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Getting a Guard Dog for Your Home
If you have considered getting a guard dog to help protect your home, here are a few tips of what to look for and how to train a guard dog. Even though training a guard dog doesn't completely replace the benefits of a home security system, but having a guard dog can help in the battle against burglars.
Dogs live for 10 years or more, so make sure that getting a dog is a commitment that you are ready to make. Typical dogs that are used for their size, deep barks, and instincts are Chow Chows, Doberman Pinschers, Bull Mastiffs, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
Guard dogs need special training so that they don't become a hazard for your family and friends that visit your home regularly. The breeds listed above that make good guard dogs have strong self-preservation instincts that make them more likely to attack if confronted. They don't tolerate teasing as well as some other breeds, and need professional training.
Make sure that you get a dog that already has a good reputation, or a puppy that comes from a breeder with a good reputation. The sex of the dog doesn't make too much of a difference because both male and female dogs make good watch dogs.
Make sure that your dog gets socialized around a lot of people and other dogs and that they get used to noises like traffic, the garbage truck, and mail carrier. Taking your dog on regular walks around your neighborhood will get them used to the normal sounds in the area.
Professional trainers prefer to work with young dogs that are less than a year old. Many will work with older dogs, but it takes longer to train them. The first training you should make sure your dog gets, is basic obedience training. Then you can sign up for Controlled Aggression Training for several months to teach your dog attack commands.
Once you have a trained guard dog, make sure you take responsibility and post signs warning visitors and neighbors that you have a watch dog. Tell your friends and family to not come over unannounced, and warn people who are new to your home that your dog is trained as a guard dog.
Having a dog trained as a guard dog, can be a good start to keeping your home safer and keeping intruders from wanting to enter your home. The deep bark of a watch dog is likely to scare off most burglars scouting for homes to invade.
Top 5 Security Tips For Senior Citizens
Unfortunately, senior citizens are often targeted by burglars and other criminals because they are seen as being weak and defenseless. Criminals will always target people they see as weaker than them, and this is why they will so often target the elderly.
Elderly people that live alone are especially susceptible to being the victims of crimes such as home invasions and burglary. However, you don't just have to sit back and wait to become a victim. There are certain things that you can do to help fight back.
Here are some safety tips that you can follow to help protect yourself from home invasion and burglary:
#1- A door is only as strong as the frame it sits on, so make sure your door is made from a solid material like metal or wood.
#2- ALWAYS keep doors locked, even when you are at home. A large percentage of burglars get into homes by simply walking through the front door.
#3- Consider wearing a security medical pendant around your neck. While these are primarily used for alerting the authorities during medical emergencies, they can also be used during other emergencies (such as home invasions) as well.
#4- Place Plexiglas on the inside of your widows. This simple step makes it much more difficult for criminals to break through the glass.
#5- If possible, don't live alone. Getting a roommate or having a child or partner live with you can help you feel a lot safer and provide you with peace of mind.
Tips to Help Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning is such a serious threat because it is invisible and silent and most people are not even aware that they have been affected until it is too late. And unlike fire and burglary, carbon monoxide poisoning is a threat that many people do not even consider. Many people do not even know what carbon monoxide poisoning is and other people that do understand its dangers think that it could never happen to them.
However, according to statistics, carbon monoxide poisoning is a real threat that people need to take very seriously. According to a report published by the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were about 162 deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States in 2004. Eighty-four of these deaths were caused by carbon monoxide from heating systems, while another 30 were caused from natural gas heating and 25 from LP gas heating.
Fortunately, carbon monoxide is largely preventable if you know how to protect yourself. Here are some tips to help you and your family avoid this deadly threat:
--Make sure that fuel-burning appliances are vented directly to the outside.
--Always keep fresh air circulating in your home.
--Have your heating system (and your kitchen appliances) inspected by a professional for carbon monoxide emissions once a year.
--Install a carbon monoxide detector in your home. Some security systems come with detectors already built-in. If not, detectors can be purchased relatively inexpensively at most hardware stores.
-- Never turn on your car's engine in an enclosed garage. This can cause carbon monoxide poisoning within a matter of minutes.
If you follow these steps (and make them habits), you should be well on your way to protecting your home and your family from this deadly threat.
Terrifying Home Burglary 911 Call
A 911 recording captured a first-hand account of a terrifying home invasion that took place yesterday in Westminster, Colorado. The whole dramatic situation was caught on video recording as a terrified mother spoke with a 911 operator from a closet after barricading herself and her teenage son in her bedroom.
The woman managed to call 911 after she grabbed the phone and ran upstairs after a robber forced his way into her home in the early evening. The operator dispatched the police and stays on the line with the woman as she recounts what is going on in her home. You can clearly hear as the robber rummages through the family home before making his way upstairs to her bedroom.
The operator stays on line with the woman as she has a conversation when the burglar from behind the locked bedroom door.
This was the scenario that played out:
The woman whispered to the 911 operator: "He's coming in my room".
The burglar then bangs on the door and orders 
her to open it.
The woman then shouts to the burglar: "What do you want? Tell me what you want. I'll give you whatever your want".
"You know what I want," the burglar replies.
"No, I don't. But I'll give it you. Just tell me what you want. Do you want money?" the woman replies.
The woman then asks the burglar how much money he wants and the burglar replies that he wants "all of it."
The mother kept him talking for even more time as she asked him if he wanted her jewelry.
This was just enough time for the police to arrive and apprehend the suspect, who was still on the scene.
This woman is being touted as a hero and the dispatch operator called her "a genius" for keeping the burglar talking and on the scene long enough so that police could arrive.
Top 3 Summer Safety Tips
It is a fact that there are more burglaries during the summer months than in the winter. The weather is warmer and people go on lots of vacations, giving criminals more opportunities to strike. Because of these factors, you need to make sure that you take every precaution to protect yourself and your family. However, protecting your family goes far beyond locking your doors and setting your alarm system every time you leave the house. You need to take certain precautions at home, in the car and while out and about to ensure that your children stay safe this summer. Here are my top three summer safety tips.
#1- Always Use Sunscreen
Lather everyone (you and your children) up with sunscreen whenever you go outside. And don't think that you are protected if you simply apply your SPF 15 sunscreen once. You should use a product that has an SPF of at least 30 that is designed to protect against both UVB and UVA rays. And be sure to reapply the sunscreen every hour or two, especially if you are spending a lot of time in the water.
#2-Never Leave a Child Alone in the Car
Never leave your children alone in the car--even if it is just for a couple of minutes. This is a problem for a number of reasons. First of all, you are putting your children at risk for being abducted or wandering off alone. Additionally, during the hot summer months, temperatures in cars can climb to well over 100 degrees--even if it is not very hot outside. Always take your child with you-- even if you are just running into the store for a minute.
#3- Make Sure Your Pool Is Surrounded By a Fence
If you have a pool in your yard, even if it not a full-sized pool that is dug into the ground, there should be a fence surrounding it. Having a fence is essential to ensuring that your children don't accidentally fall into the pool--especially when you are not at home. If you don't have a fence around your pool, consider getting one as soon as possible. The fence should have a gate that is self-closing and locking. It should be four-sided and should impede your children from getting into the pool area without your permission.
Follow these safety tips and you and your children are sure to have a safe and fun summer!
