Husband Gone, Realistic or Paranoid?

Off Topic
61

If I am keeping bees in the house, I need flowers for them to get pollen from. So I was thinking I could keep flowering poisonous cacti around the windows. An intruder comes in, he steps on the cacti and gets poisoned, then is stung by an angry horde of bees, then has his arms cut off. Unless it’s the Black Knight I shouldn’t need the Glock.

I was also thinking I could get a boa constrictor. They are said to be very intuitive and loyal pets. I’ll get him some vampire teeth and have him lay on the patio all day, unless I go grocery shopping, then he can hang around my neck. I also could get some of those fish that shoot poison darts and put them in my fish tank.

What do you think my husband would do if he came home to all of that? Oh, how funny. I’m going to tell him I bought a snake just to flip him out.

62

[quote]Professor X wrote:
<<< On the dog issue, I was in the 6th grade when someone poisoned my massive German Shepherd (big enough for me to ride at the time) in an effort to break into the house. What stopped them was the security (lead lined) door my dad installed.

Pets are great…but it isn’t like they are invincible.[/quote]

There is a point here and one which argues for starting a puppy early when you know he’ll be a working adult. Food refusal is tough to teach to an adult dog, but is a snap when you start young. I’ve worked with dogs, a couple my own, that you could put in a down stay with their nose resting one inch from a steak and go out for the evening and come back to them still in the same position until they’re told they can eat it. Of course she is not in a position to have this with her current dog, but I’m just talking what can be done.

Bottom line is a really good dog with some really good training can do some security work that would make the general public’s hair stand on end, but even then I would not rely on ANY animal over an armed human to save my life. If her dog is under 2 years it could probably be taught to bark if somebody were trying to get in and in the hands of a very good (and well paid) trainer to go get her up too. In any case, no, they are not invincible, but can be a useful tool.

63

[quote]sluicy wrote:
If I am keeping bees in the house, I need flowers for them to get pollen from. So I was thinking I could keep flowering poisonous cacti around the windows. An intruder comes in, he steps on the cacti and gets poisoned, then is stung by an angry horde of bees, then has his arms cut off. Unless it’s the Black Knight I shouldn’t need the Glock.

I was also thinking I could get a boa constrictor. They are said to be very intuitive and loyal pets. I’ll get him some vampire teeth and have him lay on the patio all day, unless I go grocery shopping, then he can hang around my neck. I also could get some of those fish that shoot poison darts and put them in my fish tank.

What do you think my husband would do if he came home to all of that? Oh, how funny. I’m going to tell him I bought a snake just to flip him out. [/quote]

You could just let me crash there, with benefits, and I’ll leave right before the husband arrives home. Problem solved.

64

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
You could just let me crash there, with benefits,
[/quote]

She is a student. I doubt she can afford to pay your health care and 401k.

65

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
sluicy wrote:
If I am keeping bees in the house, I need flowers for them to get pollen from. So I was thinking I could keep flowering poisonous cacti around the windows. An intruder comes in, he steps on the cacti and gets poisoned, then is stung by an angry horde of bees, then has his arms cut off. Unless it’s the Black Knight I shouldn’t need the Glock.

I was also thinking I could get a boa constrictor. They are said to be very intuitive and loyal pets. I’ll get him some vampire teeth and have him lay on the patio all day, unless I go grocery shopping, then he can hang around my neck. I also could get some of those fish that shoot poison darts and put them in my fish tank.

What do you think my husband would do if he came home to all of that? Oh, how funny. I’m going to tell him I bought a snake just to flip him out.

You could just let me crash there, with benefits, and I’ll leave right before the husband arrives home. Problem solved.

[/quote]

That’s very ahem gallant of you, but Titus is the only other male permitted in my bed, and he’s been neutered.

66

Just put a cardboard cut out of Jay Cutler in your front window…that way when a robber comes up to your house they’ll see Jay Cutler is inside flexing and they’ll run off.

67

[quote]Digity wrote:
Just put a cardboard cut out of Jay Cutler in your front window…that way when a robber comes up to your house they’ll see Jay Cutler is inside flexing and they’ll run off.[/quote]

Or put on a tape recorder of Jay speaking to put him to sleep.

68

Sounds like there’s been a lot of good advice on this thread and that you’re going to take the needed steps. As others have said, follow your instincts.

I’m not sure if it’s been mentioned yet, but getting to know your neighborhood always helps too. A good friend of mine told me about how she got harassed one day outside our apartment complex… Until a “grandma” came out with a broomstick shouting at the boys. Apparently the grandma knew the boys and their families, so they listened to her.

My sister lived in a dangerous part of Brooklyn, she knew all the neighbors and they’ve helped her a few times over the years. Somewhat ironically one of her “saviors” was–apparently–quite the drug dealer and is now in prison. She used to help his kids with their homework, and so he helped when someone wouldn’t let her into her apartment complex.

Also, do you have any family friends who can stop by from time to time when your husband is away? Maybe you could make dinner for some friends from time to time, or have your fridge stocked with beer or protein shakes or whatever your friends like. More people means less of a target.

69

[quote] My dad made sure his kids were thoroughly firearm-educated, and my husband is an ex-cop, so I’ve never lived without a weapon loaded and accessible, and I’m very comfortable with that; though another downside of living here is I can’t just drive to the gravel pit or our friend’s backyard, I have to go to the range and pay $15, so I haven’t been shooting in a long time. I know, I’m cheap, and it’s worth it.

I’ve been asking for a shotgun for Valentine’s day for several years… my birthday’s coming up so I’m hopeful. My brother-in-law is a cop and a gun collector and he has this Mossberg that I love, I don’t remember what model it is…

Darn it, now I’m going to waste another hour on the internet. [/quote]

Having a weapon is good - knowing how to use it is even better. Pointing and shooting as something (other than a papaer bulls-eye) is a different story. The adrenaline pumps so hard you can barely hold the weapon for shaking. Been there, done it. I like the idea of a shotgun though! My grandma can hit a barn door with one.

70

[quote]anonym wrote:
Digity wrote:
Just put a cardboard cut out of Jay Cutler in your front window…that way when a robber comes up to your house they’ll see Jay Cutler is inside flexing and they’ll run off.

Or put on a tape recorder of Jay speaking to put him to sleep.[/quote]

HAHA

71

I’ve never even been in a fist fight before.

I have to go wrestle a bear or something so I can be hardcore like you guys.

72

[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
Professor X wrote:
<<< On the dog issue, I was in the 6th grade when someone poisoned my massive German Shepherd (big enough for me to ride at the time) in an effort to break into the house. What stopped them was the security (lead lined) door my dad installed.

Pets are great…but it isn’t like they are invincible.

There is a point here and one which argues for starting a puppy early when you know he’ll be a working adult. Food refusal is tough to teach to an adult dog, but is a snap when you start young. I’ve worked with dogs, a couple my own, that you could put in a down stay with their nose resting one inch from a steak and go out for the evening and come back to them still in the same position until they’re told they can eat it. Of course she is not in a position to have this with her current dog, but I’m just talking what can be done.

Bottom line is a really good dog with some really good training can do some security work that would make the general public’s hair stand on end, but even then I would not rely on ANY animal over an armed human to save my life. If her dog is under 2 years it could probably be taught to bark if somebody were trying to get in and in the hands of a very good (and well paid) trainer to go get her up too. In any case, no, they are not invincible, but can be a useful tool.[/quote]

Titus is the first dog I’ve had that is not a retriever or shepherd and it is so much fun to learn how he learns and how he is motivated differently than dogs I’m used to. I’ve really learned not to rule out what a dog can learn and what they can’t learn regardless of age.

In regard to this subject though, I’ve learned that no matter what you haven’t trained a dog to do, if you establish the correct connection/hierarchical position with them, they will defend you, I imagine because in their mind they’re defending their pack. Two examples. Our last dog was a rescue, a really screwed up fear-aggressive shepherd mix. He could grow to accept anyone over a period of time, except for this one couple, even though we spent more time with them than almost anyone else, yet he always responded to them with extreme aggression. They turned out to be untrustworthy “friends” who stabbed us in the back over a huge business/personal situation.

Then, our current dog Titus whom we adopted six months ago barks about once a month. He’s not particularly affectionate or protective, very very laid back (it’s so cute when you draw him out and get him kissing and romping like a puppy!) not to mention VERY lazy. If he whuffs at a particularly close noise, like someone knocking on the neighbors’ door, he’ll usually go right back to sleep. But about two months ago he woke us up in the middle of the night barking repeatedly. We got up and he was standing in the middle of the living room, and looked pointedly at us then back at the window.

It was so out of character for him to put two, let alone eight or ten barks together, not to mention getting off the couch and looking alive, we knew he was telling us to pay attention to something. He hasn’t done it since and it is still a chore to drag his butt off the couch, the lazy monster.

Bottom line, even without guard training, establish a proper rapport with a good, sensible dog and they will tell you what they sense, if you are know how to listen. There have been other episodes with Titus (his reactions to people, etc.) that make me really trust his instincts. He visibly assesses people before accepting them or not, and he doesn’t accept everyone.

All that said definitely not to put down guard dog training. A well trained dog is an incredible asset, especially with kids, and many dogs need high level training to feel fulfilled and doing their job. Shepherds and many other breeds are just drawn into their full potential by training much more extensive than “Sit, Down, Roll over baby!”

I love dogs and could talk about them forever. :slight_smile:

73

[quote]Geminspector wrote:
<<< Having a weapon is good - knowing how to use it is even better. Pointing and shooting as something (other than a papaer bulls-eye) is a different story. The adrenaline pumps so hard you can barely hold the weapon for shaking. Been there, done it. I like the idea of a shotgun though! My grandma can hit a barn door with one.

[/quote]

I remember seeing a documentary years back where they were interviewing prison inmates who had been shot and or arrested as the result of private citizens defending themselves in various ways. This one guy said the most pants shitting scared he’d ever been in his life was being confronted by a terrified mother with her trembling hands pointing a gun at him. He said “I’ll take cops any day over that, I thought she was gonna shoot me if I blinked”

You can still miss with a shotgun, but it is easier from a across a room under pressure to hit a human sized target. A shotgun is ideal for home defense because any center mass hit with something like 00 magnum buckshot is a guaranteed man stopper in an indoor situation and has a much lower incidence of over penetration.

I have been in a situation where I truly believed I may have to shoot somebody and it was one of the least fun events of my life. All the tough talk goes right out the window and you only hope it does not happen. At least if you’re a civilized person.

74

[quote]sluicy wrote:
Tiribulus wrote:
Professor X wrote:
<<< On the dog issue, I was in the 6th grade when someone poisoned my massive German Shepherd (big enough for me to ride at the time) in an effort to break into the house. What stopped them was the security (lead lined) door my dad installed.

Pets are great…but it isn’t like they are invincible.

There is a point here and one which argues for starting a puppy early when you know he’ll be a working adult. Food refusal is tough to teach to an adult dog, but is a snap when you start young. I’ve worked with dogs, a couple my own, that you could put in a down stay with their nose resting one inch from a steak and go out for the evening and come back to them still in the same position until they’re told they can eat it. Of course she is not in a position to have this with her current dog, but I’m just talking what can be done.

Bottom line is a really good dog with some really good training can do some security work that would make the general public’s hair stand on end, but even then I would not rely on ANY animal over an armed human to save my life. If her dog is under 2 years it could probably be taught to bark if somebody were trying to get in and in the hands of a very good (and well paid) trainer to go get her up too. In any case, no, they are not invincible, but can be a useful tool.

Titus is the first dog I’ve had that is not a retriever or shepherd and it is so much fun to learn how he learns and how he is motivated differently than dogs I’m used to. I’ve really learned not to rule out what a dog can learn and what they can’t learn regardless of age.

In regard to this subject though, I’ve learned that no matter what you haven’t trained a dog to do, if you establish the correct connection/hierarchical position with them, they will defend you, I imagine because in their mind they’re defending their pack. Two examples. Our last dog was a rescue, a really screwed up fear-aggressive shepherd mix. He could grow to accept anyone over a period of time, except for this one couple, even though we spent more time with them than almost anyone else, yet he always responded to them with extreme aggression. They turned out to be untrustworthy “friends” who stabbed us in the back over a huge business/personal situation.

Then, our current dog Titus whom we adopted six months ago barks about once a month. He’s not particularly affectionate or protective, very very laid back (it’s so cute when you draw him out and get him kissing and romping like a puppy!) not to mention VERY lazy. If he whuffs at a particularly close noise, like someone knocking on the neighbors’ door, he’ll usually go right back to sleep. But about two months ago he woke us up in the middle of the night barking repeatedly. We got up and he was standing in the middle of the living room, and looked pointedly at us then back at the window.

It was so out of character for him to put two, let alone eight or ten barks together, not to mention getting off the couch and looking alive, we knew he was telling us to pay attention to something. He hasn’t done it since and it is still a chore to drag his butt off the couch, the lazy monster.

Bottom line, even without guard training, establish a proper rapport with a good, sensible dog and they will tell you what they sense, if you are know how to listen. There have been other episodes with Titus (his reactions to people, etc.) that make me really trust his instincts. He visibly assesses people before accepting them or not, and he doesn’t accept everyone.

All that said definitely not to put down guard dog training. A well trained dog is an incredible asset, especially with kids, and many dogs need high level training to feel fulfilled and doing their job. Shepherds and many other breeds are just drawn into their full potential by training much more extensive than “Sit, Down, Roll over baby!”

I love dogs and could talk about them forever. :slight_smile:

[/quote]

Must love dogs… Me too :>)

75

So much is attitude and confronting people.

When people linger around too long, I ALWAYS go up to them and ask, “Can I help you with something?”

You could also have done the following: Grab your dog, put him on a leash. Start walking towards the guy.

Carry pepper spray. I recommend spitfire: spitfire.us

Get a nice shoulder holster for your Glock. Wear it around the house.

Granted, you’re a woman, so confronting people is harder. But remember…

It ain’t just about size.

People don’t want anything to do with a crazy motherfucker.

You make eye contact with your mace in hand or dog in tow, or gun on your shoulder, and people are going to assume you are not to be fucked with.

It really is about attitude. Remain alert, remain vigilant. Your eyes should invite people to fuck with you.

They’ll find an easier target.

76

[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
Geminspector wrote:
<<< Having a weapon is good - knowing how to use it is even better. Pointing and shooting as something (other than a papaer bulls-eye) is a different story. The adrenaline pumps so hard you can barely hold the weapon for shaking. Been there, done it. I like the idea of a shotgun though! My grandma can hit a barn door with one.

I remember seeing a documentary years back where they were interviewing prison inmates who had been shot and or arrested as the result of private citizens defending themselves in various ways. This one guy said the most pants shitting scared he’d ever been in his life was being confronted by a terrified mother with her trembling hands pointing a gun at him. He said “I’ll take cops any day over that, I thought she was gonna shoot me if I blinked”

You can still miss with a shotgun, but it is easier from a across a room under pressure to hit a human sized target. A shotgun is ideal for home defense because any center mass hit with something like 00 magnum buckshot is a guaranteed man stopper in an indoor situation and has a much lower incidence of over penetration.

I have been in a situation where I truly believed I may have to shoot somebody and it was one of the least fun events of my life. All the tough talk goes right out the window and you only hope it does not happen. At least if you’re a civilized person.[/quote]

All I know is that I think about someone coming in my home and trying to harm Titus and take my things and I get fire in my veins. I can’t imagine what it’d be like if I had kids. On the flip side, I also can’t imagine the situation of having to decide whether to harm someone to the degree that it might potentially take their life. Which, of course, is why I need to take the CCW course, as Push said. I don’t want to be in that situation, but I need to be prepared for it, not blind to the possibility.

77

[quote]sluicy wrote:
My husband just started trucking and he will be gone for up to 2 weeks at a time. I’m a little nervous because I can be ditzy when it comes to my own safety, i.e. ignoring warning signs, pretty typical of girls, I guess. I’m from Maine, and used to not even having to lock the doors. Now we live in an apartment complex near Dallas and it’s an OK area but there are definitely a lot of drugs/some prostitution running around.

I’m friends with two immediate neighbors but one has a lot of drama, i.e. ex-BF sending friends in the middle of the night to break in and kidnap their baby, etc. The other couple is better but I don’t wholly trust the husband, he’s a little too nice to me.

I have a 100 lb. dog, have “advertised” that I own a gun with a Glock sticker on the patio door, carry pepper spray everywhere. The bottom line is I’m not used to the whole urban thing, and what sort of things to pay attention to and what sort of things I’m being overly paranoid about.

The thing that got me freaked out about this was yesterday after I dropped my husband off at the terminal, when I came home there was this guy leaning against a tree across from my apartment, just hanging out drinking a beer. He watched me drive in, get my groceries, every time I looked at him, he was watching me. As soon as I started up the stairs, he got in his car and left. So am I paranoid, or should I be worried about people noticing that I’m alone most of the time now?

I’ve talked to my husband about all this but I wanted to put this out here, I figured I could get some good/inventive suggestions on being safe.[/quote]

Do you need company while he is away :slight_smile:

78

[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
So much is attitude and confronting people.

When people linger around too long, I ALWAYS go up to them and ask, “Can I help you with something?”

You could also have done the following: Grab your dog, put him on a leash. Start walking towards the guy.

Carry pepper spray. I recommend spitfire: spitfire.us

Get a nice shoulder holster for your Glock. Wear it around the house.

Granted, you’re a woman, so confronting people is harder. But remember…

It ain’t just about size.

People don’t want anything to do with a crazy motherfucker.

You make eye contact with your mace in hand or dog in tow, or gun on your shoulder, and people are going to assume you are not to be fucked with.

It really is about attitude. Remain alert, remain vigilant. Your eyes should invite people to fuck with you.

They’ll find an easier target.[/quote]

As soon as I got inside I dragged Titus out of the kennel and shoved him on the patio so the dude would see my rabid freakoid drooling bloodthirsty dog. It didn’t work… Titus was like, what the heck, girl? I need ten minutes to stretch and roll and waggle my neglected butt all ten feet across the floor to the patio… and the guy was gone.

He is the laziest dog ever, unless sufficiently motivated.

I will wear the gun around the house once I start the CCW classes, also, my husband has this compression shirt that has a holster built into it. The gun fits under your arm. It’s so darn compressive I think it’ll probably fit me. It’s pretty nifty. I don’t think I’d carry a Glock though, I lean toward revolvers, they’re what I learned to shoot on and personally I just like a revolver. No particular reason, it just is simpler, I guess. The first gun I bought and still have was a 9mm Baby Eagle because it was a nice looking gun, it shoots nice, smooth, but waaay too big to carry. It was just for fun and it’s pretty. (I refer to guns and motorcycles as pretty, which embarrasses my husband and makes sales people smirk.) Also, I almost never carry a purse or bag or whatever, so those concealment purses are out. If I carry, it’s got to be on me. I weigh 115-120. Any suggestions?

Although, I do like the Sig P232. The main problem I have is my fingers are fairly long, my hands are a decent width, and I need to feel like I’m holding something substantial. Most subcompacts leave a finger or two hanging off the end of the grip and it feels weird and unnatural.

79

[quote]sluicy wrote:
Tiribulus wrote:
Geminspector wrote:
<<< Having a weapon is good - knowing how to use it is even better. Pointing and shooting as something (other than a papaer bulls-eye) is a different story. The adrenaline pumps so hard you can barely hold the weapon for shaking. Been there, done it. I like the idea of a shotgun though! My grandma can hit a barn door with one.

I remember seeing a documentary years back where they were interviewing prison inmates who had been shot and or arrested as the result of private citizens defending themselves in various ways. This one guy said the most pants shitting scared he’d ever been in his life was being confronted by a terrified mother with her trembling hands pointing a gun at him. He said “I’ll take cops any day over that, I thought she was gonna shoot me if I blinked”

You can still miss with a shotgun, but it is easier from a across a room under pressure to hit a human sized target. A shotgun is ideal for home defense because any center mass hit with something like 00 magnum buckshot is a guaranteed man stopper in an indoor situation and has a much lower incidence of over penetration.

I have been in a situation where I truly believed I may have to shoot somebody and it was one of the least fun events of my life. All the tough talk goes right out the window and you only hope it does not happen. At least if you’re a civilized person.

All I know is that I think about someone coming in my home and trying to harm Titus and take my things and I get fire in my veins. I can’t imagine what it’d be like if I had kids. On the flip side, I also can’t imagine the situation of having to decide whether to harm someone to the degree that it might potentially take their life. Which, of course, is why I need to take the CCW course, as Push said. I don’t want to be in that situation, but I need to be prepared for it, not blind to the possibility.[/quote]

in my opinion, a firearm shouldn’t enter the situation unless the death of the attacker might be the only option. The old saying is still true.

Never draw down on somebody you’re not fully prepared to shoot and never shoot somebody you’re not fully prepared to kill.

I’m not saying this is what you’re saying, but it’s always comical when somebody talks about trying to wound an assailant.

First, in an adrenaline filled life threatening situation just getting a center mass hit is doing pretty good never mind picking out limbs as targets unless you’re special forces or something in which case you’d be shooting to kill anyway.

Second, if this guy wasn’t going to kill you before he sure as hell is going to try now that you’ve made it you or him by leaving him alive.

No sane person hopes they ever have to hurt anybody and I sure hope none of this ever happens to you, but it would be tragic for a victim to pay with their life in the name of trying to be a humanitarian.

I take my wife out twice a year to sharpen up with the shotgun. Actually I think she would have an easier time killing somebody than I would. We live 2 blocks from the Detroit border. I taught her if somebody winds up in the house when I’m not there and they’re visibly armed shoot them on sight. We’ll figure it out. If they’re not holding a weapon, point the gun at their chest or back and tell them you will say one time to get on their face with their hands interlocked behind their head. If they take more than one second to comply or do ANYTHING other than what you’ve said pull that trigger.

I didn’t invite them there. I’d rather have my family alive and sort out the legalities than play games and have them wind up dead.

80

[quote]Tiribulus wrote:

in my opinion, a firearm shouldn’t enter the situation unless the death of the attacker might be the only option. The old saying is still true.

Never draw down on somebody you’re not fully prepared to shoot and never shoot somebody you’re not fully prepared to kill.

I’m not saying this is what you’re saying, but it’s always comical when somebody talks about trying to wound an assailant.

First, in an adrenaline filled life threatening situation just getting a center mass hit is doing pretty good never mind picking out limbs as targets unless you’re special forces or something in which case you’d be shooting to kill anyway.

Second, if this guy wasn’t going to kill you before he sure as hell is going to try now that you’ve made it you or him by leaving him alive.

No sane person hopes they ever have to hurt anybody and I sure hope none of this ever happens to you, but it would be tragic for a victim to pay with their life in the name of trying to be a humanitarian.

I take my wife out twice a year to sharpen up with the shotgun. Actually I think she would have an easier time killing somebody than I would. We live 2 blocks from the Detroit border. I taught her if somebody winds up in the house when I’m not there and they’re visibly armed shoot them on sight. We’ll figure it out. If they’re not holding a weapon, point the gun at their chest or back and tell them you will say one time to get on their face with their hands interlocked behind their head. If they take more than one second to comply or do ANYTHING other than what you’ve said pull that trigger.

I didn’t invite them there. I’d rather have my family alive and sort out the legalities than play games and have them wind up dead.[/quote]

I read that quote when I was a kid and never forgot it. Good advice, thanks, I’ll think about those scenarios.