I am much more into dogs than I am into guns; so I wonder what you mean by a "large attack dog." I would think a burglar would be just as apprehensive about breaking into a house watched by a small yappy terrier. I have two Rhodesian Ridgeback females, ages 3 and 1. I used to have a male, Trooper, who would definitely confront a burglar, but I'm not sure either of my girls would. One of them might bark. Nevertheless my "beware of dog" with a picture of a Doberman is still affixed to my back gate. Any teenagers in the neighborhood looking for a soft touch would probably pass up my house, especially if they remembered Trooper. When Trooper was old we got Ginger who turned out to be that rare exception, a Ridgeback who won't even bark when someone comes to the front door. I considered supplementing her with an Irish Terrier, who doesn't fit the small yappy terrier mold but is quite a capable defender even though he (according to a local breeder) will top out at only 45 pounds. Trooper was 95 pounds and Ginger 80. My wife loves Ridgebacks. It was she who caused us to have this breed; so we got a second Ridgeback, another female, Sage, who does bark a bit and probably would if a burglar broke into our house; which doesn't seem likely given our "beware of dog" sign and the fact that a lot of people living around here have guns. My son has Airedales. He lives out on the desert on a couple of acres in coyote country. Dogs are more important out there than guns, but a single dog is no match for a pack of coyotes so you want several. We speculated about which of his Airedales might defend his house against a burglar, assuming there was one dumb enough to attempt to brave 6 Airedales to enter his house. Most would bark and look ferocious but he is only sure of one who would definitely take on an intruder. Airedales of old were good guard dogs but that characteristic has been bred out of most of them; sort of like with Canadians. When you say "large attack dog," I think of the Rottweiler, Doberman, German Shepherd, and Giant Schnauzer. But there are several other breeds a burglar would do well to respect, the pit bull perhaps being chief among them. Here are the top breeds in Canada as of 2002 according to the Canadian Kennel Club: 1. Labrador retriever 2. Golden retriever 3. German shepherd dog 4. Poodle 5. Shetland sheepdog 6. Yorkshire terrier 7. Miniature schnauzer 8. shih tzu 9. Bichon fries 10. Boxer 11. Beagle 12. Rottweiler 13. Pomeranian 14. Bernese mountain dog 15. Cocker spaniel 16. Siberian husky 17. Soft-coated wheaten terrier 18. English springer spaniel 19. Cavalier King Charles spaniel 20. Bulldog Many on this list would do a decent job as a watchdog and a few would do more than that. A miniature Poodle would be a good watchdog typically, but a standard Poodle would be up there with the German Shepherd, the Boxer and the Rottweiler. The English Bulldog isn't much of a watchdog or a guard dog, but the American Bulldog is closer to the original and would do as well or better at defending as the German Shepherd and Rottweiler. Canadians probably have the British version which drools and is much given to flatulence. Here are the top dogs in New York City as of 2003 according to the New York Times: 1. Mixed breed 2. Labrador retriever 3. German shepherd dog 4. Shih tzu 5. Pit bull-type 6. Chihuahua 7. Yorkshire terrier 8. Cocker spaniel 9. Rottweiler 10. Maltese German shepherds, Pit bulls and Rottweilers would be for the people wanting protection. Cocker spaniels would give more protection than people might expect. Some of the rest might bark. Here are the top 20 breeds in the UK as of 2002 according to the Kennel Club: 1. Labrador retriever 2. German shepherd dog (Alsatian 3. Cocker spaniel (English) 4. English Springer spaniel 5. Staffordshire bull terrier 6. Golden retriever 7. West Highland white terrier 8. Cavalier King Charles spaniel 9. Boxer 10. Rottweiler 11. Border terrier 12. Yorkshire terrier 13. Shihtzu 14. Lhasa apso 15. Dobermann 16. Bull terrier 17. Miniature schnauzer 18. Weimaraner 19. Bichon fries 20. Border collie The German Shepherd, Staffordshire bull terrier, Boxer, Rottweiler, Dobermann, Bull terrier, and Weimaranar will all do decent jobs of defending a house and its people - typically. The Miniature Schnauzer is a good watchdog and will alert you so you can get your gun, but none of the harmless people in the UK have guns; so why should a barking dog deter a burglar over there? Lawrence -----Original Message----- From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Eric Yost Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 10:14 AM To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Didn't I tell you so? "Don't you want to get a gun?" She replied, "Why would I want to do that? I can't carry it on base, and if I leave it home and a burglar breaks in, all I will have done is arm a criminal." Burglars are generally more afraid of a large attack dog. Unlike a nonmilitary human with a gun, dogs do not hesitate. Of course I do know of an ob-gyn who is a hunter and keeps rifles in his home. He surprised four burglars in his home and killed them all in a firefight.