Q: Ace: With a serial rapist still on the prowl and some recent intrusions into homes where women were sleeping, our sense of safety is shaken. Can you tell me, did any of these women have dogs, or if dogs even make a difference in situations when it’s Man against Woman and her Beast?—Germanna Shepherd
A: With six unsolved rape cases genetically linked to one man, as well as “hundreds” of breaking and entering cases in the past six months (accordingto Lieutenant J.W. Gibson of the Charlottesville Police Department), your fears are unfortunately well founded, Germanna. And no doubt about it, when it comes to crime, dogs sreally can be a woman’s best friend: A faithful pooch by your side could leave your would-be attacker barking up the wrong tree.
Gibson says it’s almost impossible to get statistics on what percentage of the recent break-in victims owned dogs, without doing extensive research. But in regards to “the serial assaults, there have been no dogs in any of those homes,” he says.
Both Gibson and his colleague at the police department, Officer Joe Brown, agree with the common consensus that dogs act as a crime deterrent. There is, however, some discrepancy as to whether the type and size of dog matters. Popular lore has it that if you’re looking for a best friend who doubles as your body guard, your best bets are canines with bad-ass reputations like German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers.
Brown backs up this theory, explaining, “A criminal would be thinking, ‘I don’t want to get bit,’ and [if you] compare a big dog and a small dog…a thief with big boots on would probably be more afraid of the big dog who could jump up and get around his throat.”
That might be the logical assumption, but Gibson says size doesn’t matter and that the “bad-ass” factor is irrelevant when it comes to your dog’s ability to protect you. What’s important, says Gibson, is not the dog’s impulse to attack your assailant, but his ability to alert you to impending danger.
In fact, says Gibson, “A Chihuahua, if he wakes you up, has done a great service. He doesn’t have to be a killer dog to improve your security.” The website petrix.com supports Gibson’s theory by listing, along with Rottweilers and German Shepherds, Scottish Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers and Chihuahuas (all averaging under 20 pounds) among the Top 12 “Dogs Most Likely to Succeed at Watchdog Barking.” Those least likely to make a scene: gentle giantssuch as Bloodhounds, Newfoundlands and Saint Bernards.
Whatever your theory, new Pit Bull owner Ace knows that a li’l bow wow can be scary. A word of advice to would-be criminals: Don’t push your luck—the bite is worse than the bark.