Something to consider...

[baggss]

Yep. This scenario is also why I have an alarm system that will wake the dead if a window or door is opened. But then again if you can't remember to lock your door maybe an alarm is beyond your abilities as well.

And having been in a similar situation (pre-alarm) when this happened I was WIDE AWAKE in a millisecond. Heart pumping.

Saw the post above. If the door was locked how did the intruder get it to open?? If knob was turning that indicates that the door was not rammed open.

Again where did I say my door was unlocked? With the way my dogs bark it's not that uncommon to be awakened by them in the night.

Either way, I notice a lot of folks are not answering what they would do in the situation presented, which is the question, but are instead making assumptions based on what they think they know from the scenario presented.

[71MUSTY]

You never told us what your dad wanted at 0600.

[Notpc]

If the dogs where not in the way of closing the door, I would probably have slammed it closed and locked it, but I am big and have some mass. You seem to have problems waking, are you taking medication? If so, not arming yourself with a firearm is probably a good thing. My bedside weapon is in a gunvault type safe. It is unlocked, but the gun is in a pocket holster to make sure I am awake enough to pull it clear and not accidentally put my finger on the trigger while pulling it from the safe. If my motion detectors go off at night, I wake up pretty quick and would investigate with gun and flashlight in hand.

[L84CABO]

Need more info...

First question I assess is do I think I have a reasonable chance of getting the door closed and locked with someone from the outside coming in and dogs trying to go out. If I think my chances are reasonably good to get the door locked, I'm throwing everything I got into that door.

But, if I've already got a dog with his head wedged in between the door and jam and I don't think I can get the dog out and the door closed, I'm abandoning the door and bee lining it for a weapon. I love the dogs but I'll concede them and the living room for being armed and making a stand...and hoping it all works out for the best.

It would also help to know a bit more about the dogs. Like are they barkers but as soon as that door is open they're more interested in getting outside than the intruder coming through the door? Or is there a reasonable expectation that the dogs will engage whomever is coming in? Cause that would make me feel a lot better about getting to a weapon in time and joining the fight...or cleaning up the mess.

[Kevfin]

I’d go for my gun.
Call 911
Yell some strong profanity to anyone trying to enter my house
Tell my dog (I only have one German Shepherd and he loves to bark/growl) to SIC
—- at some point, I would consider putting pants on.

[Clovite]

Similar Experience

I have had a similar experience.

It was about 1AM and I was watching a movie, all lights turned off, and sound was down on the TV so just barely audible.

I heard a distinct sound of someone jiggling my door handle.

I immediately armed myself with a 12 gauge shotgun. Do not turn on/off lights. Do not adjust volume on TV. Sit quietly in the dark. This gives you a tactical advantage- the intruder doesn't know if he is detected or if anyone is home, etc.

I listened closely in the dark as the intruder checked windows, and tried to jimmy my sliding glass door on the porch. Again, do nothing. Wait. Do not give away your position. There could be others trying another way in and the guy making noise was a ruse.

In the end of the attempt, the intruder gave up. He couldn't jimmy the doors or windows. I sat in the dark, waited, and make coffee in the dark and waited for the sun to rise with my friend, Mr. Mossberg 12 GA.

Indeed there were foot prints in the dirt around the windows and porch upon inspection in sunlight.

But most importantly, I was prepared to defend myself and did so properly to not give away my position, and retained the advantage of surprise.

[Notpc]

I have had a similar experience.

It was about 1AM and I was watching a movie, all lights turned off, and sound was down on the TV so just barely audible.

I heard a distinct sound of someone jiggling my door handle.

I immediately armed myself with a 12 gauge shotgun. Do not turn on/off lights. Do not adjust volume on TV. Sit quietly in the dark. This gives you a tactical advantage- the intruder doesn't know if he is detected or if anyone is home, etc.

I listened closely in the dark as the intruder checked windows, and tried to jimmy my sliding glass door on the porch. Again, do nothing. Wait. Do not give away your position. There could be others trying another way in and the guy making noise was a ruse.

In the end of the attempt, the intruder gave up. He couldn't jimmy the doors or windows. I sat in the dark, waited, and make coffee in the dark and waited for the sun to rise with my friend, Mr. Mossberg 12 GA.

Indeed there were foot prints in the dirt around the windows and porch upon inspection in sunlight.

But most importantly, I was prepared to defend myself and did so properly to not give away my position, and retained the advantage of surprise.

Did it ever cross your mind to call 911? Could have saved your neighbors from suffering a break in.

[Ivan275]

Your kid sneaking back in after being out all night?

[HAWK91]

A couple days ago while getting ready for work(I get up at 3am) I heard a noise downstairs that wasn’t a familiar noise, what did I do? I grabbed my ****ing gun and went to see what the noise was from. Turns out it was nothing... but I had my gun!

[Deedle]

I've had to get up for something that went bump in the night quite a few times. It's always been inconvenient to fix whatever it was with a Glock in one hand.

But then I'm sitting in my locked house right now with my G19 on my hip.

[Afterimage]

I would quickly vamoos back to my bedroom and retrieve my shotgun.

Then I would ascertain whether my monster-sized dogs were eating or licking them to death.

[TransplantTexan]

MY wife reminded me the other day of the time right after she had moved in with me (pre-marriage). 2 AM in the morning and there is a noise that sounds like someone just kicked in the front door. I rolled out of bed grabbed the pistol form the nightstand and went to the bedroom door to check the hall.

After listening for a few seconds/minutes (who knows in the excitement) I determine there are no more sounds emanating from the foyer of my 900 sq ft condo so I then checked on the rest of the house.

As I go into the second bedroom I see that the closet rod that was now housing a S***ton of female clothing has crashed to the closet floor.

I walk back into the room and the now wife just looks at me and says to me "well at least one of us is good in an emergency because I couldn't even pick up the phone and dial 911"

She then starts laughing as she realizes I'm standing there with a gun in my hand in my birthday suit (we still liked each other back then).

Ohh the good old days.

To this day if I get out of bed because the dog is going off the deep end a pistol comes with me.

[smashycrashy]

I'd yell out something ("Can I help you with something" or just "Hey") and hit a light.. while heading towards the nearest firearm. If I could get the dogs to bark more I'd do so (training dependent).

Very few (like zero) burglars are going to go forward once detected. The ones that do are either drunk (mistaken address) or high. I'm fine with giving up a "tactical advantage" of surprise if it means the people go away without a shot fired. Since I would be falling back from the location I verbalized it isn't giving up much.

It could be any number of things, I once had a deer hit my front door .. I was in an apartment on the second floor.. and a deer got spooked, ran up the stairs and hit my door.. no reasonable way to think the thing that just pounded on your front door was a deer.. but it was. If I had kids away at college... perhaps one came home for some reason.. drunken mistake address.. etc..

Verbalize, hit a light, fallback, get a gun.. have the misses call 911 if it continued. Every bullet has a lawsuit attached, I don't have to stop the intruder at the door (especially with dogs).

[smashycrashy]

I have had a similar experience.

It was about 1AM and I was watching a movie, all lights turned off, and sound was down on the TV so just barely audible.

I heard a distinct sound of someone jiggling my door handle.

I immediately armed myself with a 12 gauge shotgun. Do not turn on/off lights. Do not adjust volume on TV. Sit quietly in the dark. This gives you a tactical advantage- the intruder doesn't know if he is detected or if anyone is home, etc.

I listened closely in the dark as the intruder checked windows, and tried to jimmy my sliding glass door on the porch. Again, do nothing. Wait. Do not give away your position. There could be others trying another way in and the guy making noise was a ruse.

In the end of the attempt, the intruder gave up. He couldn't jimmy the doors or windows. I sat in the dark, waited, and make coffee in the dark and waited for the sun to rise with my friend, Mr. Mossberg 12 GA.

Indeed there were foot prints in the dirt around the windows and porch upon inspection in sunlight.

But most importantly, I was prepared to defend myself and did so properly to not give away my position, and retained the advantage of surprise.

I think you made a huge mistake.. hit a light (doesnt mean you have to stay in the spot.. in fact you can hit a light and go to someplace dark to give you an advantage).

You let them know they are spotted, they will run off.. then call the cops. They probably wouldnt stay in the area but you never know. Lots of druggies are on foot. You maximized your chance of being in a shooting imho.

[FeuerFrei]

Dogs need meat too. Time to earn their room and board. Sick'em boys! It's what dogs do.

*I'd leave the gun in the safety lock box to add weight and threaten to brain them/him/her with a commanding sponge bob square pants voice.

Everybody knows that nothing bad ever happens to people when in the safety of their own home. That's why we lock up our guns while we are home. Because it's safer.

I really hope the easy lesson is learned and starts others to thinking about the "what if's" and develop a plan.