When people refer to a home robbery, they are describing a home invasion attempt, which happens while the home's occupants are still present. The perpetrator or perpetrators will enter a home and force the occupants to give them money or something of value. These crimes are often very violent in nature and very frightening for the people being victimized. A home robbery is different from a simple burglary, because robbery suggests that there is some kind of direct threat involved.
Most experts say home robberies are usually committed by multiple perpetrators. When someone is entering a home to threaten the owners, he will generally want to be prepared for any resistance, and the more people he brings along with him, the safer he will feel. Most home robbers are also armed for the same general reason. Having multiple people around is also helpful in gathering any valuables, because one person can watch the occupants while the other people search the home.
There are some precautions that individuals can take to make themselves less vulnerable to home robbery attempts. Robbers tend to be careful when targeting a home, and they generally look for places that aren’t well-defended. They may want a home where they aren’t likely to be spotted or heard by any neighbors, for example. People can take precautions to make their home less appealing, like getting floodlights to make their yards more visible at night.
A protection dog can also be a good deterrent to a home robber. The dog has several advantages beyond its ability to threaten a potential robber physically. Dogs make noise, and they have better hearing than people. A dog may notice that a home robbery is in progress before the owners of the house will, and that sort of advance warning might be all that a person needs to abandon the crime. Home robbers understand this, and some will tend to avoid homes if they discover a dog is present.
Obvious security devices throughout a person's yard can also be a deterrent to home robbery attempts. They show that the owner of the house is aware of security risks. Some people may also wish to purchase an actual weapon of some kind, especially if they live in a dangerous neighborhood. Home robbers sometimes force people to disable security measures before entering the house, so alarms aren’t always good enough. Some hold the opinion that having a weapon only makes the situation more dangerous by increasing the chance for violence, but this is very much disputed by others.