@ScarredBunny
I’d agree that the loss of the phone and the dog suggest they’re either unsophisticated, it was a particularly late night for the family compared to usual, or it’s an early stage of surveillance. I wouldn’t necessarily assume the person left after the dog barked, possible that the person remained all the time, eventually either able to give the dog a treat/stayed still enough the dog felt it had done his duty and wondered off. It’s not the nicest thing to consider, but I’d keep all options on the table. Because the phone in question doesn’t have night mode, I’d assume it was being used to message someone else or as a recording device. A light would be too obvious and by your description, Insufficiently precise and bright to examine your property.
There doesn’t seem to be much online. In some sense, good, because that can be used by criminals - but also not very helpful for people seeking to protect themselves. I've found a couple of bits and pieces.
(1) Assailants interested in you
www.itstactical.com/intellicom/physical-security/psd-concepts-introduction-and-daily-routes/
www.bigmarker.com/t4survival/Home-Invasion-Preparedness?utm_bmcr_source=Facebook
This has a bunch of pages, all of which are quite informative and along the lines of what is done professionally. Ignore the overblown terms, they just want to seem ‘cool’. There are some webinars out there too, go for ones led by Israelis - they are the best in the business.
(2) Assailants interested in the home
www.homeadvisor.com/r/securing-your-home-from-burglary/
www.familyhandyman.com/home-security/20-secret-hiding-places/
Ignore advice to keep dog bowls in the garden. That opens up opportunities to do harm to your dog. Think creatively about hiding valuables, I developed my own set of hiding places as a teenager and my parents never worked them out. We just hope our children are less devious.
A brief word on motion detection if people are thinking about some bigger investment: Think of your garden as a multilayered security environment: dark corners at the very end, an intruder is likely to be standing. Set motion detection lights/alarms to go off at movement within a specific height range. As an intruder gets close to the house, they’re likely to have limited approach options to avoid detection. They’ll keep low, in the shadows, and away from the open. Use their strategic mandates to your advantage, their lack of choice gives you solid ground to plan your devices. This goes back to what I was saying about dictating the path of an intruder in terms of where they break in and the route they take in the house, using decoys, taking control is also good for your mental health after such an interaction.
Finally, act now. Right now, you have all the motivation you need to get on top of security. If you wait, these feelings will dampen and security becomes something that can be put off until nicer weather, next weekend etc.