Posted on 01/26/2008 4:07:45 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion
Oh, I forgot ... American Bulldogs are heavy sleepers, mine snores like a freight train. The breeder in Brownsville that I bought her from had several in the house and he shared with me that most folks who keep American Bulldogs also keep a small breed like a rat terrier. The little one will wake up the AB when a noise is detected. We have a rat terrier/maltese mix that provides the wake-up service.
Even if it’s fake, but a domed security camera with a flashing LED that can be seen at night. Put it in an obvious spot that no one would miss.
Doesn’t help. Teen vandals shoot the things out with pellet guns beyond the range of the cameras before proceeding to wreak havoc. Hence the concealed camera system.
I have been thinking about The Judge strictly as a car gun.
2) 12 guage shotgun is within easy reach of the door.
I’ve thought about that, but if someone manages to pick the lock in the night without waking you, you’ve just armed him.
Sorry, only when I’m awake. At night it’s next to the bed.
You might think about a safe room if you have a family. This would be an interior room with a steel door (as above) and a deadbolt lock. No exterior windows. In it you will have a cellphone and a firearm. You will train your family to retreat there and call 911 - stay put until the officers are onsite. Anyone forcing their way through that door may be presumed to mean you violence and should be engaged immediately with as much firepower as you can bring to bear. They will, incidentally, be nicely framed up for the shot.
The key to not being simply overwhelmed before you can avail yourselves of this option is what tacticians term situational awareness. That involves the ability to observe a potential threat and decide on a course of action before it comes within combat range. In short, you keep the initiative and the likelihood of there even being a confrontation is diminished. Once you are in reaction mode the threat has the initiative and he has likely already thought his own courses of action out. Avoid this at all costs.
The dog is a good idea. He/she isn't an entire solution but his/her mere presence will tend to dissuade all but the extremely violent and crazy. If it comes to a confrontation, do not count on the dog do all your fighting for you. Three assailants, one dog - you do the math.
There aren't any options quite as useful as firearms in this particular arena, both for the fact that they negate a differential in physical strength and the fact that an assailant is likely to have one. Mere possession is not enough - you must be trained enough to be able to employ it properly in the high-adrenaline environment that such situations offer. And you must be determined to follow through with it - if you aren't, don't bother. Walk through possible invasion scenarios in your head so you won't have to wing it on the spot.
It is generally not good advice for a homeowner, even an armed one, to attempt to clear his property alone. Professionals do this in teams for a reason. Stay put and let the pros do their thing.
I would never recommend anything from a movie as good policy except perhaps for Tuco's advice in The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, and that is simply this - "If you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk."
Good job, Mom. What an incredible, wonderful story. Thanks for sharing. I agree with your thoughts about your stray being sent just for that one morning. What a good dog.
Option 1: Carry a gun with you at all times at home (those who carry in public usually do this.) Holstered pistol is advised.
Option 2: Stash a gun everywhere you spend much time. By bed, by computer, by TV, in shop, etc.
Have more than one. I have one beside me right now, and another in my nightstand. (Even if I didn't have two .45s, I'd have my M1 Carbine beside my computer table, as I once did.) They don't have to be expensive, or even handguns. Patriot Arms makes an inexpensive Carbine in 9mm and .40 S&W. A "serious social purposes" shotgun can be had for well under $200. (Maverick by Mossberg if you want to go Made In USA, but there are others as well, for example Turkish manufactured Charles Daley for $170 at cdnnsports.com)
Bad thing about two stories, is that if you are on the upper story, your options are decreased. You can't retreat out a window if you'd want to. You've probably only got one way out, but also one point to defend. The shotgun would work well for that.
But the bad guys can't really know that. A friend of my wife's has a pair of Dobie sisters. Wimps, sorta shy, but they have a scary bark, and will use it. That along with their appearance, mean, keeps her pretty safe. But she still has a gun.
She also has the same two story problem. One stairway whose downstairs end is just a few steps from the front door. She has split bedrooms too, some upstairs, master down, but her sewing room, upstairs.
Wanna bet? Bad guys have cars these days. While moving to such a local, or many others, lowers your risk, it doesn't eliminate it.
All that is jurisdiction dependent, that is "threat to what" is dependent. In Texas it need not be a threat to your person or that of another.
Forensics can tell if you shot him while he was on the floor, they have a more difficult time telling if he was getting up.
Still, if he's down, you need to keep him "covered" and if he so much as twitches, shoot him again. Granny in Arlington Texas did that, she missed, but being already shot once, he wasn't interested in Granny or her granddaughter, he was headed for the door. Police had already been chasing him when he invaded the wrong house. They found him on bleeding all over the neighbor's deck. Granny had quite the mouth on her too, as documented by the 911 tape. Police action, besides chasing him into her house, was to take her gun. Replaced temporarily by one from a neighbor.
Better off with a vocal command.
Also good to have multiple authorized persons able to open it, in case the main person isn’t home, but somebody else is.
I think that watered my mouth more than what I ate over an hour ago.
Kids in the house? education and responsibilities are a must.
Puppies are good for giving you a precious few seconds to arm yourself. Dont expect more than that from even the baddest dogs, although they may stop the bg, dont count on it.
Upper bedroom is equipped for a small invasion force repellant, downstairs is my achilles heel as well, but a couple of well placed pistols [outta reach from toddlers] including the carry pieces are within one rooms reach, thats where the puppies come in.
Communication with the household beforehand in preparation, like a fire drill, seems to go along way to reacting in a suprise.
in a perfect world I'll get the shotgun over the mantle for a quick burst as well, but mental prep to do the nessesary action is key for me.../ramble...
Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions. I made a list and
starting to work on it.
attack cats are great.
put a nice light in front of your door. put a good dead bolt on your door, the ones that can only be locked and unlocked from your side of the door. Dont talk to people through your door, if you cant see them through your peep hole(they are blocking it, or they arnt in your view) grab your shotgun and cock it, that will scare them. dont have it 2 steps away, the home invader will kick in your door as soon as you open it a crack and you will have a gun/knife in your face. i recommend a shotgun under your bed loaded, and a handgun in your dresser next to your bed. and if you really want to, move to a better neighborhood.
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