Three Common Misconceptions About Burglars
I want to take a few moments to address three of the biggest misconceptions about burglaries and home invasions. There are some things we all think are true, that will always be true and won’t ever change. And if we believe these untruths it could get us hurt.
My Dog will Always Protect Me
The first misconception is that your dog will protect you from an attacker. If you have a 12-year-old basset hound, she’s not going to be able to protect you from an attacker. You may have a 2-year-old, German Shepherd, and guess what? That dog may not stop someone from hurting you.
Despite the aggressiveness and size of the breed you have, unless you train that dog to defend, it likely won’t happen.
While we all want to believe the stores of Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows. We can’t bank our lives on the hope that our dog will save our life if someone breaks in.
Yes our dogs have instincts, but unless they have the proper training, they’re not going to be able to do much. Sounds like us humans, right?
But we can rely on our dogs doing something useful to deter a burglar. They can raise the alarm. I trust my dog’s bark. Now I know he barks at every car door shutting, but I also rely on him to alert me to what’s going on around my home.
In fact earlier this year he alerted us to a rattlesnake in my backyard. If it had not been for his instincts, I might have walked into a potentially poisonous encounter. So be sure to listen to what your dog is telling you when they bark.
Burglars only Strike at Night
A very popular misconception about burglaries is that they only happen at night. I don’t blame you if you believe this one. Our culture has led us to think this way.
You’ll be glad to know that most home invasions happen from 6 am to 6 pm when bad guys think we’re away at work. The common criminal doesn’t want a confrontation. They want to steal your stuff quickly and get out. That’s low risk, high reward.
There’s a lower chance of being caught or shot with a higher reward of having the freedom to roam a house looking for high-value items.
So does that mean we should never worry about someone breaking in at night? Absolutely not.
If someone is breaking in at night, they mean you harm.
Protecting your home is a 24/7 job. To help you, check out my book Home Security: The Secure Dad’s Guide.
In it, I go over the basics of home security, and then I show you how to formulate a layered home defense strategy that you can use forever.
Only Rich Homes are Burglarized
The last misconception we’ll discuss is that only rich people are targets for burglaries. Now, burglars do break into the homes of those who are affluent, but any home can be a target for a crime. But let's keep in mind that those who break into homes are going to want to get into homes easily.
So if your home looks like an easy target, then it might get hit. If you advertise what you have in your home, you’ll increase your chances of being targeted by a criminal. Both of these things are not influenced by your wealth.
Also, don’t assume that because you are a good person then no one will want to target you. People break into homes for all sorts of reasons, so you're perceived value as a human most likely won’t be a deterrent.
Back in episode seven of The Secure Dad Podcast, I address the biggest myth in home security and I want you to listen to that episode after this one. What I discuss in this podcast is more important than what we talked about today.
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