If all South Africa's armed homeowners banded together, they could probably muster enough firepower to win a small land war.

But despite their arsenal, they are losing the fight against criminals in their own backyards.

The answer, security experts say, is to scrap the Glocks, Colts, Magnums and Berettas and replace them with well-bred, well-trained dogs.

"No-one can steal a dog and turn it against you like a firearm," says Terry Baikie, who breeds and trains German shepherd dogs to protect their owners.

He also teaches the people who buy his dogs how to handle them properly.

"I have had a couple of rape victims who are now back in their normal life with a dog as a family member, following them around.

"I bleieve they have gained a lot of self-confidence and are feeling more secure. They are not 100% safe, but they will get a second chance with a dog near them," Mr Baikie says.

South africa has 3,4 million registered firearms, most of them in the hands of the white population of about 5 million.

But the presence of a gun in a home seldom deters robbers and more often becomes a lure as powerful as jewellery or cash.

Thousands of firearms are stolen every year.

"The trend for the homeowner is towards a dog which can afford some degree of protection, as opposed to pure pet value," says Mr Baikie.

Clive Birch, who trains security dogs and has twice been saved by his German shepherd, says nothing compares to dogs as a crime deterrent.

"I would rather work with a dog than a man. A dog is not going to drop you in it - he will back you up, he will lay down his life if necessary," he says.

"A firearm nowadays has become a primary target for any would-be thief, so your armed guard is at very high risk. The guy's got this perception that a firearm is a key to every bank, every shop, every till.

Mr Birch points out that it is easy to miss with a gun, but a trained dog will always get its man. "Once that dog is released, you can duck and dive and go into a ditch, all sorts of things, but the dog is going to get you."

Dogs sometimes attack innocent people, which is where animal psychologists such as John Faul come in.

"In South Africa, as in most other countries, more and more people are buying large guarding breeds to protect themselves from crime and are totally unaware of the real capacities of these dogs or how their social systems of order and rank work," he says.

"In the great majority of cases, aggressive dogs are created by their owner's lack of understanding of how they regulate their social behaviour."

Mr Faul says owners have to make clear to their dogs who is at the top of the hierarchy.

"There's no doubt that a lot of people are now recognising the advantages of owning one or two guard dogs, as opposed to firearms," says Bruce McKenzie, who last year rescued a three-year-old Doberman from the SPCA and sold his Beretta pistol.

"I found my firearm controlled me. It was always a concern that I coudl shoot the wrong person for the wrong reason or, even worse, have my own weapon used against me. With Candy I've got something I trust and I know she's always looking out for me."

In October, 4-year-old Bella of Ridgeway in Johannesburg scared off six armed hijackers to protect her mistress, Nicole Russell. When one of the assailants produced a knife, Bella lunged at him and was fatally shot by his accomplice. The men then fled and Russell believes she owes her life to her young dog.

- own correspondent and Reuters