If someone comes late at night and you don't have a loaded firearm under your pillow, mattress or right at hand, you may not have a chance to use it. I had a new baby and was attacked in my sleep (you know how deep you sleep when you finally get a chance to, you get woke up so much). I pulled the murderous sob off my husband and threw him across the room and went at him with a ferocious scream I was gonna rip his eyeballs out
he ran in terror, and this was while I was wounded, he thought I was dead. Shotgun in the closet, ammo on the shelf. Never thought to get it. Adrenaline is a great thing, I have no doubt I would have killed the guy with my bare hands at 104 pounds. I was mad, my husband was unconscious.
Any type of dog that barked could have provided much more protection and I could've armed myself or he might have just took off before harming us. Oh, and dogs love kids because they drop food. Drop more food and your dog will love you more!!! My chihuahuas hate kids. Love me though. I thought about getting an army of them instead of a big dog. They know who brings home the dog chow.