I typically do not watch the cable
news programs or even the local news, due to social media the major current
affair events still filter through to my consciousness. The current gun debate
has infringed on my awareness. I watched a young stay-at-home mother testify
before Congress that she needed a high capacity assault rifle to protect her
babies. I have often wondered what Mrs. Rambo was doing while hubby is out
blowing up bad guys, and found the testimony enlightening.
With a light personal schedule I
turned to the internet to research the claim of home safety based on heavy weaponry.
Quickly I discovered that NRA sponsored federal legislation suppresses valid
scientific research in America. The NRA influence is confined to the American
polity and valid peer reviewed research from Canada, Australia and Europe is
available. Statistically, the most likely result of possessing fire arms for
protection is the harm to self or a family member.
Continuing this self assigned research
project, I look for the most effective home protection method. The top answer
is a dog, second is several dogs, and third is an electronic monitoring system.
All bad guys intent on a home
invasion need the tactical advantage of surprise, they always ambush from the
darkness. It is hard to sneak up on a dog, it is impossible to sneak up on a pack
of dogs. Once the element of surprise is lost the entire effort collapses.
A friendly doggy family pet will
react strongly and aggressively to a stranger in the night. A barking dog will
wake you up, the dog’s bark and behavior will tell you the problem is more than
some random cat outside. The bad guys now have to deal with the dog and the
element of surprise can shift from them to you. The most common result is that
the bad guys decide to select a softer target and leave before you can get the
phone out and dial 911.
A personal example of dogs as
guardian's of home and hearth, I lived south of San Marcos, Texas, and had five
dogs. The Alpha dog was a large German Sheppard that had decided her domain
covered several additional lots around my homestead. My neighbor across the
street disliked the German Sheppard as this dog enjoyed digging in her flower
garden, she complained to me often and I had to repair damage often as I was
unable to correct the dog’s behavior. One dark night the entire dog pack goes
postal, barking, howling, and growling, while throwing their bodies against fence
and gate. I sneak outside to carefully investigate my property, expecting some
terrible problem. Finding no issue in my front yard I opened the back gate to
check out the backyard, in a flash the dogs were pass me and in full run across
the street. Dreading a major misunderstanding I chase after them. Rounding my neighbor’s
house and entering her unfenced backyard I see someone treed with my dogs leaping
to tear flesh from limb. My first thought was that they had treed my neighbor, and
then my neighbor stepped out of her house and told me to leave the dogs alone. I
was now starting to catch up with events and noted that the individual cowered
in the tree was male and very frightened. My neighbor had already called the
county sheriff so we settled to wait. The individual in the tree was not going
anywhere soon. When the sheriffs arrive I collared all dogs and returned them
to my yard. The sheriff identified the individual in the tree as a “Peeking Tom”
and a wanted person. I did not follow the legal case and so do not know what
happened to the Peeking Tom, I do know he never returned to our area, and my
neighbor forever after treated the German Sheppard kindly and with great favor.
The German Sheppard was welcomed to her flower gardens.
I have other experiences of doggy
protection and the result is always the same; once the tactical advantage of
surprise is lost the bad guys change from sneak attack to full retreat. You do
not need a 100 pound German Sheppard for this, a Chihuahua or a Terrier will just
as quickly destroy the element of surprise. Although I do like big dogs, that
deep bark is quite frightful to a stranger.
With a gun you can accidentally shoot
yourself or a family member, with a dog the major danger is tripping over them
in the dark. I have never understood why a dog will lay on the floor and allow
you to walk into them, they see you, they know you are approaching, and they
just lay there in silence. That one I don’t get.