Two home invasions in one week in my town, how do you protect your self ?

[Xithras]

216. Dogs only work if you train them for defense.

A lesson that many dog owners have learned the hard way. A properly socialized and trained dog will bark at a stranger, but even big dogs rarely bite, and when they do they often have little skill or ability to inflict serious damage. There is a REASON why police dogs receive regular and ongoing training. Without it, even dobermans and rottweilers will run away once an aggressive person swings on them and causes a little pain. Defense dogs must be taught to stand and fight even if an intruder is hurting or killing them. It's a trained skill, not a natural instinct.

There's nothing wrong with having a dog for home defense, but most people seem to have this idea that their gentle house dog will turn into some fearless defender when an intruder walks in, and 9 times out of 10 that just isn't the case.