background: our house is a split level, with a double attached garage. the master bedroom is over the garage. i drive an 06 f250 PSD crew cab with a few goodies. i park my truck in the drive, and spouse parks his car in the garage (leaves room for the table saw). our dog is an 80 pound lab-collie mooch from the humane society who lives for tennis ***** and kibble. the kid slept in.

at 4:30 this morning, i woke up to the sound of our garage door opener running. this is not usual. our dog was a little agitated. hubby was sawing wood, so i put on my robe and took the dog downstairs. we have a peephole installed in the door between the hall and the garage, and yes, indeedy the overhead door was open. by this time our dog was very upset, barking and jumping. so i slipped the door partway open, flipped on the overhead lights, and let the dog into the garage. she went bananas. i've never seen her so upset. she charged at the open door and then started running and barking in the garage. while she was carrying on, the door closed.

at this point many people would have called the police. however, one, i was very sleepy, and two, i've been in computing for many years. so my first thought was, oh, someone's got the same opener code. geez, gotta change it in the morning. the dog had calmed down, so i put her out in the yard for a minute, called her in, checked all the doors, and went back to bed.

this morning at about 9, i was on my usual sunday am mad dash to choir practice before church. i am not a smoker. i hopped halfway into my truck and realized it reeked of cigarette smoke. cheap ones, too. oh, and a butt on the floor, next to some plastic chunks. uh-oh.

we checked the garage, and they had been through hubby's car too, taking a few things. some tool cases that were on the bench had been moved around. well, now, it's not just attempted car theft, it's break and enter. the police aren't optimistic about catching them since i can't identify. but the report will help show a pattern if one exists.

ya know what? it's a pain, but, my truck's safe, my hubby's car's safe and most importantly, my whole family's safe. all because my dog went charging into the garage and scared these twits away. they were in the garage until they heard her barking at the door, and when i let her in, they were already running. i'm convinced she scared them out of the garage and out of my truck. she kept our family safe, and she is a hero to me.

damage? well, they had popped the driver's door lock, like so many others have seen. ruined my chrome, and broke the bottom of the paddle. they tried to jimmy the ignition lock but they hadn't done too well, it looks like it was gnawed on by a drunken beaver. if i slide the key halfway in and wiggle the lock right with my vice grips i can start the truck. the shift lever has about two inches of play, and my steering wheel points 330 when i'm steering 360. (how did they do that?) they also went after the tailgate lock.

so, labs aren't just for retrieving anymore! any suggestions for a lady's paintball gun that looks and sounds like real business? i'm thinking if they're barbie pink they'll get noticed.

 

I'd suggest a pump action .410 loaded with rock salt, popcorn, or peppercorns if you don't want anything lethal. Most likely it was kids anyways however it is widely known that the sound of a pump shotgun loading a round is the prelude to a universally known phrase " O-**** ". Just ask any critter in the woods or any burgler in a major urban area.
With that said a weapon should only be used when you feel personally in danger or a family member is in danger. Most fatalities in a home invasion are from the homeowners gun on the homeowner. Weigh your options carefully and don't get a paint gun. They might mistake it for real and that would be a tragedy.
I'm glad to hear you are fine (physically). My house got broke into when i was gone and eventhough we lost app. $2500+ those things can be fixed/replaced.
The worst is your space was violated and that false feeling of security is lost.
Give your pooch an extra treat and count your blessings.
Rich.

 

So, you left your garage door opener in the truck parked outside?

 

well, it wasn't the smartest, but having an opener inside a locked truck parked on a driveway in a well-lit cul de sac isn't exactly a welcome mat.

i prefer to think of it as justice. they were stupid enough try to steal my truck and even stupider to come into my garage and risk a dog bite.

turns out someone broke into a neighbor's tool trailer the same night. he has to park it round the corner cause it doesn't fit in his drive. they broke the lock. they same night someone(s) tried to break into another neighbors garage man door.

the cops think these are probably drifter druggies and our culdesac won breakin roulette last weekend. there's a huge problem with crystal meth up here.

/trill

 

Rich, sorry to hear you had a breakin and lost everything! That feeling that someone nasty was violating your space is hard to get over. yeah, dog gets extra walkies too. she loves that tennis ball. i'm feeling okay about things overall, but still a little rattled. hubby is mad at me for not waking him up. guess i should have.

and nah, i'm not going to get a gun. it was just a passing fantasy. guns are for killing things. i was taught aim to kill or don't shoot at all.

i just want to turn em' pink. i'm wondering... balloons filled with tempera paint, some pvc pipe, a big funnel, diet coke, and mentos. it wouldn't be very accurate, but it would probably be lots of fun to use :-)

/trill

 

Labs are great watch dogs. We have a Chocolate Lab/Rottweiller mix that is just menacing and she hates strangers. Best dog I have ever had in terms of taking care of her family and our possesions. No one dares even come to our front door unless they are invited.

Glad that no one was hurt (your family, could care less about the dirt bags) and that you losses were minimal.

Buy the dog a good treat tonight and make sure he or she knows that she did good!

 

we have 2 rottweillers. 1 female-roxy she is 10 yrs old, 1 male- paxton he is only 7 months old. they are NOT aggressive dogs,we have lots of kids around,and small granchildren. our dogs are pets,a huge part of our family we simply would not have mean dogs. dogs are great house/car alarms.they done have to be mean to ward of undesirables lurking around the neighbourhood. they will let you know if strangers are around.my wife likes to jog,she feels very safe with our dogs near by.i feel safe taking them out in public,because i know they are well mannered dogs.folks usually ask as they approach if the dogs are friendly. make sure your dog gets extra hugs and treats for just being a great dog.

 

I've got a chocolate lab and an AK-47. Don't F#@k with me. I have no problem eliminating one of the worlds problems.

The AK always has a loaded mag in it and a spare nearby. If the dog is even a bit aggitated at night, it's on like donkey kong.

Crime really pisses me off, especially home invasion.

Mike

 

That's interesting. Mine is a Rott/Lab mix and she IS aggressive. Friendly with kids and anyone that we introduce her to but not so friendly to people that she doesn't know or strangers that come poking around. She gets plenty of love and hugs and she definietely knows that she's loved. She's just VERY protective of us.