Home Security

This is only my immediate gut reaction to your concerns...DO NOT get a "certain type" of dog. I do not know what kind it is...but, I can only imagine if your house insurance may be yanked??? Do not do this to your child, there are too many horror stories out there about the dogs turning on their own families. If that should happen, not only will you be liable but any fears you had before would seem minimal.

I would think that the cost of a home security system would be cheaper in the long run that losing or having your homeowner's insurance go up.

Is it possible for you to live in a condominium? Or a townhome? Maybe that would help you feel more secure, do you have a close friend that could benefit living with you and paying rent? Are you in the type of neighborhood where you don't feel safe?

I feel for you, I hope that you are able to find some reassurance soon. But, please don't risk your life or your child's life with certain type of dogs.

Please update soon, I would love to hear how you are doing! You are in my prayers.

C.-
I'm not trying to be nosey, but the first thing that comes to mind is has something happened to make you feel unsafe? My husband and I use to live in a neighborhood were I was not comfortable staying home alone when he was gone. There really wasn't anything to be freaked out about once in a while we'd have a police chase or a homeless person going through the garbage cans at the stores across the street. At times things would bother me so much that I ended up going on anti-anxiety medication! We now live in a better area with nicer homes, lots of wildlife, great neighbors and it doesn't bother me much anymore. I've cut back on my meds and feel much better.

I guess what I'm saying is if there is truly an issue, yes, get the dog and talk to the neighbors. If you are feeling a little anxiety, talk to your doctor. I hope I'm not sounding like a b*tch or not compassionate. Just trying to tell you what my situation was like and how I dealt with it.

Feel free to contact me if you have other questions.
T.

C.,

I would think that you do not need an attack dog breed to get the proper deterrence effect. We have a beagle. He barks non-stop at the slightest noise at night and is a very good alarm! It is great that you are communicating with your neighbors about security. An aware neighbor is very important. Have you considered taking self defense classes? They might help you too. Good luck!

I have a lab-retriever mix.He was about three yrs. old when I got him."Harley" has been my best friend and night security.My suggestion to you is go to your local Human Society with your little one and walk through and see which dog responds to you both.Talk to who ever is in charge that day and see which dog they might suggest.But in the long run the dog will pick you two probably.Just have patience and wait for the right dog.Best of Luck!!!

I have heard that just having signs that you have a security system is huge (and cheap).
We have a St Bernard- not for security- we just like big dogs. She is great with the kids- they climb on her and "ride" her. After we got her I found out that they are also used as guard dogs. Ours barks at every noise she hears- can't explain to her that people live upstairs! She eats A LOT of food (2 Quarts a day), 50 lbs of food lasts 2-3 weeks. She is very intimidating to alot of people even though she is so friendly.

I see that you live in Lincoln and I don't know if they have a Humane Society there, but here in Omaha, they have counselors that can help you pick out a dog that will fit your needs. I don't think you necessarily need a special type of dog for security. Just having a dog in many cases is a deterent for intruders. Adopting from the Humane Society is a good idea anyway because of all of the support they provide to you AND you'll be saving a dog's life too.

I love the self defense class idea! For you to feel more confident isso important, especially for your child.

I think doing several little things could make a big difference before going out and buying a bunch of expensive stuff. The signs are a great idea. Even though I'm married, my husband works a lot, so I'm home by myself a lot in the evenings. I keep on certain lights and I have certain "defenses" around the place. For example, next to my bed, I have one of my husbands golf clubs.

My dad use to always tell us to not be afraid just aware. Always be aware of your surroundings and think ahead That way, if something should ever happen, at least you would have a "battle plan"

By the way, growing up, our best watchdog was a golden retreiver. A dog that barks alot may not be good, because you can grow deaf to the barks. Shop around, do research on types of dogs, even go to the dog pound.

Hope this helps!
V.

we had our house broken into dec 03 when i was 8 months pg with my son. i came home to an open house that was trashed.
ever since then i too have had anxiety and fear of some one breaking in etc.
we got the security company signs to put on our windows and outside. taht can be a huge deterent(sp) for people wanting to break in. and if someone wants to break in, they will find a way. doesn't matter if your windows are locked or never opened. they will just break them. i try to remind myself,, i will hear someone if they are breaking in and would hope to have time to call 911. most the time ,, i try to pray and remind myself of my faith in God.
sorry i don't really have any help as far as a dog or security system goes.
my husband sometimes worries about me when he leaves to go play poker with the guys(thinks about not going) because he knows i won't go to sleep. but i'm getting better.
just two nights ago he had to go thru the house and check everything out for me.. because he left the garage door open and the neighbor called at 12:45am to tell us! i fidgeted for an hour and he realized he needed to go check out the house for me.
Worrying about it won't stop it from happening. is what i've learned..

if you need to talk sometime let me know
T.

I babysat for a lady who had a severely Autistic son and the one I cared for was slightly autistic anyway, she had a dog and a security system. You may want both, you need to be able to sleep and feel safe. Try calling Autism society to see if the can recommend a dog or breeder that breeds dogs for people with special needs. Don't decide on a specific breed, let the different programs out there help you to get a dog that's right for you all. My friend had just a mutt but he was so loyal that he would get in front of her severely autistic son if went to do anything dangerous such as open (and he would bark to alert her)the front door. Good luck either way.