All I would like to add to this discussion is some practical sense. At my place, I have some tempting buildings and vehicles. I have dogs, big guns and small guns. But....
You need to practise your response options. I have rehearsed quite a few daytime and nighttime situations. I come home, "they" are wandering around. I am home, "they" start wandering around. I am home at night, full moon, the dogs light up. Where are shoes, shirt, flashlight, gun, ammo, what lights to turn on or off, which door to exit, what path to take. what stuff will I hit or puncture, any neighbor homes gonna get hit, where is shooting position, etc. I'm telling you you need to scout out your own place to see and hear and practice your confrontation. How to throw down a flashlight to shine them without having them shoot you. Where is a blanket (to throw over one of them after getting them down, where are tie-wraps to contain them (best is one on each arm, then one between each tie-wrap, then one from arms to a leg.
You also need to practice shooting your weapon at night and daytime. How loud is it? what is flash, kickback, one or two hands, aimed or pointed, and at what. What to say, what not to say, how loud to yell it, how to detect how many of them there are, find their vehicle first and disable it. How to strike their fuel tank after a getaway. Flatten tires or start on fire. Where is my lighter.
In my case, a Remington 870 in buckshot being racked up is the loudest recognizable sound that criminals know almost by instinct. If your gonna rack the action, have the right shells, have a flare round on hand, set one off occasionally and approach a stranger with a question: You live here, Pal?
If the answer comes back wrong, a weapon, a subdue, a detainment and a phone call all have to be done. (well maybe phone call is optional, there's always Miss Dig). Still, on a moonlit night, go out and burglarized your own place. You'll at first be horrified at what is there: vehicles with keys, tools, shed unlocked, motion sensors not working, dogs not cooperating, gates hard to open, tripped over a shovel handle (what idiot left that there?). Family member(s) not cooperating or too nosy and loud, Vehicle not ready to chase culprit with, and I'm too tired to worry about it.
The time is NOW. Make sure the judge only gets to hear your side of the story if it comes to that. No warning shots, no sympathy, aim for guts and finish it off. They are they to terrorize you. Don't fall for the female decoy.
Experience is a hard teacher. There are billions of replaceable people in this world, Just think of them as lemons.
Please don't shoot the neighbor's dog, though. That's a real crime.
