Hey Burglars, Beware Barking Dog!

Last year we did a story about Dogs As Deterrents To Burglary based on information gained from police departments and burglars who told us that a barking dog was as good a deterrent to burglary as anything. Since then we have done a few other articles about the effectiveness of barking dogs as they relate to burglary.

Today we’re doing another story that provides further evidence that documents how effective barking dogs are when it comes to preventing burglary.

In Neptune, New Jersey recently a career burglar who has a lengthy record with law enforcement, was charged in connection with a string of residential burglaries that netted $1 million in stolen items.

The man was charged with burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief, shoplifting and the unlawful taking of a means of conveyance after a seven-month multi-agency investigation.

Law enforcement officials began investigating this 54-year-old man as a person of interest after two reported burglaries. He is what police call a “career burglar” with a lengthy history of crime going back two and a half decades.

Once while incarcerated he wrote a manifesto where he confessed to keeping dog treats in his pockets as a distraction while he ransacked homes. He also wrote that if a dog was barking and no one was telling it to be quiet he knew no one was at home. When he would steal a car, he would use it to transport the stolen property from the burglary.

He specialized in stealing electronics, jewelry, furs, cash and high-value items such as a $5,000 bottle of scotch-totaling nearly $1 million.

This article offers opinions on using dogs As protection replacing a security system. They point out that a dog that usually barks into the night might not be affective, but then again maybe it would because if the burglar hears the barking, he may leave. You don’t necessarily have to have a St. Bernard or Great Dane to offer good protection, sometimes smaller breeds have very loud barks.

This story is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where authorities are warning citizens about recent home burglaries. During one of the burglaries a woman confronted the burglar inside her home. She heard her doorbell ring then she heard her dog barking. When she came into her front room she saw the man standing in her kitchen. When she confronted him, he quickly fled with a female accomplice in a gold Buick. Police warn residents to keep doors and windows locked and to avoid confronting a burglar. Instead call 911!

From the United Kingdom comes a story about Bessie The Dachshund who is only 18 inches long and weighs a slight 19 pounds but has a powerful bark and uses it to defend her family from burglars. When a burglar attempted to break in through a window Bessie started barking and scared the bad guy away. What more could you ask for?

A West Petaluma woman resident had been working upstairs in her home at about 11:50 p.m. when her dog began barking. When she went to investigate the she found a strange man lying on the floor with her son’s iPad nearby. She yelled at him but he said not to worry because he was in the house avoiding people that were chasing him. The man then left through a sliding door. The homeowner called police who later found the intruder hiding behind garbage cans.

In Greenville, South Carolina the barking dog in a police chief’s home woke him up at four in the morning to find a stranger in the tree line of his backyard. The stranger started walking towards the house when the chief drew his weapon and called out “halt” before three gunshots were heard.

In Reelsboro, North Carolina an incident took place at about 10:30 a.m. one morning when a barking dog alerted a minor child who was home from school while the breaking and entering occurred. The family dog began to bark, and the minor went to close his bedroom door after calling the dog and saw an individual inside the home. According to the Pamlico Sheriff, two men-one of them a teen-were charged with burglary after the barking dog alerted a child to their presence in his home. The youngster called 911 but before police arrived the suspects left. Deputies located the getaway truck nearby a few minutes later, and the suspects who were in possession of several items stolen from the residence.

No, we do not sell barking dogs but we do carry one of the most effective motion activated burglar alarms called the Electronic Watchdog a.k.a. the Barking Dog Alarm. It provides reliable 24-hour protection because it can sense movement through walls, doors, and glass to alert you of a visitor’s arrival. It is recommended for use in such locations as your home, garage, office, factory, warehouse and more. Both the volume and the range are adjustable. It is an inexpensive and effective way to protect your property.

Share with us, if you will, your experience with a barking dog as an intruder alert for your home. Don’t be shy, tell all!