Get a dog, a barking dog, whether inside the house or in the yard is proven as the best deterrent to burglars.

Reason: It doesn’t have to be a 250 - pound Rottweiler named Killer, even a smaller yappy dog serves as an early warning system. Not only does the intruder risk a bite, but the barking attracts attention. And there is no such thing as a stranger intimidating a dog into silence.

We don’t recommend dog doors. It is not uncommon for thieves to bring small children and send them through these and have the child open the main door. Also, since many burglars are, in fact, teenagers, it is also common for them to bring a younger child with them to do this. If you do have a dog door already, either a) put the dog out and lock the door during the day or b) make sure the access gates to your yard are locked. That way the criminals cannot simply walk by, open your gate to let the dog out and then return when the dog has wandered away.

The truth is a dog, even a small dog, inside a house is not something a burglar wants to to deal with. Getting bitten is not fun.