re: Deterring burglars the cheap way

robert dimond — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:51:08 GMT

My aunt Dolores was always afraid of home invaders. Her fear was not without cause; she came home from church once to the horrifying sight of all of her furniture and belongings “tossed” and broken. While the thieves didn’t take much, the damage to her nerves and her confidence was immeasurable.

Dolores was a widow; her two children were grown and lived on the other side of the country. She loved where she lived, was active in many local charitable organizations and she had many great friends. So she had no desire to uproot. She would just like to find a way to feel safer.

Unfortunately, Dolores did not have a lot of money and was not prepared to dole out a sizable amount for an expensive home protection system. She had been advised by a number of friends to get a dog that could be a source of protection. The problem with that is that she simply did not like dogs. And even if she did, the idea of taking a dog out two or three times a day for walks just did not appeal to her.

One evening Dolores was invited to have dinner at the home of a couple she had met at one of the clubs of which she was a member. She was walking up to their front gate after parking her car when she suddenly was startled by the barking sounds that obviously was coming from a large, angry dog. She stood there, not knowing what to do when the barking stopped.

Thankful that the couple had put their dog away for the evening, she entered the home with a sigh of relief. It was a lovely evening of dinner and great conversation. But as she was getting ready to leave she was just so curious she had to comment, “that must be a very good dog you have to be put away for the evening and not make a sound. I must admit I was a bit wary of coming in after the scare he gave me before I came through your front gate.”

The host and hostess looked at one another with guilty smiles on their faces and the husband said, “I guess we should tell you our secret. Our watchdog is not really a dog. He is a machine.” Dolores was confused and still curious and the host said, “wait right here and I will show you ‘Rover.’”

He returned to the room with ‘Rover.’ The “dog” fit comfortably into the palm of one hand. It was an electronic watchdog, a small device that works as an electronic alarm system. It mimics the sounds of a ferocious dog when an intruder comes within 22 feet of it.

“You’re welcome to pet it if you like,” my host joked. “It won’t bite.” The electronic watchdog’s bark is certainly far greater than its bite. But the bark is enough to scare away a would-be thief.

He explained that the device uses an electronic radar-wave sense control which allows it to “see through” wood, cement, brick, glass, virtually anything. It is powered by an AC power supply, so there is no need for batteries and no worry about batteries running out of power. “And the great thing is,” he told Dolores, “you can get the electronic watchdog for under $100.”

Her friends also told my aunt that you can change the sound on the electronic watchdog from an angry and protective dog to soothing rainforest sounds to announce visitors. Or you can choose among sounds of birds, frogs and waterfalls. The soothing sounds can be played at any time.

Before leaving, Dolores asked her friends how to find the electronic watchdog. They told her to go to www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/electronicwatchdog.htm

Now Dolores feels secure and she has a dog she does not have to walk.

re: Deterring burglars the cheap way

Bill Hill — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:23:37 GMT

A friend of mine was burglarized while on vacation last year. He then decided to leave his news papers and other signs of no one being home around his home. Two days later he caught three young teens breaking into his home. They later stated that they had been burglarizing the locals since they were 10 years old. Why did the local police not advise use of this problem in our area?

re: Deterring burglars the cheap way

Brenna — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:00:06 GMT

Good ideas. But rather than stopping mail and newspaper delivery while you're out of town (I've heard of postal and newspaper employees using this info to rob people that they know will be out of town), have a trusted neighbor or friend pick up your mail and paper.

re: Deterring burglars the cheap way

Sting — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:52:57 GMT

Simple ideas, but they help. Most car theft could be prevented if people would lock the car and take their keys with them.

re: Deterring burglars the cheap way

Andy — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:46:03 GMT

Thanks alot for picking up this post and providing your comments!