Am I Over-Reacting?

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Okay, so I've been in my new apartment on my own for a month now. It's in midtown between urban and residential. Anyway, I'm in a basement unit, but the building has no security anyway. It's undergoing renovations and the intercom hasn't been put in yet and the door to the building is usually unlocked. It's not a bad neighbourhood. But a few minutes ago someone knocked on my door. (2:00 am) So I didn't open it, but asked who he was. He said I name I didn't recognize as being someone I knew and so I asked where he was from. He seemed to realize that he had the wrong place. He asked for someone by name who used to live here I guess. And then he went on his way. I never opened the door, but it doesn't really offer that much resistance and neither do the three windows that don't lock. So . . . my question is (and I don't want to move):

Should I get a guard dog?

Your landlord may not allow you to keep a dog but you should talk to him/her about when the intercom will be fixed (mention the incident you had at 12 AM). Looks like you need to check on the window catches to make sure they are burglar proof and you also need to check on the front door deadlock as well. I would check on the terms of your lease to see whether the security of the apartment can be upgraded at the landlord's expense.

It was two in the morning - quite uncivilized, but there is a high density of student population in this neighbourhood. Could have something to do with that.
I have no lease - the whole deal is a little slipshod. But it's the best rent I could find in the city with utilities included.
I really don't see enhanced security as being possible. They are supposed to be replacing the windows because they are broken but who knows when that will happen. And I don't want bars on the windows in case of fire.
The landlord is cool with me having a dog.
And the intercom . . . again who knows.
There are just too many points of entry to secure.

Might be over-reacting a bit.

I used to sell security alarm/video surveillance systems etc. You could go that route if it let's you sleep at night. However, most monitored systems will require a 3 year monitoring agreement (contract) and the landlord's permission to install stuff. They're not for everyone and don't solve every problem, but for some people it let's them sleep easier at night.

You could also setup a simple local alarm (siren only, not monitored) or a surveillance camera. Maybe you just need a peep hole in your door or something else super simple and inexpensive? Maybe you just need a Maglite or a baseball bat or two around the place?

Regardless, just like I used to tell my clients.. you've got to do whatever makes you comfortable. It's not up to me to decide whether you should alarm every upstairs window or not. I just educate you about your technical options, pros and cons etc, and you decide what works for your budget and lets you be comfortable.

And no, I don't mean that in an alarm sales sense at all. It's just the example. What I mean is if you won't be comfortable until you have a guard dog in your apartment with you (and you can afford to care for one) then by all means go out and get yourself a guard dog. Only you can decide for yourself what's going to make you feel safe & secure or not. Someone else might want an alarm system, another might sleep with a loaded gun nearby, and you might need a 4 legged friend.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

If you're a dog person and can & will care for one, go for it!

I thought I wanted a dog someday until I house sat for a friend and realized how needy dogs are whereas his and other friends cats are so much more self sufficient and don't have a need for constant attention. I could see myself maybe having a cat someday - but maybe a dog still.. never know. Maybe my friend's dog was just annoying.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

Dogs are extremely demanding and expensive. And they crave interaction which can be annoying. If I can get an older dog with low energy and an intimidating bark I may go for it. I've had dogs before. Sometimes it's worked out great, sometimes it hasn't. But I am aware of the commitment. I've had to put a few pets down before and that sucks.

Cats are cool, but practically useless against an intruder. Mine would either hide or roll over to be cuddled.

I don't think you need a guard dog just from the description of the one incident. You said there is a large student population there. It just sounds like most likely a student looking for a friend and who just got the location of the apartment wrong. He was not hostile nor did he try to enter and he left when he realized he had the wrong place. He might have even felt embarrassed about it. It did not seem by your story that he had any aggressive intentions. So just from that story I don't think you need a dog. If you want a dog for the sake of having a dog see if you can get one but unless you want one as a pet, I would not go that far unless you hear reports of attempted breakins or unless you have more incidents. Dogs are huge responsibilities and they are not inexpensive.

If you are concerned for your safety start with window locks and maybe a door club. If you want a pet and a dog is what you would like and you are able to care for one, then if you are allowed to have one, get one.

Here is the link to the door club
http://www.theclub.com/catalog/the-door-club-p50.htm

Here are window locks
http://www.homedepot.com/c/how_to_secur ... s_HT_PG_DW

Okay, I'll check them out. Thanks.

I was thinking maybe one of these if I really freak out:



What a cutie.

LOL!! He is cute!

And don't underestimate cats. My parents had a friend who had a Siamese cat who was a better guard cat than any dog could ever be. We always had Siamese cats too so my parents knew several people who had them. But if you broke into this guy's house, his cat would jump on your head and claw your face up. He was sweet to the guy's friends but he was no joke when it came to protecting his property and owner. Of course this is not common for cats but some of them can be great guards.

I was once lucky enough to have a Siamese. He was a great cat. Not much of a fighter, but once while bounding across the furniture he ricocheted off my head from one piece to another.

You need a burglar alarm!! Your landlord shouldn't object to this. My neighborhood is a New Jersey suburb that you'd swear was a safe, nice neighborhood when you look at it but if you only knew what lives around here, it would really spin your head!! Almost every house in my complex has a burglar alarm! The "lovely" (sarcasm) people who live around here do the watchin' while their low-life associates from the city drive in and clean out your place. If they happen to intrude while you're in your own house, they'll beat you unconscious and God knows what they'll do to you while you're passed out. A dog isn't a real answer to the problem. The cops are. Burglars will just give your dog food and the dog will leave them alone or they'll hurt the dog to shut it up.
That person who came to your door INDEED DOES mean you harm - that was no mistake!! That person is known as a "scout". They do that to feel an opportunity out - to case the property and the area - LOCKS MUST BE CHANGED!! ! That's NOT the person who will break in. That's just the data collector. If your landlord doesn't want to do anything to insure the safety of his tenants, then he may be in on the gig. No lease and no formalities is a really noticeable red flag! If you get an alarm, an intrusion will alert the alarm company to dispatch the police. Your landlord MAY NOT - I REPEAT - MAY NOT know your doorcode!! Be careful!! ! If you can't afford an alarm that can dispatch the police, you'll need one from a hardware store that just makes a lot of noise. New locks are always a good idea, window locks, etc... Something to jam the windows shut so they can't be opened. A door club is good too. If you can afford a real alarm, these have motion detectors, window locks, and door locks PLUS the police are dispatched upon a breach of that security.

But why target me; I don't have anything. There are richer people in the neighbourhood. I'm getting a dog.