CD in NM

Glad to hear that you were smart enough to get the Mrs. into the bath AND also lock the door, it did offer her some protection. You however were a different story regarding the manner in whick you put yourself at risk. Better to stay inside and call the police, let them do the outside work. Even if they arrive too late and the person is gone, you will also have been kept out of harms way and inside to protect youf family. Most states DO give you the privledge/right to protect using deadly force, but, for the most part that is only inside your home and does not include your fenced yard. Here in NM if our property is posted per the county requirements we DO have the right to protect our entire property. We still do not have the right to shoot someone trying to escape our property.

Having a dog or several dogs is still the best deterrant to a situation like yours. I also have a dog door so my dogs can access the yard unrestricted and/or dependent on my letting them out via opening a locked door. In most all cases a criminal will bypass any property that has dogs and pick the less-protected, 4-legged alarm system home/property. If time get tough and crime rises due to things like unemployment, etc your dog may make all the difference. Rarely do criminals kill or harm dogs, the criminal just moves on to a more safe, less alarmed home.

If you do have dogs, one thing that I did when training my dogs regarding visitors and their behavior with them might be of interest to you and anyone else looking at training for intruders, especially when you want to hold the intruder for the police. Every time I have someone come to visit I actually encourage my dog to be friendly with them, I allow my dog to socialize with people. That takes away the 'dog bite' possibilities that can get us into trouble. When the visitor goes to leave, I put my dog into a small container AND leave my dog there for at least 15 minutes after the visitor has left. My dog hates being put into the container. After a while the dog will catch on to the relationship of being locked up when someone leaves and the dog will begin to do everything possible to 'hold' that person inside so he/she will not be containerized. It is at that point where you should praise the dog and direct that visitor to sit on the couch, periodically go to the door, let the dog stop them, have them go back to the couch - do this several times with several different people playing into your training session. You will have now taught your dog to restrain an individual.

This training works beyond belief. Several years ago I was working evening turn and my father had gone to my house around 6pm, entered to get something, and my dog would not let him out, kept directing him to the couch to sit down. I came home at around 1am to find my father on my couch. The dog did his job as he was trained. I actually gave my dog a reward for what he had done, my father on the other hand was VERY angry that I did not scold and punish my dog.

CD