While I agree that dogs are good deterents and I often take at least one of mine when going out at night... it is not a reason to get a dog, it's just one of the advantages to having one.

 

I do not leave my house at night without my GSD.

I couldn't stay in my house without him, if he isn't there then I am not there.

He makes me feel safe, he alerts me when he hears something, just him being in my house keeps people away but if something were to happen and someone broke into my home, my dog will alert me and then his job is done, I will protect myself and my dog.

Anyone that knows me, knows you dont mess with my dog, he is my everything and if you think you are going to come in and harm him then be prepared to lose your life. You'll think you broke into a lunatics house. :angryfire:

 

I pretty much have gotten where I need to take the dog for similar reasons. I have a large Aussie and the up-and-coming GSD pup. I feel OK sitting outside a Starbucks or going to an ATM or sitting at a signal light in the car (even though my car has auto locks), walking around in the National Park, or going to outdoors events. Quick run-ins in summer involve leaving the car running w/AC on (it's one of those keyless jobbers and won't move), or shopping partially after dark so the dog can stay in the car. I agree that dogs give just a bit more safety than without.

 

Ristakrat, I agree with Gsdraven. That should not be the only reason people get a dog. I do understand where you are coming from though. I know that whenever I'm home by myself I have no worries because Jerry Lee will protect me no matter what decides to come through the door. The reason why he will protect me is because of the bond that we have with eachother...unconditional love and that is why GSD's will always have my heart.

 

There was a woman that was murdered while out on an early morning jog not too far from me years ago. At that time I was going out in the mornings on my horse & 2 GSD's I didn't worry. I wouldn't feel comfortable going out without a dog with me. I wouldn't want to be in my house alone with out a dog, good thing I have 3.

 

I wouldn't feel comfortable going out without a dog with me. I wouldn't want to be in my house alone with out a dog, good thing I have 3.

Especially this!!!

Took a four mile walk last night (and now both dog and I have sore feet ) and were out till almost midnight, out in the country where there is no one within shouting distance.... I was a little nervous but I felt better having her by my side. I could obviously be wrong, but I like to think that if someone were to try to attack me, she'd jump in and try to help me.

When I had my Great Dane, its funny, he was the biggest sweetie you'd find. But some people were thoroughly terrified to come near him just due to his size. They didn't care whether or not his tail was wagging. I guess they didn't want to chance it? LOL

So with the both of them, I had no worries. But my GSD is a little female, and getting older and less agile, etc. So being alone with only her now a days, I'm still on edge. If there was only a way to convince the fam a second one would be a good idea. lol

She's got a wicked bark though!

 

I worked with a guy years ago who travelled a lot. He and his wife saw an interview on TV with a burglar type in prison and he said that the biggest deterrant to him deciding to break into a home was a large dog. They got a GSD within two weeks and have always had a large dog since.

 

Most people who prey on other people are cowards. They will often choose the easiest target. Having a large dog with you does increase your odds that the perp will choose another target. However, we all still have to live smart and avoid situations that make us a target.

Sadly, a large dog wouldn't stop a crime of passion - like your mother in law. It could very well change the outcome, but perhaps not stop the crime.

I admit that I use my GSD's physical looks to my benefit when a stranger is involved. Just as my GSD uses me when treats and lovin' are involved. It's a win/win situation.

 

What Jaimie said - I got my dogs because I enjoy having dogs - the deterent factor is but a free bonus that comes along with their size and looks.

There have been a number of threads in the past where the posters acquired a dog for "protection". But that was the limit of their interest in having a dog, and since they did not invest any time and effort into training, bonding, playing, and including the dog in their family, they had nothing but behavioral issues and had to rehome.

And though the deterrent value of a GSD (or other protective breed) is easy to see, it is not a given that every dog will engage and protect. So if your dog fails to protect you, then what? Is it the dog's fault that something happened?

 

As the OP's own example portrays, having a dog certainly doesn't prevent crime. The example with the labrador found running out of the crime scene area actually doesn't help OP's theory, given that the woman who was murdered had her labrador with her.

Yes, having a big dog is certainly a deterrence, but if someone is going to kill you they may have more reasons for choosing you than just being an easy target. In that example, the serial killer in particular, likely had other reasons for choosing the people he did.

 

A lot of labs are happy go lucky sweethearts towards everyone. My parents had one when I was growing up. She welcomed every stranger with the utmost hospitality. Definitely not who I'd want on a trail in the woods with me She was a great dog for what my parents wanted - a yard ornament I agree with most of you that having an intimidating dog is a perk to having a dog. So is their herding ability, and their feet warming ability. Many people don't know what they are getting into when adding a dog to the family for any reason. We sure didn't! Luckily for us it all worked out. We got a dog to be a guardian and protector and he is that. I worked with all typed of dogs as a groomer and really felt like I was missing out on having a rewarding relationship with one. I also know how to train and had pet sat for many people. I was so ready to have a dog and as soon as we got our own place we got one He really taught us what having a dog was all about. Brings a tear to my eye I love that lil guy. He is a treasured member of our family and now even my husband calls our dogs his fur babies.

 

The OP never said that this was the MAIN reason for having a dog? So why is everyone bashing?

 

thanks, i feel like everything i say here is totally wrong

 

Bashing? Really? I think people are merely pointing out that getting a dog just because you want protection is a bad idea and none of is directed at the OP really. Its a discussion. Dogs (especially GSDs) are a responsibility and people should be aware of that.

 

Nearly 20 years ago my husband and I were trying to decide which type of dog we wanted...then we watched a documentary about a young girl who was kidnapped from her bedroom while her parents slept down the hall. She was killed. I remember turning to my husband and saying "That's it. We are getting not one, but three German Shepherds: one for each of the kids' rooms." We didn't get three, but we did get one ("Bailey", RIP), and we've never been without one since. None were trained protection dogs, of course; but the sight and sound of an 85 pound GSD in the yard and in the front window hopefully makes the bad guys think twice about trying anything.

 

I see no bashing either, just good conversation, ideas and opinions..

ristakrat, no one said you were 'wrong', they are just adding thoughts to your initial post

 

I think everyone who is on the forum and has a dog, or is looking to get one understands what the OP is saying in her initial post. But we need to remember that the registered members who post regularly are but a small part of the population that reads the board. Look at the board statistics for any average day, and there are hundreds of non-registered users lurking and reading. Many of us feel a responsibility to educate the wider audience out there about responsible pet ownership.

For example, and a very likely scenario, someone out there hears about the stories you posted and wish to find a way to feel safer when out and about. Maybe a personal guard dog? They do a few google searches about crime and dogs and find your post. After reading it they are convinced that what they need is a GSD. No one will mess with them if they had a GSD! Never mind that they have no experience, have never owned a dog, don't really want all the work and responsibility that comes with a dog, have no intention of training and spending time having fun with their dog, because the dog's only job will be to protect, and of course, this will come naturally and instinctively, right?

You probably got a dog because you can't even imagine life without one, and understand the commitment and time they require. Many people just see the finished product, or read a comment about how victims of violent crime should have had a dog (thus implying that none of these crimes would have happened if that was the case - well, maybe, but who knows?) and get a dog for the wrong reasons.

I guess these responses are looking out for the welfare of the dogs - too many dogs being bought and adopted for the wrong reasons and not getting the proper care and understanding they deserve.

 

I feel uncomfortable saying that certain circumstances could have been prevented or tragedy could have been avoided. But I find myself often thinking that the headlines on the news of missing girls, home invasions, and even murders could have been at least interrupted by having a dog...

My parents' (before I was born) next-door neighbors had a Doberman and their house was robbed once... The homeowners came home and found the dog cowering under a table. :/

I do feel safer with Bianca around because she alerts me to anything unusual, and I feel more comfortable going out at night with her for the same reason.

A whole family including a two year old were brutally attacked by an angry ex fiancee in the night. The man killed his ex's father and new boyfriend, and brutally attacked her and her son. Thankfully they lived! But what if they had had a dog of any kind to at least alert them to someone at the door.

If it was someone they knew (an ex-fiance) the dog may have known the guy too and may not have barked. If it was someone they knew the family may (I don't know the details in this particular case) have even let the guy in the house.

 

There was a rash of burglaries in our neighborhood a few years ago. Almost every house was hit on our street alone. Mine and the neighbor on either side were skipped, a few on other streets. Eventually they caught the guy (another neighbor!!!) and he mentioned (while out on bail and drinking in the local bar) he skipped the houses with the german shepherds and their neighbors in case they jumped the fences! I got a chuckle from that- our house is NEVER locked and our dogs are kissers!

 

I do not get any channels at home. But my mother does. So on occasion I watch movies over there. Mom likes horror flicks, mysteries, slashers, and serial killer movies. I watch the girl get home, unlock the door, and go into the the empty flat or house where you know the creep is waiting for her, and every time my thought is -- where is the dog, she should have a dog. Oh, I get where you are coming from all right.

Folks out my way, a couple of miles away from me (I live alone out in farm country), well they have a shepherd and he was acting crazy around the windows, they let the dog out, and the guy got his gun. The dog was shot twice -- two different guns, once in the muzzle, not sure where else but he survived. The people broke the door in, but the BF had had the time to get his gun and shot at them. They took off. This is a pretty crazy story for Ashtabula County, Ohio: Monroe hero dog a national finalist Local News The Star Beacon; Ashtabula, Ohio. Talking to my dad, he said every one has guns out there. I said I don't, He told me I should, and that is why he gave me one. I never come home to an empty house, but if someone is willing to take on my dogs, well then the crazy nut might need some bird shot in him.

My brother's neighbor had a pit bull and another dog, the other dog in a crate. The burglar saw the crated dog, and came into the home. The pit bull attacked. The homeowner came home to find his stuff there, his dog in the front yard, blood all over his sofa, front door open. About a year later, my brother's house was robbed. The kicked his beagle/dachsund mix and hurt him. He wanted a big dog. I gave him one of my boys and explained that the boy was the king of his world and his dog has been the king of his world for a long time. They might not get along. Do not leave them alone together. Three days later he called me to take the dog back. They had to take theirs to the vet. He said it was his fault. He got a security system instead.

I must honestly say that my other brother's Golden Retriever would leave the serial killer hiding in the bedroom, to come to you at the front door all things wagging. My brother, an over six foot tall strong man lives in town with all his doors locked and his Golden Retriever. This small town is probably the safest in the county because it actually has a full time police department and is really small, just a village. Probably ten years ago, robbers tried to break into my parents, but Pip the Wonder Dog (English Setter afraid of his own shadow) scared them off.

My OTHER brother -- the one who should never have owned a pet rock, has a smooth collie. He and his band were practicing in his building and some drunk guy walks up smoking and drinking a beer, enjoying the music. (That brother lives walking distance to me out in the boonies, on a dirt road about as rural as you can get, not a typical place for beer-drinking pedestrians.) The dog was just loving on him. My brother thinks the dog is the best dog ever. I think an outdoor herding dog that doesn't keep a raccoon out of the chicken coop isn't worth a hill of beans, but what do I know. She is a nice dog and good with the kids -- would make a great indoor pet, but not at my brother's. And I wouldn't trust her to keep me or the chickens safe from two legged or four legged predators.

 

I must honestly say that my other brother's Golden Retriever would leave the serial killer hiding in the bedroom, to come to you at the front door all things wagging. My brother, an over six foot tall strong man lives in town with all his doors locked and his Golden Retriever.

As friendly as my Golden Retriever Ginger was, she would NOT let anyone in the house uninvited! Once my uncle did that, we invited him over so when he got to our house he just opened the door and walked in saying hello, since we knew he was coming. Ginger blocked the entrance out of the foyer and stood there and barked at him until I came over and said hello to my uncle. As soon as I greeted my uncle Ginger switched to greeting mode too and wagged and wiggled and licked him. She did the same thing when one of my brother's friends came in without knocking. My brother had come with his friend but my brother came in first and then a minute or two later his friend followed him in alone, and Ginger did the exact same thing with him.
Ginger also "protected" me several times from strange people. She was generally your typical happy loves everyone Golden, she was also a therapy dog and was very good at her job but when she sensed something was not right she would let us know. I'm not talking about someone just acting drunk or funny because we volunteered in a hospital where there were quite a few patients with strokes, brain injuries etc and they would often act strange and she never reacted to them, but there were a few cases when I was out on walks with her where she placed herself between me and a person and barked until they left (they backed off quickly when she started to bark). Usually I realized once she did this that the person had been acting suspiciously, but Ginger caught on before I did. She did the same thing when we took the ATTS test. She totally ignored the "weird stranger" and ignored him when he was "menacing" but as soon as he became "aggressive stranger" she placed herself in front of me, stood her ground and barked.
Ginger would also bark when people approached the house or yard (just like my GSD does) and she had a very deep imposing bark that would likely make people think twice.

If I come home, and I do not hear barks in greeting, I am not going in. I do not know if my dogs could stop a determined attack, and they are no match for guns and ammo, but I NEVER feel like I am walking into an empty house, or a house with a perp inside. If your dog does not give you that much, then something is definitely wrong.

Bianca recognizes the car and knows it is me coming so she doesn't bark when I come home. She does generally greet me at the door though. Tonight we came home and she was not at the door. I was worried, but then when I called her she came. I think she must have been sleeping at the very back of the house. I knew there was nothing sinister going on though because my cats were all crowding near the door to greet me and if there was a stranger in the house or something I am pretty sure they would have been hiding and not come out...

 

Bird shot? If you kick my door in you're getting all 30 M855 rounds. The later half of the clip will probably be while you're on the ground with me over you.

Many (not all) dogs will bite to defend themselves.. its very rare for an untrained dog to bite in defense of you. Just cause he's putting on a good show doesn't mean he'll actually bite. Protection dog training is a very complex thing.

 

A drunk man lunged at me once when Babs and Jenna were puppies -- eight months old, and they both went for his head. I have no doubt they would have bitten him if I was not in control of the other end of the leashes. The man had no doubt either, backed him way up, and he turned and took off. They were not trained for this.

My contractor feels confident Babs will kill him, he will go right into Jenna's kennel -- not Babs. It is funny, she's such a sweet little thing, but anyone coming to my house seems to think she will have them for lunch if they look at her wrong. I guess I am not too sorry to have that perception of her, really.

 

I only want them to deter, not to bite. (If they did in such a situation I would not hold it against them.) If someone will hear my large dogs and still crash through my door, then they may get a load of bird shot in them. I do not care about your guns and ammo superiority, if you look down the barrel of a large shot gun, you may change your mind about robbing my house.

 

check with your local PD though. If you are only using bird shot, then the prosecutor can say that you "weren't in fear of your life" since you weren't shooting to kill. The way self-defense law works is pretty straight forward - if you weren't scared enough to kill, then you weren't scared enough to defend yourself.

The same idea behind shooting to wound. If you shoot your attacker in the arm (and God forbid you tell the cops "I only wanted him to stop") then you are going to find yourself sitting down at the station for a long time. Shooting to only wound (which is what bird shot is) is pretty close to an automatic charge of assault.

 

To the OP: I agree. My dogs are our early warning system - giving myself and my DH time enough to get out the guns and take over.

In regards to what an untrained dog will do - a confident person can back down an untrained dog ANY day. If your dog charges me and I kick it in the chest or side (with all my might), I highly doubt it will continue with the attack.

Personal protection dogs are not just trained TO bite - they are trained to KEEP biting, no matter what the person does to them.

 

I had guy try and pet Otto about a month ago. I was walking around the block. I live in not so safe sub I also walk with Otto by myside. When a guy start yelling "Hey Lady!" I stop and soon as I turned this guy was 6 feet from me. Otto put him self between the two of us. He reached out to pet Otto (this all happend very quickly). He immediately starting barking (strong scary bark) hoping up and down. His hack was up and I could really tell there was some thing fishy about this man. I had Otto return to heel sit. He sat staring at this guy mouth closed. The guy told me wow is that a "black german"??? I laugh no. He then tried to pet him again! I said "I really don't think that was a good idea." (why would you try to pet a dog that almost ripped you arm off??)

 

My dogs are untrained,sometimes completely. Lucky had only been w/us maybe two weeks. he was probably 10 months to a year.My dad,who we bought the house from ,never knocked and would enter yelling. This day he was annoyed w/ something and entered house. He met Lucky who grabbed the bottom of his jacket and stopped him. "Dad meet Lucky"Held his jacket by the bottom and my dad stood there.In retrospect, I had yelled back at my Dad and I was pretty tense. Lucky has no training.Lucky and Daisy both react to my mood and fright and fiight are linked.By the way my dad now knocks or calls ever since and he and Lucky are pals.

 

God help the person that walks through our door. We have one boxer that doesn't like strangers. She's old and toothless but the younger two dogs follow her lead. So, if a person where to stroll in here with 'intent', they would have to get past two boxers and a GSD first.

I think maybe some people depend to much on the idea that they are safe because they have a dog. A gun can take a dog out quicker than the dog can get to the person. A large dog is a great deterrent and Jax has reacted STRONGLY to a couple of people but I"m not sure she would protect me if I were in danger. I would definitely have a 'back up' protection plan if I did a lot of traveling.

 

Yes but, if you get home and Cujo is not there waiting for you at the door, you can turn around get back in your car and wait for your personal posse to come in with you.

If I come home, and I do not hear barks in greeting, I am not going in. I do not know if my dogs could stop a determined attack, and they are no match for guns and ammo, but I NEVER feel like I am walking into an empty house, or a house with a perp inside. If your dog does not give you that much, then something is definitely wrong.

 

Sue - I wasn't thinking if we were outside the house coming in. It's not uncommon for our dogs to not hear us come in with air conditioners going. I was talking about if we're inside with an intruder coming in or on the road alone. And if I suspect there is something wrong inside the house, I"m calling the police not waiting for my 'personal posse' whatever that might mean.

Jax doesn't bark at people at the door. She comes and tells me all about it so I can go look. The boxers hit the door with hackles raised. It drives me nuts. So I guess part of the behavior towards strangers is what is trained as well.

 

Well, round heres abouts we gots judges that says we should all gets ourselves a gun. And our sherriff's department has jus one deputy to cover the whole of Ashtabula county at night -- biggest durn county in the state of 'hio.

And they gots no one to send when peoples call and say they hear a woman cryin' for help in the woods at night.

They gets mad at us and do this to punish us every cupla a years when we vote down sales tax increases. They lay off the k-9s and says that they wont go after the meth labs.

So we all have guns. And my family is going to get there quicker than the police, sorry.

You have the police to call. I am going to call my dad and brothers, and maybe get around to dialing for the police. Dad is four miles off, So's Mark, Bob is less than 1/2 mile, the sherriff deputy might be 30 or more miles away and might be already be on a call. Dad could bring Cujo with him, just in case we wanted to make sure no one was hiding in there. You go ahead and call the police, I will call my personal posse.

I haven't had to yet, I got a number of dogs, and if the dogs are not clammering for me when I get home, something bad has happened, I am going to get Dad, and maybe Bob out there quick.