites someone, even if they are breaking into my house. He said I could be sued, even by the burglar and lose in a court of law. Instead I had a sign with the silhouette of a Doberman and one of a GSD with the words 'I can get to the fence in 2.8 seconds, can you?'


Haha! I love that sign. I also saw one that said something like, "I can get my teeth in your ass in 0.3 seconds- wanna try?"


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

My signs on the fence reads...private Property and dog on premises.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

My sign says "Dog on Premises Enter by Appointment Only". 

So, if you want to rob me, make an appointment first.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Yes this article is why we have a German Shepherd. I will always want a dog at least one like Max.


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## lyssa62 (May 5, 2013)

maxtmill said:


> Good info - thank you for sharing. My concern where I live is that burglars sometimes poison the family dog, then enter. I assume those are yards where dogs are kept loose outdoors within the fenced yard. Our dogs are able to run in and out while we are home, but are crated inside when we leave to shop or whatever. What does everyone think about posting one of the German Shepherd dog signs - good idea, or stupid?



I was going to put the sign with the shepherd and gun on it -- but then I am giving them a warning -- they can see that and come back with a plan B. I will just let them guess what else is behind door number 1 when they hear the pack barking.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I don't know. I have a GSD sticker on my minivan, and a GSD weathervane on my front fence post. All subtle signs of dogs at my house.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

We don't have any signs announcing the presence of a dog, but we do have an alarm system and have those signs/window stickers.

The dog announces herself; she will sound like she wants to tear you apart when you knock on our door. I am okay with this, in fact, I've basically reinforced/trained "make a huge ruckus until I tell you to stop making a ruckus." I've had people I suspected were up to no good blanche and back all the way up to the public sidewalk when they heard the noise and I opened the door with my hand on her collar and they saw her. With invited guests or delivery people, she's trained to stop barking on command (impulse control is still coming but she knows the command and starts trying to cut the noise when she hears it).


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## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

I HATE people knocking at my door. Gives me anxiety. 

Through a combination of the dog picking up on my mood and my reinforcing his escalation... we have a "respond to door knock" routine I am happy with. 

The dog hears a knock and let's out a sound closer to a roar, then he body slams the front door, barking and growling, after which he jumps up onto the window sill and stares them down.

Literally haven't had anyone knock on the door in months.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

It works!

I don't get anxious about people knocking, but I do become suspicious unless I've invited them somehow (guest, service provider like cable or plumbing, delivering my food). We've had some shady characters try to gain entrance at inappropriate hours.

Initially I had planned to train my dog to be quiet and bark only on command. When I saw how effective of a deterrent she was for people ranging from the truly shady to the "Can we talk to you about your vote?" folks, I changed course. We work on quieting on command, but if she starts by barking the house down, so much the better. If I don't want to talk to whomever it is (e.g., the political doorknockers earlier this year), I just never give the command to be quiet.


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

I've always wanted mine quiet because they go to hotels with me, so I don't want them barking at the sound of people walking by or noise from the parking lot. I've found when I answer the door with my hand on their collar, the person backs up fast. I had one once that barked and I spent every night constantly having to tell them quiet. Which they would stop barking, but the next person walking by would have them barking again.


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## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

I don't live in a great neighborhood. I moved here with my partner around 2010. 2 years ago his mom became very ill and he moved back to his family home to help care for her and his grandmother. Maybe like 2 weeks after he moved out some dude would come around at 2 or 3 AM and knock on my door. This went on every couple days for almost a month. 

I finally got stupid/brave enough to confront. Dude was all like "hey baby can I get yo number? I know 
yo man ain't round anymore and a sweet thang like you shouldn't be lonely" 

Yeah. 

I've periodically gotten other late night knocks. The most recent one was over the summer. Some guy trying to either buy or sell drugs... he asked me to do something about the dog so I could open the door all the way... Yeah right buddy. I told him the dog was doing exactly as he should be and if he didn't get the BLEEP off my steps I WORLD open the door. Oh and by the way... he's been trained to go straight for the 'nads. Then I commanded the dog to platz. And the guy got all wide eyed realising the dog was actually trained with "police commands" and he backed off real quick...

So I am totally fine with my dog acting bat poop at people knocking on the door.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

Great article. My approach is a bit different however.... I've got 2 GSD that I love, 2 nosey neighbors that I love, however I keep my curtains open just in case the deterrents and the neighborhood watch doesn't work, I'd like prospective burglars to know that there are only plants and books inside - don't waste your time


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## Dalko43 (Mar 30, 2015)

Deb said:


> I was told by a friend who is a deputy with the sheriff's department *to never have a Beware of Dog sign as it says I know I have a dangerous dog, that I'm advertising it bites and this can be used against me if the dog bites someone, even if they are breaking into my house. *He said I could be sued, even by the burglar and lose in a court of law. Instead I had a sign with the silhouette of a Doberman and one of a GSD with the words 'I can get to the fence in 2.8 seconds, can you?'


I'm highly skeptical of the legal reasoning being used there. Who knows, maybe things like that vary by state and county, but in the broadest legal sense, most states acknowledge the castle doctrine, which gives significant legal protections to a homeowner defending himself/herself against home intrusion.

And even if you're not home and a burglar gets bit while trying to break in, I just don't see how how they could have much of legal case to make against you. 
1) The burglar was breaking the law, and certainly individual rights are forsaken during criminal activity.
2) If you do have a 'Beware of Dog' sign outside, and the burglar gets hurt trying to break in, it would be very easy to make the argument that the owner had taken the necessary precautions (signage, keeping the dog inside) to keep his/her "dangerous" dog properly secured. The burglar was the one who actively ignored said precautions; I just don't see how someone could sue a dog owner in that type of situation.

As for the OP, I do agree that GSD's serve as great deterrents. Most people, especially people with little dog experience, automatically assume that because it's a GSD my dog is a "police" dog. I'm happy to explain to the inquisitive folks that not all GSD's are "police" K9's, and of course I'm happy to let the shady characters figure out for themselves whether or not they really want to mess with my guy. The perception that many people have of GSD's seems to be a deterrent in and of itself.


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

Dalko43 said:


> I'm highly skeptical of the legal reasoning being used there. Who knows, maybe things like that vary by state and county, but in the broadest legal sense, most states acknowledge the castle doctrine, which gives significant legal protections to a homeowner defending himself/herself against home intrusion.
> 
> And even if you're not home and a burglar gets bit while trying to break in, I just don't see how how they could have much of legal case to make against you.
> 1) The burglar was breaking the law, and certainly individual rights are forsaken during criminal activity.
> ...


Yes, and there are some people are just frightened by large dogs of any breed. A while back, I was home recuperating from surgery when there was a knock on the front door. My big yellow lab barked when he heard the knock and when I opened the door, there was a young man, maybe 20 or 22 who had backed himself down the steps and off my front porch. I stepped out the door and on the porch as I didn't want to have to yell at him to hear what he wanted. Of course, he was selling something, I don't remember what. My sister was visiting at the time and when I heard her laughing, I glanced around and saw the dog had picked up a toy and the way it was hanging out of his mouth, it looked like a giant pacifier. Didn't matter, the guy was not going to get any closer. Max would not have hurt a fly.


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

Dalko43 said:


> I'm highly skeptical of the legal reasoning being used there. Who knows, maybe things like that vary by state and county, but in the broadest legal sense, most states acknowledge the castle doctrine, which gives significant legal protections to a homeowner defending himself/herself against home intrusion.
> 
> And even if you're not home and a burglar gets bit while trying to break in, I just don't see how how they could have much of legal case to make against you.
> 1) The burglar was breaking the law, and certainly individual rights are forsaken during criminal activity.
> ...



I think you may be right in that it may be a state by state. I looked it up for Louisiana since that's where I live and was told. I found this:


Comparative negligence deals with the question of who is at fault for an injury. In Louisiana, an injured person who is partly or totally at fault for his or her injuries will see any damages award reduced by a percentage that is equal to the share of fault assigned to him or her. Here's an example of comparative negligence at work in a Louisiana dog bite case. Suppose that a woman decides to visit her neighbor's house. Her neighbor owns a large dog that is kept in a fenced yard with a "Beware of Dog" sign on the gate. Despite the sign, the woman pushes open the gate and approaches the house, but the dog jumps on her and bites her. At trial, the jury decides that the woman is 40 percent at fault for her injuries and the dog's owner is 60 percent at fault, and that the total damages equal $10,000. Louisiana's comparative fault rule applies to reduce the damages award by 40 percent, the amount of fault assigned to the injured person. So, the injured woman would receive $6,000 (which is $10,000 less 40 percent). 

Louisiana's animal injury law also specifies that an animal's owner is not liable if the injured person provoked the animal. While some states treat provocation as a matter of comparative fault, Louisiana treats provocation as a complete bar to recovery. Therefore, an injured person who is shown to have provoked the animal into causing injury will likely be unable to recover any damages in court.


*Dog Owners' Legal Responsibilities in Louisiana*


Dangerous dogs must be properly restrained or confined. When on the owner's property, the dog must be either kept indoors or outdoors in a secure enclosure. The enclosure must be a fence or other structure that prevents the entry of young children, as well as the escape of the dog. When off the owner's property, the dog must be restrained by a leash that prevents escape or access to other persons.
The owner of a dangerous dog must post signs around the dog's outdoor enclosure that are no more than 30 feet apart and placed at each entry and exit point. The signs must bear the words, "Beware of Dog," or "Dangerous Dog," in letters at least three-and-one-half inches high and must be readily visible to any person approaching the enclosure.
So it looks like for here if you put up signs then you are saying you have a dangerous dog. This may be why the deputy told me this.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

Deb said:


> I think you may be right in that it may be a state by state. I looked it up for Louisiana since that's where I live and was told. I found this:
> 
> 
> Comparative negligence deals with the question of who is at fault for an injury. In Louisiana, an injured person who is partly or totally at fault for his or her injuries will see any damages award reduced by a percentage that is equal to the share of fault assigned to him or her. Here's an example of comparative negligence at work in a Louisiana dog bite case. Suppose that a woman decides to visit her neighbor's house. Her neighbor owns a large dog that is kept in a fenced yard with a "Beware of Dog" sign on the gate. Despite the sign, the woman pushes open the gate and approaches the house, but the dog jumps on her and bites her. At trial, the jury decides that the woman is 40 percent at fault for her injuries and the dog's owner is 60 percent at fault, and that the total damages equal $10,000. Louisiana's comparative fault rule applies to reduce the damages award by 40 percent, the amount of fault assigned to the injured person. So, the injured woman would receive $6,000 (which is $10,000 less 40 percent).
> ...


Excellent point here. I was in this discussion on another forum and I reminded people that it doesn't matter what you personally think. Dog owners should always be in the know about their state and county laws. Where I live if someone is trespassing and gets hurt or bit, they are at fault. Granted, I might have to fight it in court, but the law would be on my side. Someone else posted that where they live, if some trespasses, trips on a rock in the dark and twists their ankle, the home owner would be at fault...never mind if the dog bit them. :surprise:


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

by the way, I know a gal who told us about the time she had someone break and enter into her home. She was asleep on the couch and the miscreant boldly came in through the front door. He was greeted by a groggy owner and three Dobermans staring at him. Needless to say, the crook changed his mind and left. 

She said she was surprised since she thought for sure everyone nearby must have know about her dogs. Must have been an out of towner.


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## Dalko43 (Mar 30, 2015)

Deb said:


> I think you may be right in that it may be a state by state. I looked it up for Louisiana since that's where I live and was told. I found this:
> 
> 
> Comparative negligence deals with the question of who is at fault for an injury. In Louisiana, an injured person who is partly or totally at fault for his or her injuries will see any damages award reduced by a percentage that is equal to the share of fault assigned to him or her. Here's an example of comparative negligence at work in a Louisiana dog bite case. Suppose that a woman decides to visit her neighbor's house. Her neighbor owns a large dog that is kept in a fenced yard with a "Beware of Dog" sign on the gate. Despite the sign, the woman pushes open the gate and approaches the house, but the dog jumps on her and bites her. At trial, the jury decides that the woman is 40 percent at fault for her injuries and the dog's owner is 60 percent at fault, and that the total damages equal $10,000. Louisiana's comparative fault rule applies to reduce the damages award by 40 percent, the amount of fault assigned to the injured person. So, the injured woman would receive $6,000 (which is $10,000 less 40 percent).
> ...


Yeah, I would think a court would differentiate between a neighbor wandering onto your property by accident and a burglar invading your property with malign intent. In the one scenario, I could see how wounded person could receive some sort of compensation; in the other, I just can't fathom a jury awarding them much, if anything. Like I said, when you purposely trespass with a criminal intent to steal or do harm, you're starting to forsake some of your personal rights.

And I see what you meant about the 'beware of dog' sign, but again, I don't think putting one up will make you anymore culpable if a home invader is bit by your dog. In fact, according to the law which you referenced, it probably makes sense to put one up if you think your dog is inclined to physically confront trespassers. That way the trespasser has no legal avenue to try and claim that he/she wasn't properly informed of the the threat posed by the dog.


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## JennaMomma (Jan 2, 2017)

I have this posted and in arizona if you have a sign posted and someone still enters you don't pay anything and they go to jail happen with my Fila brasileiro (brazilian mastiff) guy hopped the fence zues never barked and was solid black 192 lbs and shutzhund trained didn't turn out to well but since then zues passed and I got a shepherd much smaller dog
Way more drive but boy do I miss all the power behind zues












pics of zues 
















Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

Dogs that big don't naturally have a very long life span.


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## Dotbat215 (Aug 19, 2015)

Interesting read...I'm glad they went right to the source.

A lot of these types of articles end up being retellings of rumors, urban legends, or a random person's opinion(without much else to back it). The last thing you want is a false sense of security.


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

In legal terms there is something called "assumption of risk". I'm no lawyer, but from my understanding that means that if a person knows that there is a dog on premises, from a posted "Beware of Dog" sign, and still chooses to come on the property, it is their fault if the dog bites, not the dog's or the dog's owner. 

I know there are posts about "Beware of Dog" signs being a negative thing, but I think that is the best way to legally protect yourself. Ambiguous or joke signs like "Is there life after Death..." or "my dog can make it to the fence in X seconds" are not usually treated nicely by the courts. A simple "Beware of Dog" sign is understood by all. 

Another good idea is to put up surveillance cameras.


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