# Security devices for a woman who lives in a bad neighborhood **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 3, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-devices-for-a-woman-who-lives-in-a-bad-neighborhood/659992 "2013-06-03T01:59:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![the\_O](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@the\_O](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_O)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-devices-for-a-woman-who-lives-in-a-bad-neighborhood/659992/21 "2013-06-06T04:18:02Z")
Years and years ago, I worked as a live-in maintenance man of an apartment building in what was considered a ‘bad’ neighborhood. And for a while, it \*\*\*was \*\*\*a bad neighborhood. I was getting broken into on a regular basis. Until I got a Doberman. Then it all stopped. Completely. My tenants would jam a pair of cheap stockings down the toilet and while I was up in their apartment fixing the toilet, one of their ‘associates’ would be down in my vacated apartment, robbing me. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-devices-for-a-woman-who-lives-in-a-bad-neighborhood/659992/22 "2013-06-06T04:21:57Z")
How do you ensure your dog is a good guard dog? Because I think more than half of all dogs bark at nothing / won’t bark at an intruder. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-devices-for-a-woman-who-lives-in-a-bad-neighborhood/659992/23 "2013-06-12T20:19:08Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > How do you ensure your dog is a good guard dog? Because I think more than half of all dogs bark at nothing / won’t bark at an intruder. Most burglars won’t want to risk finding out – plus a barking dog can attract attention. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-devices-for-a-woman-who-lives-in-a-bad-neighborhood/659992/24 "2013-06-12T20:34:28Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Most burglars won’t want to risk finding out – plus a barking dog can attract attention. This is it. I can tell if someone is walking down the street toward the park and where they are on the street, by tracking the sound of the dogs barking. I wouldn’t try to rob a house in my neighborhood. There’s so many dogs, it’s like the whole block has an alarm system. If you get all the dogs in the neighborhood barking, some human is going to look outside to see what the ruckus is all about. Anyway, after sufficient family-dog bonding, most dogs will bark to guard/protect their territory/den/pack anyway. I’ve never had to or tried to train a dog to alert me when someone is approaching my house. They all bark their heads off. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-devices-for-a-woman-who-lives-in-a-bad-neighborhood/659992/25 "2013-06-13T02:06:11Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Most burglars won’t want to risk finding out – plus a barking dog can attract attention. Just as many dogs bark at nothing. After a few months you’ll get used to the dog barking / find a way to stop them barking. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-devices-for-a-woman-who-lives-in-a-bad-neighborhood/659992/26 "2013-06-13T11:59:42Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > … what exactly would be the “if a man really lived here” reason for him leaving his shoes in the public hallway? A potential burglar may be less likely to attempt a break in if they think a man’s in there visiting. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-devices-for-a-woman-who-lives-in-a-bad-neighborhood/659992/27 "2013-06-13T12:42:07Z")
> [@CatherineZeta](#): > > A potential burglar may be less likely to attempt a break in if they think a man’s in there visiting. Plus, it placates the shoe thieves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-devices-for-a-woman-who-lives-in-a-bad-neighborhood/659992.md?page=1)