There was a darn good reason my dog was baking last night! a theft!

[Laurielee]

And I should have investigated. Someone rifled thru our garage and my purse was stolen!

Ok I cant believe this, I live a rural area, we never leave our garage open and I never leave my purse in DH car, guess what, thats what happened last night.

Jake woke me up about 4 am barking like crazy. I thought it was the coyotes that always get him riled up, but I didnt hear any. I went out back bring him in and noticed the garage light on, but was too tired to turn it off. And went to. DH this morning wanted to know if I had been going thru his toolbox, then we noticed our gloveboxes open in our cars.

I ran out of checks and had blank checks in my purse.

Ok now I am really freaked out, DH said our deadbolt was messed with in the house and maybe I did have my purse in the house and they came in and took it. And he parks outside so they could have used that to open the garage. But I think the garage was left open and they took his garage opener!!

I am really upset because they may have been in the house!

Can I get my garage door opener reprogrammed?

Laurie

[sneezles]

Oh man, that is scary and it would totally piss me off too! If you have an opener that you can open the cover on there should be a series of numbers that you can change the code with, if not then I'd disconnect it and install a new one. Plus I'd change the locks on the house. Hopefully you've reported the break-in to the police so that when you contact all your credit card companies and your bank you'll be covered by any use of those things by the thief.

I'm so sorry!

[MaryH]

And here I thought maybe he had learned how to operate the oven by himself.

[Robyn1007]

Yes, I hope you've called the police, bank and are working on credit card companies. Disconnect that garage opener immediately and I agree, I'd change all your locks especially if you had keys in your purse. Hope you're doing okay emotionally, I'm sure this is scary.

[ljt2r]

How awful! I'd keep the dog inside overnight if I were you.

[Gumbeaux]

Can I get my garage door opener reprogrammed?

Laurie

Yes.

There should be a "learn" button on the back of the garage door opener (most garage doors made over the last fifteen years or so have rolling codes for security and will have this button). By following the manufactures instructions (from either the printed instruction manual or the internet) you can reprogram the new remote that you will buy. After you reprogram the new remote you can test the remaining old remote, which has the the same code as the one stolen. This will give you confidence that the stolen remote can't open your garage before you change the code on it.

If you want to secure the door before you get your new remote, without having to climb a ladder to unplug it, you can tie a small piece of rope around the door and the track on the inside of the garage. If you do this be sure to tape a note over the wall button and remote controls to remind you not to use them unless the rope is untied first.

[Peggy]

Eee Gawds, Laurie!!! That is terrible!! Call your bank, credit card company and change the code on the garage door. I would doubt that they were in your home since nothing was disturbed and nothing seems to be missing. Maybe you should keep the house alarm on "stay" at night when you are home. Watch your credit and banks accounts carefully for a long time. They might have been specifically looking for identify information. Has the sheriff come out yet to investigate?

Hugs!

Peggy

[Laurielee]

How awful! I'd keep the dog inside overnight if I were you.

He does sleep in the house most of the time. We have a dog door that I used to keep closed at night but since I have 2 senior dogs that have to take night time potty breaks I have been leaving it open.

Stupid me I should have been alerted something was wrong because I woke up an hour before for my potty break and thought its nice out and opened the windows and knew the garage light wasnt on at that time. But when Jake woke me out of my sound sleep it didnt register that the light was off earlier but now on. But probably a good thing as I would then have confronted the person when I went to turn the light off.

We got the garage door opener re-programmed. I think he was scared away by Jake and me as my car glove box was open but they ddint take my opener, or nothing on my console which had house keys and other keys.

LAURIE

[Laurielee]

The sherrif just left and said these types of break ins have become rampant in our area. She said she doesnt live far from us and have had people scoping her house


Laurie

[Gecko]

I am so sorry that this happened to you. I know very well that sickly feeling of knowing that someone has been in your house going through your things. We ended up going with an alarm and an announciator to give us piece of mind.

[Alethea]

But probably a good thing as I would then have confronted the person when I went to turn the light off.

A huge YES to that. I am so sorry this happened to you.

In reading your second post I got chills down my spine thinking how close you could have come to surprising the burglar and I'm so thankful you didn't worry about that light in the garage. My parents' house was burgled when I was a teenager and my mother and I were out in the far backyard when it happened. There's a large barn and surrounding paddocks on the property and so we were quite far away from the house on a dark, winter evening. Both my mom and I looked at the house and thought it was weird that there was a light on. Both of us started to investigate and then decided not to, thinking one of us hit the wrong switch or something. Boy am I glad we weren't more curious in that particular moment in time.

I hope that your bank can swiftly correct any potential fraudulent checks or withdrawals, and more important, that you can regain a feeling of safety and security in your home.

[ljt2r]

He does sleep in the house most of the time. We have a dog door that I used to keep closed at night but since I have 2 senior dogs that have to take night time potty breaks I have been leaving it open.
LAURIE

My parents had a rash of what I call driveway thefts. And they have loads of big dogs too. But I will say it is probably a sign that you yourself were in no danger--i.e., they had no interest in entering your house (but I completely get being freaked out and worrying they could have--no one wants to be the exception to prove the rule). Dogs are simply the best theft/home invasion deterrent there is--I am glad you have some. And it is their barking more than anything, so size/age are somewhat irrelevant. I would never live without one.

I have to smile because my dog too likes to cry wolf and chances are I might have ignored one of them in particular if he had been barking in the middle of the night since he likes to bark at everything. Luckily my younger female thinks both of my males are crazy and she really only barks if there is a good reason.

This will probably sound crazy but when I worry about burglars I never worry about me--I always worry about them doing something awful to my dogs. And now my kids too of course, now that I have kids. But I used to worry about my dogs even when I was a kid.

[mom2garret]

What an awful feeling! :mad:

Others gave you the advice you were looking for regarding the garage door opener.

I hope you feel secure soon.

Oh, and I hope the b@stard that did this to you, falls, breaks both legs and arms, gets an itch on her/his nose and has no help to reach it

Jodi