“hanging a“Beware of Dog” sign”
While this is suggested for non-pet homes, dog owners should be aware that posting such a sign will open them up to civil liability if an intruder is injured by their dog.

“Do not confront the intruder. Protect yourself by staying out of his or her way and cooperating with them. Your life is more important than your valuables, so keep yourself safe!”
Except that more often than not the person who cooperates still ends up being a victim (there was a recent home invasion in Regina where had the owner not resisted she would probably not still reside in ‘the land of the living skys’). There are other options for self defence, but one passive suggestion is to outfit your alarm system with a wireless key fob option: this can trigger a silent panic alarm that notifies both the alarm company and police to an emergency.