Dogs and Home Defense

When it comes to dogs and home defense, your dog doesn't have to be large and aggressive. Most dogs are naturally loyal and have a keen desire to protect their "pack." Even the small, yappy dogs are a deterrent, delay, and alarm all in one. [Dogs and Home Defense are also a part of the online Home Security course Property, Guns and Liberty.] 

Can you go from dead asleep to fully awake and functional in less than 10 seconds? Don't lie to yourself - no you can't. However, you can easily stop a dynamic breach. By changing the entire game using simple fortification, delay, and alarm tactics. One of the best ways to get started is, you guessed it, the family pet. Dogs and home defense go hand in hand.

The average home is extremely easy to break into. All it takes is one well placed kick on the door and  you're through. A sloppy team with little experience can breach and clear a one-story home in less than 15 seconds. A team that is very proficient, (they have rehearsed and know the layout) can do it in about 10 seconds. 

That means that unless you saw the threat coming, you've got less than 10 SECONDS to react. Think about it, anyone attempting to break into your home, isn't going to wait until it is convenient for you. More than likely they are going to pick a time where it is the most inconvenient. Be it while you are at work or during the night while you are asleep.

As I said before, it doesn't take much to take a home invasion from a 10 second dynamic breach to a "You've screwed with the wrong house!" Depending on how persistent or aggressive the attacker is, most home invasions can be stopped before they can even reach the door. In many home invasions, having a group of dogs has completely stopped the break-in before the criminal was able to establish a foothold (take over the first room) in the home.

I can't tell you how many times a dog has come after me while working as a deputy. I had to constantly be on guard for any that might just come around the corner. I've had times where a family called me for help and I couldn't even get into the yard until they got the dog and let me in.

At one point, buddy of mine got into a car chase with a local drug dealer that we had been pursuing for months. The car was loaded with dope and guns. He was a felon with no driver's license and he immediately drove straight to his house, ran inside and locked the door. Leaving the dope in the car and the guns and everything.

He called me in for back-up and when I got there, I found my buddy standing stagnant. I asked him why he hadn't breached the home. He simply pointed to 19 pit bulls in the front yard. (We later found two more inside.)

The dogs were on chains in such a manner that you could not get to any door of the house without at least one of them attacking you. (Sadly, all 21 dogs had to euthanized before we could process the crime scene.)

The delay went from an instantaneous breech (since it was a hot pursuit) to having to wait for backup. It took another 15 minutes before we were even able to get close to the house. The only reason we were able to get to the house at all was because we used aggressive tactics and quick thinking. (He was later charged with 21 counts of animal cruelty as he had been using them to fight and feeding them gunpowder.)

As I said before, when it comes to dogs and home defense, your dog doesn't have to be large or aggressive. The small, yappy dog works really well in preventing that dynamic breach.

First off, small dogs are more likely to bark. You can use that as an early warning system. That 10 second reaction time just got better. Now you can identify the threat before it reaches your door. Most intruders are going for total surprise. If they are alerted on by that yappy dog, it serves as a deterrent.  

How can a small dog serve as a delay? Well, think of it this way. When a dog alerts on an intruder, that intruder has to stop and decide if their chances of effecting their plans will still work now  that you know they are there. Or should they cut their losses and just leave now? Even if the small dog does not deter the intruder(s), they still have to decide if they are just going to kick the dog aside, shoot it or walk around it. When it comes to home invasions, every second counts. The little time that has bought you can and has saved lives.

Big, small - doesn't matter. When it comes to dogs and home defense, any dog is better than no dog.