Neighbors house was broken into.

[IceyBlueSibes]

This is concerning my neighbors boxer, Rocky. Their house was just broken into the other day and the unfortunate thing was... Rocky was in his cage. They would originally keep him in his crate due to the fact he would chew up shoes. That part isn't his fault, but she has vowed now that Rocky is staying out. He obviously was trying to get out because the blankets were all pushed around and he has a cut above his eye. But she's really concerned that because Rocky is so friendly outside of the house, that he won't guard her home. I try to keep telling her that he more than likely will, especially if the intruder is afraid of him... they sense that. She wanted to know if a trainer would be able to evaluate her dog and determine whether he would protect the house. I try to tell her, with my knowledge of a dog's body language and behavior, that he would. He sometimes becomes protective of me while I'm walking him, and I've even heard him bark as people come near the house. Not only that, their breed is named to be friendly, but will guard their home and owners.

So, would any of you know whether a trained would be able to evaluate that?

She tried to find a trainer for personal protection training a while back, and the one she found wanted $1000 to have the dog show his teeth and growl. She told him "He already would do that on his own".

IMO, I think he would definetly guard his home. He's an extremely strong dog and loves people, but has that 6th sense of being able to tell which people are bad and who isn't.

[gaddylovesdogs]

Personally, I don't see how a trainer could tell if a dog would willingly protect it's home.

[kparx]

I think the dog would all ready bark,growl, etc. if someone came into you house or yard. EArl and sofie bark no matter who it is.
IMO the trainer is scaming you, 1000 dollars is ridicluous!especiall since dogs usually will do what he is "teaching" the dog todo.

Like you said about the 6th sence, is probobly true!!

[Pugdawg1]

Heck my PUGS will bark and growl and act all rough and tough when they think something isn't quite right. A dog's bark alone is great prevention.

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

He may very well protect his home but is that something your neighbor really wants? Along with that comes many liability issues as well as a greater risk of the dog being injured in the process.

To me, household items can be replaced and if home when someone attempts to break in is exactly what police are for but.....the dog can't be as easily replaced. jmo

[doberkim]

i agree with sofia -- while my dogs WOULD protect their home, i don't have them as such. i know some people have dogs purely for protection, but i would never rely on my animals to stop someone, nor would i want them to. in fact, rocky may have been saved simply because he WAS in a crate.

dogs are no matches for guns, etc.

[elegy]

tell them to get an alarm system installed if they want protection.

my dogs are both crated when i'm not home, but even if they weren't, they would not protect the house and to be honest, i would not want them to. everything here is replaceable. they are not.

[IceyBlueSibes]

K, thanks everyone, just wanted some insight. She got locks for the windows that night, and signs to kind of deter people away. They did have an alarm system but when the hurricane came through it wiped it out. So it's going to cost money to have it repaired which they don't have at the moment.

She mainly wants him out now, so they dont' dare to come in the house if they see a dog waiting on the other side of the window for them. She doesn't want him solely has a protection dog. She's mainly upset over the fact that her son's savings were taken, and her grandmother just recently passed away and they took all of her jewelry. They also stole her prescriptions and a gun she had under her bed, and she's worried what they'll do with it.

She was actually going to give him away because he kept chewing up her shoes, and knocked a lot of stuff down, and also has an obsession with soap. Which I was kinda peeved about that when she told me a while back. Because all of that is material stuff, and he just needs training and exercise.

But thank you all for your input, was just curious as she wanted me to find out.

[flyndog]

A trainer would be able to evaluate the liklihood that an individual dog would guard its territory. But like others said, that is what dogs do! Some dogs do it with more vigor than others. Just the sound of a big dog barking is a pretty good deterrent. I'll bet the thief knew the dog was caged. And I agree, the dog is no match for a gun.

[calgal]

You know, every thing you have said about this break in leads me to think it was done by someone she knows and has knowledge that the dog was in his crate, AND that the alarm system wasn't working. Ask her who all knew that and she just may narrow the field, and she should then give that information to the police.

As far as the dog guarding the house, it may have been safer in it's crate. If it tried to bite a robber then that robber would probably do harm to the dog in defense.

[IceyBlueSibes]

I told her the same thing that it is obviously someone she knows... someone who knows he caged up, and where she keeps her valuables. The neighbors on both sides used to be "friendly" and now they were complaining to the homeowners, to kick them out. One of them is also so friggin nosey.

Stacy and them had left to go to wal mart for about 10 minutes. Rocky was outside in his back yard while they were gone. Well Mrs. Dumbo next door, tried comming in through their back gate, and when Stacy got home, she went to her car and said "Omg! Rocky almost tried to attack me when I tried to go in your backyard!" She's like "Well duh!"

She thinks it may be one of them, or a neighborhood delinquent that was almost always in trouble with the cops. She's pretty confident that it's someone who knew that a break in was safe.

She's reported everything she can to the cops, and they told her it "may" be takin' to a detective. They haven't heard anything yet, and thank you flyndog for the info!

Thank you all for the input. I do hope they find out who did it though! Scary thought to think that they may do with the gun they stole.