Frightened & Defenseless

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There are good dogs and there are problem dogs. Don’t just get a dog and expect it to perform the way you want. Good reliable guard dogs are as expensive as firearms. Unfortunately some dogs are a bigger threat to the kids than an intruder.

24 years private practice experience as a pet veterinarian speaking here.
 
hso said:
The security film on the windows can help prevent break-ins, but so can home installed bars.
Good security "screen" doors can help as well.
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Yeah, there's some good input here. It occurs to me that just because I'm armed and capable, some of these have got me thinking I should take some of this advice to beef up my own place. I guess the real goal first and foremost should be that an intruder never makes it into your home in the first place. I like the info here, very much appreciated. My sister's home has some serious opsec deficiencies, her back door is a joke, might as well be made out of aluminum foil. Some alarms, 4 inch screws for door frames, deadbolts, motion activated lights, wireless monitoring, defensive weapon of some kind. I'm guessing she or I or anybody could come up considerably in security for under $1K.

You might laugh, but I can vouch for the solar powered motion lights from the dollar store, I bought one 4 years ago for my basement door for $1 and I'm really impressed with it, it works great and for $1 I should buy a dozen of em..... rain or shine, in the coldest months, I expected it to be crap and was only supposed to tide me over til I could hardwire a quality one but as long as it's doing its job there is no need. I might go pick some up for her....
 
To further this discussion...my daughter who lives 200 miles from us, is a single Mom divorced from a narcissistic husband who had been emotionally draining her by his controlling ways since their divorce 3+ years ago. It's been a long, hard road for her to regain her self confidence.

I'd been after her to get her CPL and have the ablilty to defend herself. Well....after the couple events that her mother experienced she made up her mind to take the class. When she took the class she used my .22 magnum LCR (the same one her mother had used for her class). We were out practicing one day and I asked her if she would like to try out my 9mm Sig 365XL. She was surprised how easy it was to control as she thought it would have excessive recoil. Long story short, she now owns a Kimber Micro 9 that she shoots extremely well. The plus side to this story is that her kids gold Daddy on a visit that Mom got her CPL and a brand new gun. It's rather amusing how much his controlling attitude towards her has changed now. It's a blessing to see he self confidence returning. Her whole demeanor has changed from "I'm not really comfortable with guns" to "Hey Pops, let's go shooting".
 
DustyGmt said:
first and foremost should be that an intruder never makes it into your home in the first place
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Exactly! The firearm is a last resort after other deterrents and barriers have been defeated. Keep unwanted persons off your property and out of your home. Even a decorative fence is a psychological deterrent, obvious lighting is a deterrent, security doors are a deterrent. Even a dog house behind the fenced in yard is a deterrent. Dogs in the home, reinforced doors and door frames, security pinned windows that must be broken to get through, security screens/bars, etc.

Anything that establishes a barrier to access, real or imaginary, reduces the potential for you needing to defend yourself by using defense in depth around the home.

When we built our home we made sure that it was not going to be easy for anyone to get into. I want time to wake up, gather my family, my wife and I to arm ourselves, and the sheriff to be called instead of waking from a dead sleep with someone already in the house.
 
WheelGunMan said:
To further this discussion...my daughter who lives 200 miles from us, is a single Mom divorced from a narcissistic husband who had been emotionally draining her by his controlling ways since their divorce 3+ years ago. It's been a long, hard road for her to regain her self confidence.

I'd been after her to get her CPL and have the ablilty to defend herself. Well....after the couple events that her mother experienced she made up her mind to take the class. When she took the class she used my .22 magnum LCR (the same one her mother had used for her class). We were out practicing one day and I asked her if she would like to try out my 9mm Sig 365XL. She was surprised how easy it was to control as she thought it would have excessive recoil. Long story short, she now owns a Kimber Micro 9 that she shoots extremely well. The plus side to this story is that her kids gold Daddy on a visit that Mom got her CPL and a brand new gun. It's rather amusing how much his controlling attitude towards her has changed now. It's a blessing to see he self confidence returning. Her whole demeanor has changed from "I'm not really comfortable with guns" to "Hey Pops, let's go shooting".
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Yeah, I can identify with that, my sister is somebody who has been victimized by false people through usery. It sucks to see somebody you care for who doesnt realize their own potential and allows somebody to gain complete control through manipulation and head games. I'm glad your girl is on the upswing and has regained her confidence, I'm praying for a similar outcome.

I really like the LCR revolver idea, I would probably buy one if I saw it because worst case she doesn't warm up to it I end up stuck with a gun I like. I believe. 22lr is an excellent compromise. Maybe not ideal for most, but .22lr is something I have a decent amount of, and she could learn to shoot alot better with ammo that is available vs ammo that is not.
 
DustyGmt said:
Yeah, I can identify with that, my sister is somebody who has been victimized by false people through usery. It sucks to see somebody you care for who doesnt realize their own potential and allows somebody to gain complete control through manipulation and head games. I'm glad your girl is on the upswing and has regained her confidence, I'm praying for a similar outcome.

I really like the LCR revolver idea, I would probably buy one if I saw it because worst case she doesn't warm up to it I end up stuck with a gun I like. I believe. 22lr is an excellent compromise. Maybe not ideal for most, but .22lr is something I have a decent amount of, and she could learn to shoot alot better with ammo that is available vs ammo that is not.
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It's a .22WMR and she tried her damnest to talk me out of it and I'd have probably given to her LOL. Then she discovered that she liked 9mm...cost me more that way, but I sleep better knowing she has something she's totally confident with. I got her a laser training cartridge too, so she gets it out and trains a little after the kiddies go to bed. She's becoming her old sassy self once again and that's a good thing.
 
daniel craig said:
Lock the door. Would have been 100% more effective than a gun or any kind of weaponry in that situation.

Physical security like locking up, keeping a light or two on (you’d be surprised), motion or auto on at a certain time exterior lights would all go a long way.
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I completely agree. Taking her shooting is something I'm willing to do, if for no other reason than because she wants to and it would make her feel better. Keeping an intruder out and deterring weirdos from ever making contact is at the top of the list, and a good white light and even a good sharp knife shouldn't be discounted. Knowing her as I do, I think avoiding a confrontation is paramount. That's not to say it's not equally important for the rest of us, competence with a firearm or not, it's just that I think her vulnerabilities are greater than the average person. She's got no warrior blood, except for the one time she shoved me through an old glass window out onto the patio for putting a cup of ice down the back of her shirt.....
 
tark said:
Wasp and hornet spray. Shoots a concentrated stream of nasty chemicals 25 feet. Takes no training to use. Aim for the head and I guarantee the last thing the intruder will be thinking about is harming you.
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I want go as far as to say this has been disproven, but it certainly hasn’t been proven.



Also it’s likely illegal



as for the op, I’ll just say never underestimate a woman who is protecting her children, at least take her to a range and see how she does.
Others have offered better advise than I probably can, I will add rubber buck shot, bean bag rounds, tasers and such less lethal things do have a place. Just reminding you of options, not necessarily recommending.
 
Dogs are only a deterrent to ignorant thieves, or maybe one that absolutely wants a quiet in and out, and will walk because of the extra risk.

A pro will slaughter it easily. Dogs are great for thieves. They telegraph whether or not anyone's home. If someone's home, they'll bark for a bit and stop, run to their owner and get them. Even if you sit silent, it's obvious by their actions that you're home, and the thief walks. If nobody's home they'll bark and spin at the front door forever. Bust right in and boot stomp the mutt.
 
I like the locks, dog, and gun (22lr or more), but agree with a previous post that the most defenseless of women will turn into lions to protect their children.
 
I live in one of the safest "big" (>100,000 residents) cities in the country, with a wife who has lived a very sheltered life. I couldn't even get her to lock the doors at night. I made a point of "innocently" sharing the news stories of rape and murder which happen even in "safe" neighborhoods like ours. I suppose it could be construed as cruel, but she at least now acknowledges reality. She is not ever going to live her life with color codes and "head on a swivel" but she at least expects that, when she demands I investigate a bump in the night, that I am going to do it with the corner-of-the-bedroom shotgun.
 
J-Bar said:
There are good dogs and there are problem dogs. Don’t just get a dog and expect it to perform the way you want. Good reliable guard dogs are as expensive as firearms. Unfortunately some dogs are a bigger threat to the kids than an intruder.

24 years private practice experience as a pet veterinarian speaking here.
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Finally, someone noted dogs are different between breeds!
I have two large Malamutes, male 140 lbs, female 120; both are great watch dogs, will run around let me know someone is at the door or on the property; however, they are terrible guard dogs. A human comes into the door, they might knock them over trying to greet them. Great with kids; other than size.
So people saying a large dog is the answer is not the correct answer.

In my case, I do not want a guard dog. The job of guarding the house is mine and mine alone!
 
Could it be possible that your nephew was imagining things? I've seen young children stop playing and point to imaginary people that weren't there. I'm not saying this is what happened, but it's definitely something that would cross my mind.

It's also possible it was a lost drunk. I've dealt with plenty of those who end up in the wrong house and believe it or not, end up looking in the fridge.

Either way she should secure the house better and consider learning how to defend herself.
 
Zerodefect said:
Dogs are only a deterrent to ignorant thieves, or maybe one that absolutely wants a quiet in and out, and will walk because of the extra risk.

A pro will slaughter it easily. Dogs are great for thieves. They telegraph whether or not anyone's home. If someone's home, they'll bark for a bit and stop, run to their owner and get them. Even if you sit silent, it's obvious by their actions that you're home, and the thief walks. If nobody's home they'll bark and spin at the front door forever. Bust right in and boot stomp the mutt.
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An intruder could shoot a dog, or stab it, strangle it if its wearing a collar.
Not all dogs are going to stand up against an intruder.
That said, "boot stomp the mutt" is a generalization that may not apply in all cases.
Also, an intruder may be able to choke one large dog, but if there are two large dogs a single intruder is less likely to choke or "boot stomp" both.
About 1 min into video what looks like a Bullmastiff does a good job of deterring a would be burglar despite being kicked, hit, repeatedly.


My dogs would probably welcome any intruder that brought treats, but a GSD and 138# Bullmastiff are still a warning, maybe deterrent.
Always hungry Bulldog is the little guy.
moving.jpeg
 
I doubt using wasp/hornet spray for self-defense is any more illegal than is shooting someone in self-defense (which is also illegal.)

The crux is in justification for its use (whether it be spray or a firearm.) People who avoid prosecution in self-defense situations do so because their actions are deemed as "justified", not "legal."
 
Many posters her have great ideas, for starters. Locks, lights, etc.

As to firearms, that has to be something she wants to do. If and when she decides to have a firearm, and learn to safely keep and use it, including teaching her children; at that point you may want to start helping her train with a 22LR.
 
shafter said:
Could it be possible that your nephew was imagining things? I've seen young children stop playing and point to imaginary people that weren't there. I'm not saying this is what happened, but it's definitely something that would cross my mind.


It's also possible it was a lost drunk. I've dealt with plenty of those who end up in the wrong house and believe it or not, end up looking in the fridge.

Either way she should secure the house better and consider learning how to defend herself.
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It's mud season here in VT, so unfortunately it was evident someone had been in.
 
Great replies. Maybe I'll just link the thread and send it to her. Let her read it and mull it over. I'll help her with what I can as far as making her place hard to enter....
 
DustyGmt said:
I brought the 12 ga down with me and was considering leaving it with her for "peace of mind"
for both our sakes, but thought better of it. She has no experience with guns...
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Not only no, but "heck" no... :uhoh::what:
That's a disaster in the making.

Barring both physical and mental training, a (reasonably)
large dog* is still your most effective option at that point.
:thumbup: ;)




* mostly for noise/warning/deterrent
 
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tark said:
Wasp and hornet spray. Shoots a concentrated stream of nasty chemicals 25 feet. Takes no training to use. Aim for the head and I guarantee the last thing the intruder will be thinking about is harming you.
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We see this from time to time in NonFirearms and have to remind people this is not preferable to OC. A good large OC spray is better. Please do NOT advise people to use wasp/hornet spray. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/pepper-spray-the-truth.768705/
 
You need to take your sister shooting and instruct her on gun safety / home defense.
Set it up this week - get it done.
Report back.

Then sign her up for a CCW course.
 
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