Do you dream of living in the neck of the woods somewhere, with no other house in sight? If you ever consider it, homestead security should be your top priority. It might seem that, living away from the hustle and bustle of a city, in a quiet, small way, you are not a likely target for robbers and other unsavory elements, but you can’t count on this. There are plenty of unscrupulous people roaming out there, who wouldn’t hesitate to steal your livestock and farm equipment if they aren’t well protected.
We know farmers who have had their herds stolen from them, repeatedly, up to the point that some have given up on the beloved pursuit into which they had put all their money and many years of their lives. It is heartbreaking, but not imminent.
In Israel, things are even more edgy, because isolated homesteads, farms, and even simply houses located on the fringes of a settled area have suffered from terrorist attacks, and one can never know for sure whether the intruder spotted in the yard is after stealing sheep or murdering people.
Read more in my latest Mother Earth News post.
“When we first moved into our old house – which was located on the fringes of a tiny settlement, with no neighbors in sight – I was a little apprehensive. I grew even more apprehensive when my husband announced that we will have to keep a dog for safety purposes. I’ve never had a dog; never felt comfortable around dogs, and never thought I’d find myself taking care of one. Still, I had to admit that my husband has a point, as nothing deters intruders so effectively as a large, alert and protective dog.”
Domestic Felicity 
The Squire and I live on two acres surrounded by a state park. We’ve been robbed three times. The first time, we had reason to believe we knew who did it, but no real proof. The second and third times came back to back – within a week or ten days. (Twenty-five years ago, and I can’t remember exactly.) We *had* a dog, but he only barked when somebody was around. “No point in wearing out my vocal cords if Mum isn’t around to hear me.” A policeman came by to talk to us, and I pulled into the drive just as he was writing a note to stick in the door. As soon as Bogart saw my car, he started carrying on, but the officer said the dog had been silent up to that point. Big help, that puppy!
After that, we got a burglar alarm – and a dog that barked as if she meant it! Brinks was a pit bull-boxer mix, and looked as if she’d rip you limb from limb. She didn’t like men, and she was terrified of sticks (I often wondered what sort of life she’d had before we got her.) Kids and women could do anything they wanted – poke fingers in her ears, use her as a pillow – but she’d snap at any man who came too close. Not bad for a family watchdog.
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Dani, that’s just what our Belgian Shepherd was like – women and children weren’t perceived as a threat, but men were. It was quite helpful, but I would rather not have a dog that lives outside if I can help it now, after our dog was found dead all of a sudden, probably bitten by a snake we had spotted in the coop earlier.
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We’ve always kept our pets – cats and dogs – in the house at night. It gets COLD here in the winter, and mosquitos carry heart worm, which can be fatal, so they generally spend most of the time in the house, lounging around and getting under foot.
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Wow, I can hardly imagine doing that, to tell you the truth. I really prefer outdoor pets – the most I can bear having in the house full time is an aquarium. 🙂
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