So, we live in a rural area of a fairly big city. We are about 20 minutes from any sort of civilization, and have absolutely no cell reception. If we were to call the police, it would take them AT LEAST 30 minutes to get here. There have been several break ins and strange people frequenting the Canyon (it’s so isolated, often a good spot for shady stuff to go down).

In order to protect myself and my family (from both intruders and animal predators) in addition to having a large dog, we also own guns and let it be known that we will defend ourselves. We have “no trespassing” and “beware of dog” signs, as well as some slightly more straightforward signs about the 2nd amendment. There have been so many times during this pregnancy where I have been home alone and have heard things outside our home. Whether it was an animal or a person, I felt so much safer knowing I could defend myself/my baby if need be.

There are other remedies as well that you already mentioned (lots of light, cameras—though I suggest REAL cameras with night time capabilities) if something actually happened, especially when you were home, you would want a way to protect yourself.

Idk if this has been posted, but we use solar lights that are screwed into the wooden beams outside. It would take a long time to remove them all, they're basically indestructible and in 10 years, they haven't died. Amazon has them for rather cheap.

We have 2 small (under 15lbs) dogs and one big- the little dogs are the better guard dogs! Breed has so little to do with a dog’s individual temperament. Motion activated lights are a good deterrent, as is removing any large shrubbery that serves as potential cover.

I have a taser and 2 baseball bats one by each door. The criminals in our area at this tine are not armed. At least with guns. They are the type they try to sneak in and our without anybody knowing. But the new lights we bought cannot be unscrewed and man those sucker are bright. Looking out our back porch looks like it is daylight. And we have other motion lights out as well. We stopped putting anything if value in our cars long ago. And the 1 has an alarm. We don't have a garage we can put our cars in so the sit out. And yes I agree paying more for a house to feel safe us a better idea but living paycheck to paycheck and we have nothing we can really cut out means we cannot afford to pay anymore then what we are without cutting our foid expense which is bare min. Anyway. As I am not working and can't till baby comes I can't help with that for now. We are doing what we can to protect us if we have to. The guard dog is just an idea at this moment and even though yes I want one I will jot get it and use the excuse that it's a guard dog as we will be putting tax refund money into it if we do it and if we can make us feel safer without it we will put it off even more. I am not going to put that much money into a dog just for a pet. We are just more tired of this crap as I said I feel safe going out at night or after dark and I will until I am proved wrong. Most of the criminals here won't do it if they know Somone is watching or has the potential of Somone catching them. Right now I don't feel like lives are I danger it's more like garages and sheds that are being broke into. The break in at the apartment next to us was a target so I feel the person either new the person who did it or made an enemy and they did it, I don't think that one was random. The times we caught the door handling trying to turn was when my grandkids mom lived with us and she was not a very good person. And the second time was when she just movedout, so I think she had some people she pissed off. And so even thought I not life or death scared I do think having a guard dog/big dog will stop some of this random stuff happening at least to us.

I had a German Shepard Doberman mix and we always had her inside when the landscapers would come but one day we forgot.

We got home and they were all in the tree and she was circling and barking at them.

I mean if you get a guard dog that could be good.

Alarm system is good. But whatcha going to do when they (god forbid) shoot your dog and break in? You got probably 15 mins before the cops even show up (more if you're not even near the city) There's a lot that can happen in 15 mins.

I recommend arming yourself or at least get a baseball bat or a taser if you're against guns

My mom has a high grade taser that can shoot stuff out of it too. It's cool ??

Make sure you know your local laws with the Taser/gun/dog etc. Where I live unless someone has actually entered your home and is expected to inflict the same level of damage you inflict on them you can be charged. I also wouldn't want any dogs to be harmed or put down because they were protecting their space. I would move regardless of extra expense- this is one of those situations where it's worth it.

I lived in a not so nice area years ago when I took a pay cut to jumpstart my career. I had 2 mastiffs and they were phenomenal dogs and no oneeeeeeeee would even think about breaking in. They were the friendliest dogs you’d ever meet but unless I said it was ok, my male would lose it on any male stranger (he was such a ladies man lol) that came at us. I was 1,001% confident that I would not have any problems and I didn’t. I’ve never had a Doberman but my nanny has one and he’s amazing with the kids. And I’ll say, he looks awfullyyyyyy intimidating when you pull into her drive and he’s sitting on her porch. I most certainly think that would deter anyone.

We have a few guns also and those help a lot but I wouldn’t suggest just going out and buying a gun especially given your situation. Proper training, licensing, knowing the laws in your state, target practice, etc play a major role in being a responsible gun owner. And you’d surely have to take the utmost precautions in locking and storing them with little kids in the house. If you can’t move, I’d go for a guard dog. Just make sure they’re from a respectable breeder and they get training. Good luck, that’s super scary!

I’m the odd person here because I feel safer with my dogs than I would with a gun. We’ve never had any break ins or anything except for our vehicles a few years ago, but my dogs bark at anyone strange that walks by so they would definitely lose it if someone tried to get into my home during the night. My dogs are harmless but they are medium large and would scare away the type of people that try to break in houses around here. My SO doesn’t go away often but when he does I have my dogs by my side when I go outside at night and it makes me feel a lot safer. I certainly wouldn’t be carrying around a gun at all times to protect me but my dogs will follow me anywhere.

Make sure you're calling the police when there's suspicious behavior. It's worth telling them things like someone trying to open your door or if every neighbor has their bulbs unscrewed.

Instead of a dog why not something more reliable? Like a gun. Those you can control the outcome of. Dogs can be befriended, stolen and even killed. It honestly sounds like you just want the dog and this is the perfect rationale as to why you need it now.

Regardless of the type of dog it won’t do much good unless they’re trained as a guard dog, especially if the perpetrator is already befriending your other dogs.

Cameras, lights, etc are all great for identifying someone but what would you do if they actually got in? Use this time to get a gun and get properly trained and comfortable using it. Or get out.

Leave a tv or something on in the living room at night and mute it. Leave your cars, with nothing valuable in them, in plain sight (not in the garage) and have a plan for exiting your home safely in the event someone does break in while you’re there. I reeeeaaalllly hope it doesn’t happen but sounds like it may.

Cause we can't afford to move, as I said we don't have credit right now for a new house loan and renting will cost more then what we are paying now as I said before plus renting with a big family is really not ideal. I am a pet lover and even before we talked about it years ago I have wanted a big dog. Dh is a small dog person so I left it as is. Now we are thinking a big dog might be what we need. I am not scared per say to go outside at night I used to walk at night with my ss. I will still walk at night with my older son. So I a not extremely scared but enough to add precautions. Like having food light in front and back yard lights do help a the if decide what they will break into or not. Putting up a wood privacy fence in back yard will keep them out of back as well. It's just another step I want to do to keep us safer even if I lived in a better area of town. I think no ,tater where you live you need to follow some of these rules. Lights doors locked. Any of the stuff going on in our area can and does happen in nicer areas as well.

We have little buy at store alarms right now just to let us know if door is being open.bigger kids know to shut it off first and little kids can't open door cause of deadnolt, Door handle lock and chain lock.. And I keep door locked at all times.

When I was a kid we had 2 doberman puppies but one day they both dissapoeared. We think Somone took them we lived in the country. We also had at different times a German Shephard, Alaskan nalmute/half wolf. My idea is getting a savanna cat. They are have serval. And they get huge. I would think a huge cat lije that would scare Somone off, not knowing what it is. But I think here in nebraska they have to f5 or lower to be legal.

My brother has a Doberman. He’s an awesome dog. Maybe look into getting an alarm system for the house so if they open a door it goes off. If you can’t do that then maybe get signs so it looks like you have an alarm.

Moving is not an option. We are buying and we do not have the credit right now to get another house loan. And renting at this point is not an option cause rent would be more expensive then our house payment. I am a pet person so getting a big dog is what I really wanted even in a safe neighborhood. But around here even the nicer areas of town have been having issues as well. And we live In a fairly safe town. Compared to bigger cities. We also have alot of random crap happening. It's do random my dh was talking about it and as he is a neighbor kid stills his aunts car and runs into a fence across the alley. It's not bad it's just changes from season to season. We have alot if rentals and that is a big issue and when we are in a bad season of breakins it would be nice having the dog to protect me and kids if home without dh. This past few months our neighbor garage was broken into 2ce. They tried ours but dh rigged it. An apartment was broke into over night a few weeks ago.

I would be moving and outta that neighborhood so fast.. ?

Moving if possible sounds way better than getting a dog.

Are you renting or is this your home? Honestly with this much crime going on and having kids, instead of investing money in all those lights,camera,fencing, and a dog I would move. It sounds like its happening way to often for comfort.

Is moving an option? I wouldn’t want to stay in an area where I felt this unsafe.