Our House was robbed....

[sundial]

Itself, I'm so sorry you were robbed. There's nothing worse than feeling violated and vulnerable. I hope your insurance company responds quickly and you are able to replace your valuables. If there's a good side to this it's that your wife was not harmed and you all are safe.

When I was growing up, we had 2 houses that were robbed. The first time someone stole dad's tools and saws. Later, after we had moved to a new remote woodsy area, and were in the process of building a house, someone broke in and stole a 2 ton air conditioner, a pistol, tools (again!) and some other valuables. Every room was ransacked except for mine--all I had was Barbies and dolls, lol! We had a tenacious dachshund that tried her darndest to protect but she was clocked with the family bible. We found her huddled under the bed.

Several years ago something weird occured. I happened to call in sick and was in the living room in my jammies watching t.v. with my 2 dogs. I heard a van pull up our long 50 yard driveway and pull in under our carport which sits on the backside of the house. It was an old brown beat-up van and I peeked out a window. My australian shepherd sounded the alarm and the van promptly drove off. My gsd was at the door, ready to take control of the intruder. Later I learned this van was spotted in the areas where houses were robbed and items were sold to support the meth head.

I feel very fortunate to share my house with 3 german shepherds and my australian shepherd. People in the area know we are the people with the "police attack dogs" and we have not had any robberies. Even with a meth house over one street we, and our neighbors, have been very fortunate. (The renters were finally kicked out and I think we no longer have the meth lab in the hood.)

I feel that having a large dog, such as a german shepherd, can be a deterrent but there are some things to take into consideration before bringing a large breed into the home. German shepherds, as other herding breeds, are very responsive and will naturally protect their family and home turf. However, some homeowner's insurance will not provide coverage if you own a specific breed of dog, ie rottweilers, dobermans, german shepherds, and pitt bulls. Or if they some provide coverage, it may be a much higher premium.
Also, check with the city/county ordinances to see if there is a breed specific ban. Our city has banned rottweilers and pitts because these dogs are used by meth people and they stake these dogs out around the perimeter of their house to deter police and inquiring minds. It would be very disappointing to get a nice large breed only to find out you'll have to move if you want to keep the dog.

Some large breeds shed like crazy so do your research. I live in a snow globe with the 3 german shedders and I HAVE to vacuum daily. Otherwise, visibility nearing 0, lol! Australian shepherds are a nice breed because they can be very crafty, intelligent and responsive and they won't back down should an uninvited guest make his appearance. And they are not likely to be included in the banned breed list. My aussie has put 2 characters in their place pretty quick. Thank goodness for her!

If you don't want a large dog at this time, consider placing a very large dog bowl in plain view as well as a dog leash. Some people have even recorded a deep, loud dog bark to play that's activated with motion. You can at least give the impression that Cujo lives there.

Good luck and I wish you the best. I'm sorry this happened to you but I'm grateful that it wasn't worse. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions about dogs.

Cathy

[Tuckervill]

That just sucks pond water. My husband's truck was broken into in Detroit last August and it's the worst feeling. Almost as bad, the sheer inconvenience of losing all the things you carried with you on vacation, and having to replace them and having to justify them to the insurance company. I've kept every receipt I've ever gotten since then.

I think a dog is a good idea, and then a fence and a gate around your property. Buy a spare car to leave in the driveway? Move it around every once in a while? I think my car in the driveway is a big deterrent.

I'm planning on putting a timer on the TV when we go on vacation, plus on a lamp upstairs. I think the extra power used is worth the peace of mind.

Hope you have good insurance!

Karen

[Veronica]

We were burglarized last December. They took about $25,000 in property and a lot of personal paperwork. We put in an alarm right away. They came back two weeks later, while we were on vacation in Hawaii. Presumably to steal Thom's motorcycle, as they had all the paperwork on it and they were attempting to get into the garage. The alarm thwarted them. They were eventually caught, as my neighbor managed to catch their car on her security camera.

We now have several security cameras of our own and motion detectors. We caught on video another attempt in August. These guys were trying to cut the power to bypass the security (which would not have worked anyway!) We got their faces nicely on camera. They were also apprehended.

I wish all these creeps could be in jail for forever. Alas, that's not the way the system works. Our guys were meth addicts. I have no sympathy, they f@cked up their own lives. One was a chick, who had given birth a few weeks before. The baby was given to an adoption agency who had been paying for their housing until she gave birth. They were going to get evicted, so they decided to go on a burglary spree - something like twenty houses in our town.

The cameras have gone along way towards giving us peace of mind. They weren't cheap and installation was tedious since we did the work ourselves. We used a good chunk of the insurance money from the burglary to get the security cameras. I sleep a lot easier at night though.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I hope you can find a way to feel safe in your place again.

V.

[deedolce]

I HATE that feeling! I'm so sorry you had to go through that. It really sucks.

When I was a young girl, we were coming home from the airport, picking up my mother, and when we came out of our detached garage, we saw that the curtains had been drawn. That can only be done from the inside! We called the police, and while we were waiting outside, I saw this big white van drive down the street. Our street is a dead end, and I swear to this day, it was the robbers. They didn't have time to take much, thankfully.

Again, when my ex and I were living in Oakland. But there, just the week before, we had bought a puppy. A tiny, white, bull terrier. We had boarded him behind some sheet rock in a little room off the kitchen when we were gone, and apparently, even though he was the size of a piglet, he was able to scare the robber off, who had just taken my ex's road bike out of the closet! Pup had the worse snarly/growly/scary bark, even then!

Soon after I got my own house, I got a Bull Terrier of my own. The first one lived until he was 15, and mine is now 9. And I also have 2 cats! It took a long time, but now they all sit in front of the fire at night. True, the dog tries to play with the cats, who hiss and swat at his face, but it CAN work. Not that my dog would do anything at all, except maybe trip the robber trying to play or think he's going to be fed, or just run out the door and explore the neighborhood...