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A big dog, but there is daily maintenance involved.
When I went to graduate school, we lived next to a drug traffic area, hence there were a lot of spill-over burglaries in the neighborhood. My German Shepherd at the time played a game where she would observe the street from the deck and when someone walked up the hill, she'd run down to the hidden corner of the fence and rear up as they got to it. People learned to cross the street before getting to our house and then cross back after they passed. With her making her presence known, we never experienced a break-in while our neighbors had 1-2 each during that period. I guess the burglars figured they were easier pickings.
A big dog is not an option, unfortunately. I know what you mean, though. When I was a kid, my family used to have a Chow that scared pretty much anyone off.
My situation is not nearly as bad as yours was, but there is some spill-over crime here, as well. Nothing major; just minor burglaries. I don't really have anything too particularly valuable, to be honest. More worried about losing my computer files and/or having to replace broken windows and doors than anything else.
I am in the big dog camp. I had one for years and no one could come near my truck or car, and if you tried getting into the house, that dog would hear you before you knew it. If you got in, you would be on sorry sucker, even if you had pepper spray or a steak. He was at your throat before you knew it. They just have to be trained correctly. I now use .38's and and up but live in a very rural secure area with very little crime. We still have a little dog who will laert us before any security system. will because of he acute hearing.
Those ADT commercials make me laugh. A guy kicks in a door and the first thing the homeowner does is answer the phone? Please...
The Home Alone kid did a better job with his recording of the TV movie to scare the burglars away.
OUr solution is two huge English Mastiffs. However they are not inexpensive. On the other hand they can keep your feet warm or clean your dirty dishes when they are not tearing apart burgulars.
1. Leave one large sized mans shoe on the porch or entry. This says a big guy lives here and he is home. Leave two and they will get stolen.
2. Leave a large dog dish or dog toy ont he fron porch or entry.
3. Put up an alarm sign or a beware of dog sign. The best thing that the alarm companies do for you is give you one of their signs. Many bad guys know what the signs mean evne if they cannot read and choose to go elsewhere. The sign does as much as the system, so you can just get ahold of one of the signs.
4. Put in a security door and/or double sided deadbolt locks. Bad guys may smash in through a window, but they lie to leave through a door. With double sided locks, they cannot get out with your stuff. Be sure you leave the key in the inside lock when you are home.
5. leave a $20 bill in plain sight on a table near the front door If you see the $20 is gone, do nto go in and call the police.
6. trim you bushes so that police can see under them. This prevents bad guys from hiding there waiting for you to come home and also prevents them from dumping your stuff in the bushes to come back for later.
7. Grow roses or bouganvilla or some other nasty thorny plant outside your windows. It makes it painfull and difficult to get in and out through a broken window.
8. Install motion sensor lights outside your home.
9. Be sure that you know your neighbors well. They should be able to recognize you and all of your fmaily members. That way they know when someone is there who does nto belong there.
10. Neighborhood watch sign.
11. Sherrif or police assocaition sign. You get these for donating to charities that help the families of officers killed on duty. However bad guys do not know what they mean (if they can read at all) Some will think that a cop lives there and go somewhere else.
12. Bear traps in your bushes. (Really). Just do nto forget to move them before you do yardwork (ouch).
13. Lawn sprinklers can be a nice deterrent. However you have to figure out what time is best to have them come on. We use to have them come on in the evening every half hour for a couple of minutes to keep people from cutting through our yard. Even if the sprinklers are not on, the wet yard is slippery.
14. Provide coffeee and or doughnuts for your local police. Once they know that you do that, they will swing by to see if you are home when they want a snack. Thus, you get more police coverage. One of our neighbors do this every thursday night and occaisionally on other nights. They often have police cars sitting in their driveway. THis is a good thing.
Dogs are wonderful but not cheap. However, studies have shown that a burbler will run away from a mean bark before blaring sirens and bright flashing lights.
I can tell you right away that this is inaccurate. When I answer alarm calls, whether it be "general burglary", hold up alarm, or window sensor (the alarm company tells us the coverage), I always turn my headlights off before pulling onto the street. I don't run lights and siren to any alarm unless they are on the phone screaming for help. The idea is to pull up and catch them, not scare them away.
And even if I did pull up lights and siren, I guarantee a burglar will run when he sees me more often than when he hears a dog. I like to think I am a little more scary, especially when I bring a dog with me.
Keep several lights and the radio or TV on - whether you're home or not because you want to encourage the burglar to go to another home. Keep horizontal bars on sliding doors and y-shaped bars (or chairs) nestled under a door knob. Screw on window locks to prevent a burglar from raising the window. Keep drapes closed to prevent someone from peeking in. Keep the garage door locked, not just closed. Post alarm company signs in your yard or stickers on your windows. Install door and window alarms that do not require monitoring (they sound when opened, but no company is notified). Ask the police to drive by your home or area more often.
Keep several lights and the radio or TV on - whether you're home or not because you want to encourage the burglar to go to another home. Keep horizontal bars on sliding doors and y-shaped bars (or chairs) nestled under a door knob. Screw on window locks to prevent a burglar from raising the window. Keep drapes closed to prevent someone from peeking in. Keep the garage door locked, not just closed. Post alarm company signs in your yard or stickers on your windows. Install door and window alarms that do not require monitoring (they sound when opened, but no company is notified). Ask the police to drive by your home or area more often.
I thought that it is better to keep the drapes open so that if someone breaks in, someone driving or walking by will see them inside. Just keep any valuable items away from and if possible out of sight of windows, especially low windows (most windows are up to high to look in and see furniture level items).
Same is true of lights. Nothing gives away crime better than a flashlight bobbing around inside a house. The crooks are better off with the lights on, but most do not know this.
I thought that it is better to keep the drapes open so that if someone breaks in, someone driving or walking by will see them inside. Just keep any valuable items away from and if possible out of sight of windows, especially low windows (most windows are up to high to look in and see furniture level items).
I don't see anyone driving by paying attention to whether your house is being broken into, even with flashlights waving around. Your best bet would be to keep your blinds shut, as you mentioned, and keep valuables out of sight. Try to get to know your close neighbors because they are the ones who will call if something isn't right.
I don't know my neighbors, but I know what they look like and how they act. If I saw someone pulling up that didn't look like one of their friends, I would probably call or go talk to them.
Dogs are great but expensive as hell and require time and attention.
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