That reminds me of an idea I saw online years ago about this. It said to have a dog chain and a water dish on the porch - even if you don't have a dog. Another good one (if you don't have a dog) is have "Beware of Dog" signs on the front and back doors. If you do have a dog, it's not a good idea to have these signs. Because, if your dog bites someone, it shows that "You knew the dog was dangerous." (Illinois courts are a little goofy... jmo)