It's 3 a.m. And you're awakened by the eerie sense that something is amiss in your darkened house. Then you hear it: A frightening thud, a low growl and a loud yell.
Your family dog has nabbed an intruder.
Sounds like a great ad for buying a dog for security, doesn't it? Actually, it's not.
That's because, most likely, if you have a dog, you won't even have an intruder. Dogs are such great crime deterrents that few burglars will risk breaking into a residence where one lives.
Dog trainers and breeders say so. Police say so.
So, as fear for personal security becomes an American $l obsession, people are increasingly purchasing and training dogs provide more than companionship. Imagine huge gnashing teeth and flashing eyes attached to a 150-pound hairy beast. That's a formidable opponent.
People want protection. While a noisy watchdog is often enough to send a burglar next door, many people are buying massive hounds such as Rottweilers, German shepherds and Akitas. They want dogs that can scare someone away.
Big dogs. Ones that will bite.
"People want these dogs to prevent problems," says Allen Thompson, a professional dog trainer and canine consultant and owner of Silent Knight Canine Security. Mr. Thompson, who has trained dogs for 25 years, provides guard dogs for businesses in Sacramento, Calif.
"A person can take a gun from you, but if your dog is trained for personal protection, he can't do anything with that dog," says Mr. Thompson. "This is an excellent solution to a pressing problem."
"It's a great way to go," says Sacramento County sheriff's spokesman John McGinness.
"From my personal experience of 13 years on the force, I have never seen a house burglarized when there was a dog in the house," Mr. McGinness says. "And if you have a dog with some kind of formidable appearance, it helps deter criminal acts and thereby reduce any likelihood of actual encounter with the victim and the potential adversary."
Business picking up
Bill Penner has been breeding and training dogs in Sacramento for 17 years. He said business started picking up a couple of years ago, and he trains from 50 to 80 dogs a year.
"There's a lot of crime, and a lot of single women and women whose husbands are away from home a lot are getting them," he says. "Also, people with kids are getting dogs in lieu of guns. It's really a good option. If you can get to a gun, the children can get to it."
