The door-kick-in thread has me reevaluating my home security set up. In that thread, users posted a door frame strengthening system from Home Depot that looks like a great addition to my home.

What else can I do that is effective to help harden my house? For example, I know my front door knob is easily picked and jimmied (we keep a means to jimmy it in the land scalping for when my wife locks herself out, this is not ideal, I know). What sort of lock should I look for? What about windows? I have a garage door, anything I can do about that?

This is stuff I'd like to do before adding a security and/or camera system.

Mean sounding dog is a good start

Motion activated floodlights mounted high.  3M shatterproof window film.  

Where do you live? I mean, whats your address.

GSD of actual German decent 

Skip the American version.

Read this or dupe

Isn't every GSD of "actual German descent"? Isn't that kind of in the name? If you are under the impression that the GSDs that they are breeding in Germany these days aren't as big of pussies as the Americans, you are wrong.

1.  Almost all residential locks are easily picked.  You can go commercial but they are expensive and usually look out of place on a home.  Consider double cylinder deadbolts.  Leave the key in the lock while you are there.  Remove when you aren't  This will keep a thief from being able to open a door from the inside.  Think very carefully if you have a family.  Not being able to egress in the event of emergency is a problem.
2.  Longer screws that penetrate the door frame and secure to the stud framing help a lot.  Kits as you mentioned are also good.
3.  Shorten or remove emergency release on garage door operator
4.  Windows will always be an issue.  Have heard good things about film but wonder about their effectiveness.

There are American and German and within them there are several sub classes such as American Show Line, American Pet line, West German Show Line, Czech Working Line, East German DDR

The German, Chech, and DDR dogs are totally different beast from the American lines lol. Even the WGSL dogs parents have to meet certain criteria before their puppies can be registered. usually both parents have earned titles in IPO/Shutzhund. As someone that has owned and been around around both I can tell you that most American GSD's don't have the drive or natural protective qualities as European Dogs. If you want a good quality GSD buy from a breeder that specializes in German bloodlines; a good pup will be in thousands and not hundreds. My current guy is 10 months old and 90+ and he is a handful due to his drive but at only 10 months he is already trained and very protective.  

This.

Supplementing them with some always-on outdoor lighting can also be effective. Basically, you use always-on lights to discourage thieves from even considering your property, and then use the motion activated lights to surprise anyone who still persists.

LED bulbs are so incredibly efficient nowadays, the energy cost of running a few of them from dusk to dawn is insignificant. Example: A "60 watt equivalent" LED bulb only consumes around 9 watts - That's about a penny a night in electricity cost.

Security cameras can also be somewhat of a deterrent, although we've all seen videos of thieves who completely ignored them.

Fake cameras are under 10 bucks, and install a lot quicker than the real, wired ones - can be useful for getting some deterrence in a hurry, until you have time to get a real system up and running.

Since most people turn their dogs into pets the breeding really doesn't matter.  A security dog, that will viciously attack any stranger in the house, is not going to be a pet.  You can live with a security dog and have it as a personal pet but only if live alone and never allow anyone to come over ever.  Also dogs might be protective of people, your pet may defend you, but if you remove the person the dog will not know to protect things unless he is trained to attack any stranger.

Breeding really does matter, lots. A well trained and well bred dog knows not to attack welcomed guests.

Again we are talking about expensive real GSD's with real training. Honestly most have never been around either to understand this. ETA in reality even in a regular family pet breeding still matters, genetics and traits 

Put a lockable storm door on.  Place a set of keys to it and the main door buried someplace on your property.  I do that in case I walk out sans clothing and lock the door...or otherwise am without door keys.

I agree with the vast majority of what you're saying. At the same time, it's folly to assume the average dog owner will train any dog well enough to fill this role. If someone is going to pick up protection sports as a hobby, that's one thing. To buy a dog with an inbred desire to bite a full grown man and not let go isn't the best idea for the novice. 

I've always seen people recommend thorny type bushes beneath the windows in these threads. Don't know their efficacy personally, but it seems like a good idea
if you can swing it and it doesn't look terrible.

A large breed dog is time and time again, one of the MOST EFFECT home security/determent additions.

It's been proven over and over again that most thieves will not attempt to break in to a house with a large breed dog. It doesn't even matter if they are viscous or not.  It is a pre-breakin determent "device".

I recently added a Ring video doorbell. Records motion and bell ringing to an off site system, let's me talk to someone at my door like an intercom. 

Running LED flood lights on a timer all night, costs me about $15 per month. 

Yeah, the only problem is convincing your wife that it's worth all the drool and smell in a small town with ultra low crime. The current dog is no joke, but unless we come home to a bunch of torn bloody clothes or a broken door etc. she's refusing to replace this one with a bigger, smellier, and more confident version. 

You have a beyond giant dog breed .  I technically have a large/giant breed (Dogo Argentino) but I don't put it in the same class as the 120+ pound dogs.

Getting right to an intruder's level, I'd guess some security system lawn signs are a good start. Making anyone that looks at your house aware that you have considered your home security situation may be a big factor in deterrence. 

It may signal 'there's easier places to try'. 

Consider a security storm door and keep it locked. Not that they can't be defeated, but it's one extra barrier they have to get through that will make noise and take time. Every second counts.

Punji pits. Claymores. Very simple and very effective.

Does anyone use window break alarms? Do you recommend any?

I have been considering picking some up. If someone smashes the window an audible alarm would go off. That alone may deter some intruders, if not it would be a warning to anyone at home.

Yep - Knowing who lives next door, what kind of vehicles they drive, normal times when they're home, etc. makes it easier to spot unusual people or activity.

The NextDoor app is also handy for keeping in touch with neighbors - makes it easy to pool info about crimes, suspicious people and activities, post security camera videos, etc.

3m security film on your windows

Front yard landmines

For your garage door one upgrade is probably the cheapest you will do.  A small zip-tie used to hold the emergency release handle to the release point on the track mechanism will prevent someone from using a coat hanger to release the door from the track and open it.  Your next move for a garage door would be to get a deadbolt kit that will unlock the deadbolt before the door opener starts to open and lock the door after the opener has closed the door as part of the door opener's operation.

The idea of door armor kits is smart, especially those that include hinge armor plate.  Use 4-inch screws to install all that door armor to insure it ties the door frame to the house framing around the door frame.

For the doors themselves, the door reinforcements that slide on and have the door handle and deadbolt installed through them makes it harder to kick in that part of the door.  If your doors have glass panels you can upgrade to security glass for reasonable prices.  I priced them for my doors and for a 3/4-inch thick, tempered glass & security film laminate was about $300 for a half-door panel.  Those panels can be had rated to stop handgun rounds up to 9mm and 38Spl.

Your windows should be triple layer for insulation purposes.  You can get window glass that includes security film between the layers and some people have said it can be retrofitted to existing windows by opening the glass and adding the security film between the layers then resealing the glass.

Replace the screws in your hinges and latch plates with ones that actually reach in to the studs.
Typically 3 inch X 8,s.
Add a real good dead bolt that reaches at least 1 inch into the frame.
Get rid of any glass that surrounds or are in the door, (lights) as the are known in the door hardware industry.
On your telephone entrance protect it by bring it inside if you still have one.
Motion lights outside are a good deterance as well.
Oh yea a big ass Shepard works pretty good too.

I had window break alarms in lieu of window monitors that chime.
Here's the issue. Mine would occasionally give a false alarm. If it gave a false alarm at night, the alarm would go off. If it would trip in the day when the alarm is disarmed, it would make the same chime as if I'd open a door.
My glass break sensors were old and retrofitted onto a 40 year old home probably 10 years before I bought that house. Your mileage will probably be better.

Dog barks and dropping an item that makes a slap sound (like a metal broom against a wood floor) can trigger it too. I think they can be adjusted though. New ones are probably a lot better.

The glass break is a good idea, because if a crook wants in your home they can smash the glass and enter without opening the frame. Glass sensors are probably harder to bypass.

Rottweiler.

Buy this- its the cheaper one but its easier to install. Door Armor Mini Combo Set - White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LSWEEDI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_P2NQyb3SAS3F0


My brother in law was a home repo man for a while, he said the schalade locks were the hardest to pick so thats what we got.

The least burglarized neighborhoods are the ones where everyone knows each other and dont hesitate to call 911 if they see suspicious people and vehicles.  Word eventually gets out to the criminals to stay away...especially if a patrol car shows up minutes after a neighbor spots them prowling.

For your multistory house, don't leave ladders or anything that can be used as a ladder laying around outside.  Imagine yourself being locked out of your house,  How would you get in?  Could you stand on the roof of your shed that is right up against your two story house to access your 2nd story window?    Remove anything that can be used as a way to reach inaccessible areas.  Thieves are very resourceful and creative.

Also, keep your driveway secured so a thief cannot reverse a delivery van or truck into your garage,   All they need to do is look like some movers or utility workers and they can load up the van or truck from the rear, where no one can see.  Some wear construction safety vests and lanyards with what looks like an ID.   They also sometimes remove the vehicle's front license plate so that when it is parked with the front end visible to the street, no one can see the plate.   Its also parked that way for a quick getaway,  Burglars dont look like the ones on tv....they dont slink around and dart their eyes.  They have mastered the art of appearing relaxed when in fact they are either casing your house or acting as a lookout while their boys loot your house.   They pretend to be talking on a cell phone or listening to earbuds or appear engrossed in some legal activity.  

If you think your back yard is full of weeds and trash and that the tiny window in your back yard that is nearly inaccessible to you will never be used by a burglar to gain entry into your house, surprise.....that is exactly the window they will use to get in as it is hidden from view and people underestimate a thief's desire at getting into your house so they may not even secure it or realize it is a weak point.

If your house is hit, and if you do not take measures to secure it such as getting an alarm system etc...chances are good the perps will be back because now they know the layout of your house and they know where your wife hides her jewelry, where you keep your guns, etc.

Burglars also know women hide their jewelry in the bathroom, so you might want to keep most of her stuff in a safe deposit box at the bank and find a better hiding place for the stuff she wears on a daily basis.  They know the game--- first place to search is your master bedroom.  They will look for your safe and rip it out of the wall, etc.  If they cannot find any jewelry, money, there....they KNOW is has to be somewhere else in your house,


The most devastating burglaries happen when neighbors dont give a rats ass about each other and when the thieves have a lot of TIME to ransack your house.   Every drawer in every room pulled open, contents dumped on your bed, food eaten from your fridge, etc.

Abloy door locks

My buddy has a doorbell recording that chimes <ding dong> like a normal doorbell followed by a loud dog barking and growling for a few seconds. To add to the illusion he has a dog bowl and a leash attached to one of the posts on his front porch rail. While it's not a true obstacle, it might scare off some less daring bad guys ringing doorbells to see if anyone is home.

Leave a large dog bowl right outside your back door or on your back patio.

Also, fake security cameras at front and back doors.

You don't need to spend shit loads of money or turn your home into Fort Knox to deter criminals...

There's a former termite treatment truck roaming the neighborhood with a universal remote control to open garage doors.  You do the math.

For your windows.

Moats

In response to @Mal_lee - I cant quote for some reason.

Defensive landscaping is one of the services my company provides.  It is very effective in deterring crimes of opportunity but, like many security measures, does little against a targeted theft.  If the neighborhood junkies know you keep a few grand in cash and have thousands in firearms and electronics they will walk naked through 100 miles of rose bushes to get your stuff.

Edit- I have always had Rottweilers but have found that more people are terrified of my 55 pound Pitbull than my 115 pound Rotty, she eats quite a bit less, and doesn't run me over with excitement when I get home.

Oh, to the people talking about longer screws, ditch the screws and buy Timberloks.  They're pricey, but they hold better than lag bolts.  

Like someone above said, tight knit neighborhoods don't have these problems.  Get to know your neighbors.

When I was in college a lady down the street locked herself out of her house and knocked on our door asking to use the phone. When she couldn't get hier husband, my housemate and I walked up to her house with her to try the old credit card trick.

We were unsuccessful with that, but I was able to pull out a trash can, climb up on the roof, back two small screws out of a skylight, drop into her kitchen and go unlock the front door.

Her boxer looking mutt just laid there and looked at me while I walked to the front door.

I learned a lot that day about skylights and relying on dogs