withdrawn money from her ATM and was followed home. He even stole her rings. The cops called a neighborhood meeting in part to show her support and calm her nerves. However, he did provide recommendations. He said a nosy neighbor was more valuable than a dog.

I suspect some might disagree with that, but it does support other comments here. You need to make your home an uninviting target: cut down thick shrubs in front of windows, keep it well lit, enable good viewing by nosy neighbors.

We have have had Australian Shepherds for 15 years. They are not starter dogs, but if you have the inclination, they are extremely affectionate, highly intelligent, very protective and very nosy. They have strong herding instincts and will investigate any noise.

Lastly, we have ADT because the annual fees are less than the discount we get on our home owner's insurance for having the system. The sign out front probably helps more than anything.