Cheap, friendly security
 

...a dog.

A dog can provide warning, no matter its size, in the form of an auditory alert. Certain dogs can provide a visual deterrent (normally your larger breeds traditionally bred for guard work). Some dogs are actually bred for defense.

I've actually almost crapped my pants when a dog alerted on me. I've probably shared this story before. We were going to pick up our German Shepherd at a home near Houston. It was dark outside, and as I approached the unfamiliar front door, I noticed that the door was open, but there was a glass door that was closed, allowing me to peer into the hallway. As I approached the doorway, a black shape with a roaring, menacing bark was headed full-speed for the glass door, right towards me. I must have jumped back 10 feet.

That menacing dog was the dog we adopted. A female German Shepherd.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...gedt4234tt.jpg

Dogs are great companions, and ideally are literally family members. Dogs that are bred for work and guarding, traditionally, are among the smartest of all dogs.

Are dogs effective in "end of the world" scenarios. Yes and no, I would say. FERFAL teaches us that in Argentina, dogs were commonly killed with poison. It's not hard to shoot a dog either.

Having said that dogs have held value to humans for thousands of years, even though the cost has been significant (another mouth to feed).

Other issues to think about: some insurance companies in some states will not sell you home insurance if you own "banned" breeds. You should research this before obtaining/purchasing a dog.

German shepherds smell. Bad.

That's like saying Pollocks smell bad. You may have met a smelly Shepherd, but not all Shepherds smell bad. It's likely a function of the diet.

You're probably not worthy of a Shepherd anyway, to be honest.

Kind of a mangy creature to have as a pet. But I guess people have gerbils as well. Shepherds also walk like they have to take a pee, with their back legs kind of pressed inward and their tail sucked in at the base. Weird. And smelly.

They may not be your cup of tea (and not my favorite either), but they're a damn fine breed that has provided valuable service to this country in wartime and in law enforcement.

Of course I'm partial to GSDs.

Also like labs, although they are not quite as suited for security.

I have thought seriously of the Giant Schnauzers.

More recently, I have become curious about Dobermans. That is an intelligent, athletic, tight-looking dog.

Believe it or not, Standard Poodles can be a good working dog choice. Not a mini-poodle. SPs are originally hunting dogs. And they are cool in a freaky kind of way (I'm not talking about one with an obsence hair cut). However, hardly intimidating.

It's funny that you'd say that about the breed that closely resembles your avatar. Perhaps you're not really as fond of wolves as you claim?

She's a good dog. Has she warmed up to the puppy yet?

She killed it.

My little dog would alert to some intrusion. And then probably either run away in fear, or the intruder would probably laugh and kick him aside. In the meantime, I could grab my handgun. . . oh, wait, that's your scenario. There will never be any guns in my home.

Anyway, I'm sure GSs must be great dogs, as they are used for all kinds of jobs. Too big for my tastes, though.