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I am one of those people with a detectives mind, and detectives must also have criminal minds to know what a criminal is thinking. In short, the ADT or Brinks sign stuck in the flower bed in front of the house is fair warning. That is, fair warning for the criminals to cut the phone lines and the siren doesn't matter much as the experienced crooks can be in and out before the donuts get dropped.

Predictability is a criminals best friend and the owners worst nightmare. An unknown dog can put a wrench in the plans of an unwary thief in the night much better than an alarm. Many people have an inherent fear of dogs especially when their adrenaline is coursing through their veins during a break in. Of course there had better be some baritone to the bark if it's to be effective.

This topic reminds me of watching one of the old 70's shows and if I'm not mistaken I think it was Laverne and Shirley. Every time someone knocked on the door they ran to the door and turned on the barking dog speaker box. There is something to be said for that.

There are career criminals out there that treat burglary like a business and they will size up your dog through a series of stakeouts before they attempt anything. There is not much we can do to be 100% fool-proof, but we can give it our best shot. The basics are that an alarm can be easily defeated and an inside dog that a thief has never seen before can be a better deterrent. Let me warn you however that the criminal mind is forever crafty to get what he wants. My goal is to not give anyone bad dreams but allow me to give you a few pointers while I'm here.

The really crafty ones WILL steak you out because remember, predictability is their ticket to stealing your stuff.

If you are a new home owner to the neighborhood you are at high risk for a steak out. This is the time strangers can easily get to know you, your family, and your big dog that really just wants to lick someone to death. Be wary of that nice neighbor that wants to "show you around the area", or look at the inside of your new home because "he has the same floor plan". This is a great confidence play that a criminal can easily do because there is an air of commonality.

If you have lived in your home for years you are still at risk because you think you're in a safe neighborhood which can leave you with your guard down. Garage door openers are a must as are outside flood lights so you can see your surroundings-shadows are not your friend.

Heres another neat little trick the really bad guys will use and this one may not be just to get your stuff but could prove deadly. If you are being steaked out the bad guy will know who is leaving the house and mark down the times over several weeks. If the routine is standard he's got your schedule and knows when the house is empty or worse yet, when the stay at home mom is alone. If the intentions are at their worst the unwanted element could ring the doorbell just shortly after the man leaves intending to make her think the husband forgot something and has come back so she opens the door assuming it's him without thinking.

The best way to avoid these things is to simply be ultra aware of your surroundings. It helps to think about where the bad guy might hide or where the weak spots are in your household. We all get too busy in our daily routines and we can't go to extremes of being constantly paranoid so we have to simply be aware at all times as we get close home. I could go on forever but essentially it boils down to this. Take some of what your mother told you, some of what I wrote, some of your own common sense and add some of what you learned in school and I think you'll be just fine, dog or no dog.

Learn more about this author, Rob Purifoy.
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