Long time ago a burglar broke in and I was in the house. Thankfully he was non violent and just a thief and left when I confronted him. ( Yep, I was young and feisty and just came out of the bedroom and started to walk towards him, talking, and kept walking right into him so he ended up backing up towards the door and out the door. At first he seemed shocked when he saw me and then confused when I just walked right into him.)
Ever since I have two large dogs. Yes, dogs can be shot or poisoned, but why bother and risk detection when the next house is nice and quiet? Works for me, plus I enjoy the unconditional love and companionship the dogs bring to my life.