The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-18
DOGS AND BURGLARS.
Thieves Seldom Trouble a House In
Which Dogs Are Kept.
From the Chicago Tribune.

nor so many houses burglarized in the
owners absence" said police official
at headquarters, when questioned in
regard to the efficiency of dogs as
watchers in the city. "a dog, even a
little foolish skye terrier, can make a
noise and bark when he hears someone
attempting to enter his masters house,
and the thief or burglar, who is nine
times out of ten an arrant coward, will
drop his tools and run for his life at
the first zap he hears from dog. But
people don't like watch dogs in the
city-they can't like any kind of dogs
much, for that matter-and the bur
glar working in this city is seldom Wor-
ried about that bugaboo of the house
breaker. the watchdog. So he breaks
into a house when he knows the owner
is away, spreads his kit of tools and
bag out on the diningroom floor, and
after looting the house often takes the
time to steal a bite to eat before de-
parting, where a little watchdog would
have scared him away at the first noise
he made. That watchdogs are con-
stantly decreasing in this city is shown
by the books of the license bureau at
City Hall, where it is shown that there
will be an approximate decrease of L.
900 licenses in this years issue from
that of last. While it is impossible to
tell what kind of dogs are most rep
resented, it is fair to assume that
Watchdogs are in the majority"
Flats, apartment houses and many
other things help to do away with the
watchdog of a city to a great extent,
for fiat or apartment is hardly the
place one would select in which to
keep a dog of any kind, and the sub
IThG form tho nI1lU OP he ~ xy
where watchdogs are found in any
great number. Even here the dog
is often persona non grata because of
the damage he may do to fancy chick
ems, carefully kept garden lots and
other things. 1t would seem that 1.-The
best friend of man" was losing his
hold on the affections of jewellers in
cities and that unless change of
sentiment comes in vogue he will in
districts, where the old watchdog and
his place in the household is a matter
of tradition. A dog fancier SubStan-
tiates the records of the license bureau.
1T is true, without a doubt, that peo-
pie in the city don't keep as many
watchdogs as they did a few years
ago." he said. why this is so I can't
understand, because 1 don't agree with
the people who maintain that it is a
And when it comes to the value of
the watchdog in the city it cannot be
overeStimated. How often 1t is that
we hear of an instance where a house
was broken into and robbed while the
owner was away. How often do we
hear of this occurring where there was
dog in the place that was robbed
/ have never in my experience with
dogs known of an instance where a
BURGLAR a al1 I'D ,1,oI
where there was a good healthy watch
dog loose in the place. The PROPOSE
ton is simple; he can't. Even if the
dog is the worst coward in the world
and is only the size of a cat, he can
raise noise and disturbance enough to
worry the life, out of thief, even
if he has had the temerity to enter
the place after he has heard the dog
inside.
Thieves and burglars are all NOR
tally afraid of dogs, and when they
start to burglarize a place and hear
a dog bark inside they instantly de-
eide they have made a mistake and
proceed to make themselves scarce in
that vicinity. Small dogs, believe,
are the best for this, although 1 have
no doubt consensus of opinion on
this subject among the fanciers of
the city will show that the Scotch
to keep a dog in fiat, If it is done
on sensible principles. A dog is no
harder to keep than cat, and sure
ly everybody can keep cat. If there
is a backyard to the fiat the prob
lem of keeping a dog is greatly sim
plified. All that is necessary is to
build q little dog house in the ex-
treme corner of the yard and all the
trouble of dog keeping in the city is
9-eYnnuad Tho doc car ho Iaf int hn
fiat for the night if it is desired, and
the housekeeper can go to sleep serene
an the knowledge that he will be awak-
cred at the first sound that indicates
an attempted burglary. The expense
of keeping a watchdog is practically
nothing except the 81 for license each
year, and the value of one about the
house is immense"
As predicted by this man the great
est number of men questioned about
watchdogs declared for the collie in
preference to all others. while the
collie is a large dog to have about the
house, his superior intelligence and
cleanliness make him more desirable
than any other" says one man. He
is a delightful companion and pet and
his hearing, sense of smell and alert
ness are not equaled in many breeds
of dogs. OF course, he is not a fighter
and will not take hold of an intruder
with the spontaneity and fierceness of
the bulldog, but he will awaken his
master much more quickly and will
never leave a thing that he is set to
watch. If a good collie cannot be had
because of the cost that is attached to
a good specimen of this breed then 1
would advise man to get small ter
rier. The bulldog, because of his ma
ture. is hardly one to have about the
house He is not, as is generally
supposed. 50 much more fierce than
other breeds but he is surly and poor
playmate for the children. But a small
skye, well bred and clean cut, is a
beauty to have about If a collie cam
not be obtained, He is always alert,
a light sleeper aid a noisy, fierce man.
nered little brute when he imagines
that the hearth AID home Of his mas
ter are to be invaded by evil disposed
persons. There is 90 sleeping after a
terrier has made uphis mind that Il is
necessary to wake the people Of the
household, and the burglar who breaks
into a house where orc Of these little
beasts Is kept will meet with a warm
reception"
I'm the down town ana manufactrr-
ing districts the police say there is a
great field for the watchdog, but ne
IS seldom 10 be found IN Aese places
II a merchant or proprietorN any 9TH
or business would get a gooG dog and
put him IN his place instead OF hiring
q cheap man as "a Waterman N would
0rs fhaf 'horo would be ntfh eneatr
thievery going on about his plac."f
q ueitpll.-. mau Wlh 80 "a sleep