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hoot wrote:

randomoutburst wrote, "Do ya'll know where to find pepper gel spray in a keychain form?
I can find the regular stuff on a keychain, the gel in a regular can, but not the gel stuff in a keychain can."

Not what randomoutburst is seeking... but I have recently seen several suggestions
for cans of wasp spray.
Hoot

True, but isn't intentionally using something NOT for its intended purpose according to the labeling a federal offense? Just saying.
It's one thing if you're attacked in your garage and you happen to grab it because it's the closest weapon you can reach; it's quite another to carry it around or keep it beside the bed as self-defense spray.

Do ya'll know where to find pepper gel spray in a keychain form? I can find the regular stuff on a keychain, the gel in a regular can, but not the gel stuff in a keychain can.

Ol Zeke wrote:
I'm curious.... Doesn't your "puppy" alert at strangers? You don't say what breed and I realize he's probably not like my 11 month old German Shepard, but some of the best watchdogs I've had/seen were small and virtually all will bark at strangers, even when young.

No, he's 14 weeks and is still open to strangers and new sounds. Barely barks at all, even if startled. Supposedly they start naturally guarding their family around 6-7 months so we'll see. We may need to train accordingly. Right now he simply observes and is friendly to most people and dogs. I hope that changes so he's only friendly to people when WE are friendly to them, and not all the time.

I'm not depending on the puppy to be my alarm system; when he's older, if he takes to guarding well, he may be used as a gauge of danger. Right now, though, he's just a puppy and I can't expect him to do anything when he's depending on me for everything. :)

We have a front porch light but the carport is on the side of the house and I leave the carport light on all night already. We live in a cul-de-sac so there's not a lot of traffic driving by -- I think that worries me most since I know that no one would see it going on. I feel as though living in a cul-de-sac makes us a more secluded target and therefore a more attractive one.

In any case, nothing happened last night and I hope it will stay that way. We may need to get a new alarm system for the car unless the old owner can find that fob for the current alarm system. He's been looking for it since we bought the car and thought he had found it last year - but it was the wrong one. (No cracks about how hard he's looking for the fob - he's an old family friend and is good to his word. )

I may also get a brighter porch light since the one we have is a bit dim. It lights up the yard almost to the carport and the carport light lights up the carport plus a bit of the backyard. We really need to get a light for the backyard because it's pitch black at night. I had to use the Mag Light when I went out...which of course wasn't a bad thing seeing as it doubles as a weapon. Still, it would be nice to have one more free hand.

Puppy IS being crate-trained...he still has to go outside to potty!

Our SUV has an alarm...but it's also not a target for anything valuable and is boxed in by our smaller car. It has nothing of value in it unless WE are also in the car.

The smaller car, the one with the sound system, HAD an alarm system but hubby told me last night that they disabled it when they installed the sound system. We don't have the fob to that car anyway but it would have at least sounded if they broke into it and/or cut the power. They didn't enable the alarm after the sound system work for some reason like they couldn't get it to turn off without the fob.

It's all in one piece this morning so all is well...puppy still being a jerk about going potty. He goes right back in the crate unless he potties so he's gotta go soon...especially since he just ate.

My mother-in-law, who lives next door, texted me to let me know that seven cars on a neighboring street were broken into last night and the stereo systems from all were stolen. We just put a new sound system into our car and I'm worried. We don't live in a bad neighborhood but there is a "bad" side; the street that was hit was on the good side where we are. Sorry if I offend, but the bad side is populated by "gangsta" blacks and white trash. The good side is populated by more affluent whites and blacks.

Anyway. The sound system...well, that can be replaced. I HATE thieves but I'm not going to risk bodily harm to protect something that can be replaced. Problem is, our little puppy is STILL asking to be let out every hour and we don't have a door that opens directly into the backyard. I have to go through the kitchen door, in the carport where both cars are parked, and through the back gate. I'm worried because my hubby worked last night and was up all day. He's pretty much out for the night unless I scream, in which case he's known to get up and grab the shotgun. I'm out there by myself.

I've taken my revolver with me when I take the puppy outside, and the little poop hasn't gone potty a single time I've taken him out in the past three hours. It makes me jittery because I have to watch him and take my attention away from my surroundings, if only for a moment. I'm getting so irritated at him for dragging me outside just to romp and eat bugs instead of using the bathroom, I've considered shutting him in the crate for the night and just dealing with whatever mess he makes in the morning.

I'm genuinely wary of being outside right now, at night, when robberies happened just a street over from us last night, even if I'm armed. Having to watch this bouncy puppy while trying to keep a watchful eye out is just stressing me out.

I'm not really looking for advice, I guess...I just needed to vent some of that fear and frustration between ventures outdoors. It's a shame that people cannot feel safe in their own homes and yards because someone thinks it's okay to take what's not theirs. Then again, that's the thing that drove me to buy a gun in the first place, and is why I am taking my CHL course when I'm 21. If I felt safe all the time I wouldn't take my protection as seriously.