I live in a town situation where there is normally a security guard to cover 30 or so units so my situation may be different.
I have had the house entered once when I first got here. They took obvious low value things lying about deliberately - old computer, old hi-fi and left.
I have used the interior metal security gate once. When I sounded by remote in my pocket a loud alarm and the metal gate was closed the thieves ran.
One kick or multiple kicks would just bust the foot.
A zoned alarm was helpful when I was running a business as was a 'driveway patrol' unit so if someone entered there was a noise.
Thieves of a local hotel were successfully prosecuted with video camera evidence.
One other tip is that domosetics or workmen can copy a key and there are people who can pick locks . Its good to have multiple keys or numerical locks of quality.
Neighbours leave their properties unoccupied for long periods with similar precautions with success.
A sophisticated alarm might be 500 dollars with sounders and battery back up. If I'm out of my house and my mobile goes off from the alarm I can go round the poilcie station or security office, pick up re-inforcements and investigate making the place secure again quickly.
Dog food for 3 years would be pricy.
My camera system cost 50 dollars and is also useful when I have workmen in the premises.
Large external security box for belongings such as deeds, expensive cameras, gold etc. costs 6000 a year.
I don't doubt you have achieved safety with your dogs etc. but for many people this is not a practical solution.
However in Europe I used to pay 400 dollars a year insurance and the place was still burgled. Some moderate expenditure or security gates, cameras, alarms etc. is to my mind a sensible option.
If I had a house invasion of the type you describe I would lock myself in my secure room and tell them to clear out
everthing from the house. Meanwhile the alarm system would have phoned the police and or security service as the second number and I have a few other precautions I'm not going to publicise.
Actually even if you are an excellent shot a single person's chances with two dogs against 3 armed men are not that great.
I worked in Kiev when shootouts were commonplace. One morning I went down to my normal tube stations to catch a train. Police were all around and walls were pock marked by the bullets that had been shot earlier.
If you went to a restaurant or club you used to have to give up your weapon to join 100 others hanging there.
I have witnessed a large German Sheperd guard dog trapped and strangled by a simple wire noose. Hence the flock of geese.
So each to his own.
S.
PI2,
hey Man, no Pun Intended, but that's totally BS.
You made some Imaginary Plans but you show clearly that you never lived anywhere where You really needed to protect Your Place or Life.
Your Mentioned Automatic Light System is the only Point of Your long Post where I agree that it is a helpfull thingy,
all the Rest is just Fantasy from watching too many Mission Impossible or James Bond Films.
again, sorry for the Offense, nothing meant personal, but that crap by Experience is simply TV-Wishful Thinking and will not work in the real World.
as CC stated above, total agreement, the first and most important point is that there is always somebody visibly in the house/at the Place, that cut's a big amount of Burglary Possibilities out of the List, as most look for the Easy thingy, means a Rich House where the Owners are actually not at Home/on Vaca abroad etc etc.
if they are Nasty, as a lil Gang of Armed Burgler's is actually in the Bayahibe Area(suspected to be Cops involved even), then You need a Big and very Bad Azz Dog or better 2 of them, as those Guys come Armed and even bring Your Watchman on Gunpoint to Your Living Room, as it happened to Friends of Mine less than 2 weeks ago with "following Up" Occurances in the same Neighbourhood since then.
Cameras and all the other electronic Equipment will show You(in case You are at Home and Watch the Monitors at that very Moment) that somebody is Intruding Your Place, Wow!, You see it, but so what You do the next 30-60 Seconds to Defend Your Place????
do You own a Gun and more Important, Do You really Use it right away in the Fraction of the second of the available deciding Moment????
I don't think so.
they will pass Your security Cam without any Fear,
they will Kick Open Your Door with one Kick/break da Window, and Point their Gun on Your Head or Your Wife's or Your Kid's or Your Nanni's or Your Watchman's, and of course You will give them ALL they Want on Gunpoint.
If You would have been without a Fancy Securuity System in the First Place they may not have choosen Your Place for the Visit, and if You would have left Your Frontdoor Unlocked they may not have Kicked/damaged it open, so You would have saved at least the Money for those Reparations, Lol.
to run a Fancy Security System means to do it Right on the Full Level with all the needed Guns at hands in case You seen a Intruding Party on da Screen, If You are not used to Shoot on Humans, as I suppose almost nobody on the Bord is, then such Security Thingy will be just a Fancy looking Alert for the Bad Guys to get exactly into That Place of Yours and You will be at that Moment as vulnerable as a Fish on the Hook behind my Boat.
forget about the TV/Cinema Crap,
think and plan simple,
Life is for most parts very simple run and Probs in Life are for most Part to be solved Simple.
a Big Bad Doggie or 2 in the Backyard cover more than 3 Watchmen and 20 unwatched/unguarded Security Cameras.
Mike