I can't believe they did it !

[Dftodd]

What you're basically saying is to get a guard dog of some sort. Wrong answer

I would have to agree. Never been a fan of guard dogs. But, a yappy dog inside your house is a very good deterrent to prevent your average break in. Most burglars hitting a random home don't want to deal with a dog, and will move on to someone else's place if they here one yapping or barking.

At my house, the average random door knocker will move back from my front door to the edge of my garage (about 15ft) after my German Shepherd barks at a knock at the door. Granted her bark resembles one of satan's h'ell hounds :laughing:

 

[Jstpssng]

I would have to agree. Never been a fan of guard dogs. But, a yappy dog inside your house is a very good deterrent to prevent your average break in. Most burglars hitting a random home don't want to deal with a dog, and will move on to someone else's place if they here one yapping or barking.

At my house, the average random door knocker will move back from my front door to the edge of my garage (about 15ft) after my German Shepherd barks at a knock at the door. Granted her bark resembles one of satan's h'ell hounds :laughing:

M dog is very friendly. Yet I've been told by friends that you do not want to come through my door when I'm not home. Their exact words; "He wasn't threatening, he was promising."

 

[paulfun9]

This is not aimed at the OP per say.

Getting robbed is a disturbing emotional experience. It sucks. BTDT, got a couple of tee shirts.

One needs to put the emotions in a box and be rational, which is not easy.

Let say someone is stealing your car and one uses deadly force to prevent the theft. If the case goes to court, civil and/or criminal, how long will the value of the car being exceeded by lawyer fees? If the car has insurance and is stolen, even with a high deductible, one will be better off money wise just letting the car go. Not easy on the emotions though.

Back in around 1990 in South FLA, a man came home from work and found a thief stealing his TV set. The thief ran from the apartment with the TV and the owner shot the thief in the back and killed him. State law at the time said one COULD use deadly force to prevent a burglary. In spite of the law, the local DA filed charges against the owner. :confused3: Eventually, the owner was found not guilty but his lawyer bill had to be far in excess of the price of that TV. Heck, I bet I could go to the dump today and the same size or larger TV for free. Using deadly force for a TV set or a car is just not worth the aggravation. I wonder what the owner would have paid to NOT have to go to court and/or worry about going to prison for decades?

I happened to talk to an officer involved in the investigation. The irony was the pistol the owner used would shoot right, or shoot left, but not straight. The owner was "lucky" to hit the thief and not an innocent bystander.

A few years ago in a rural NC county, an elderly man found a guy trying to drive off in his car. The car owner shot and killed the thief. No way the current law allowed that use of force and I figured the owner was going to get charged and set to prison. There was no legal justification for what he did. However, the local DA did not press charges because he knew he could not get a conviction in the county in spite of the law.

Later,
Dan

We The People should Demand better from our legal system!

 

[Jstpssng]

We The People should Demand better from our legal system!

Yet his last line shows that We the People received better in that case... a jury of his peers would not have convicted him.

 

[Dftodd]

M dog is very friendly. Yet I've been told by friends that you do not want to come through my door when I'm not home. Their exact words; "He wasn't threatening, he was promising."

Yup, ours is the same way with a couple exceptions. And I'm really not sure how this all worked out. My mom, daughter and son in law can come in when we aren't here. And gypsy will let anyone with them come in as well.

She will also let the neighbor across the street who is also our back up dog sitter come inside.

As well as our bug man Paul, who does the quarterly spraying. All have been around her and in and out of the house since she was a pup.

But she will only let Paul or the neighbor in. She will not let anyone else with them come inside. Both have had someone else with them, and had my wife or my permission for their guest to be allowed inside. Gypsy flat out refused to allow their guest into the house.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I woke up, went out side, found someone in my vehicle. That person got out and confronted me with a knife.
I have SDF should I need it

I'm confused. First you said "What was their intent having the knife out ? If I had gone out would they have attacked me with the knife /

Guess we'll never know."

Then you did go outside? Or not? It's very upsetting getting robbed. I was here once and at my business twice. It's a sick feeling, I know.
None of neighbors lock their cars here, most don't lock their sheds or homes. One friend/neighbor they always leave keys in their cars.
I keep everything locked here, and with alarms set. Guns to me are interesting. My closest neighbor I noticed one day had a .38 pistol in a belt holster. He got his concealed carry permit and I set up a target range on my place to practice. After a couple weeks he quit carrying. It was too much hassle.
Chances are, you get robbed, never know until the next day. Now suppose you DO look out...light on in your truck. You grab a pistol and sneak out...it's a kid and yes! he has a knife.
Do you shoot?
At what point do you shoot?
It's not easy...after all...you weren't threatened inside your home.

 

[LouNY]

Well I have a very simple mind set to thieves it should be open season on them,
they should not have any rights if caught in the act.
When they steal something it is the same as taking bread out of my families mouth.
This bull of having to back away and not take defensive action unless actively and directly threatened is simply giving criminals the upper hand and more "rights" then the victim.

Dftodd sounds like you have an excellent dog.

 

[ovrszd]

As a greater percentage of our population depends on others in our population for their well being this mindset will continue to grow.....

 

[4get gto]

Well I have a very simple mind set to thieves it should be open season on them,
they should not have any rights if caught in the act.
When they steal something it is the same as taking bread out of my families mouth.
This bull of having to back away and not take defensive action unless actively and directly threatened is simply giving criminals the upper hand and more "rights" then the victim.

Dftodd sounds like you have an excellent dog.

You're right and I almost agree with you.
But what about the 13 year old kid running home for supper, across your yard in the dark that you "think" just stole something.?

 

[Fuddy1952]

You're right and I almost agree with you.
But what about the 13 year old kid running home for supper, across your yard in the dark that you "think" just stole something.?

This is a great topic and where it gets so "sticky"! I agree 100%, someone stealing something from me may get the baseball bat...who knows what I'd do. But "They only took a bottle of zantac and a phone charger."
Should that thief get the instant death penalty?
Let thief go saying "welcome back anytime".
Break his/her arm?
Risk your life or getting injured?
Risk getting sued?
Great post...no easy answers.