I have a few cameras setup, few months back caught a guy looking into all our cars for something to steal. I think the cameras also act as a good deterrent, the crim sees that they're already being filmed walking in your yard and piss off. Some criminals even carry their own video cameras to check for IR lights/night vision cameras.

Don't use your big fuxoff maglight even if it's switched on, a lawyer will claim you bashed the other person with a lead filled metal tube. Use something that a court would accept as being laying at hand when you needed to defend yourself ie. golfclubs next to the front door, breaker bar/screw driver/fishing knife in the garage or your car.

In W.A. you have the right to defend yourself or your property in any means that you can justify were required to avoid injury to yourself.

If your dog attacks a burglar tell the cops you told the dog to attack because you feared for your safety, the dog was doing what it was trained to do. If you say your dog just attacked the burglar they classify the animal as dangerous and have it put down.

Each junkie needs steal a lot of stuff to support their habit. If these people keep coming back at least you'll get a chance to catch them on camera, chances are they're known to the local cops.