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as far as i know, you are allowed to use equal force to defend yourself... so if the person who broke into your house has a gun, and you have a registered shot gun in the closet, you can shoot them... but in your scenario, if the guy comes at you with a knife, somehow gets around the dog, and you have to defend yourself with your big and scary 17" machete, it's ok. when the cops get there, just say that the thief had the machete and you had the kitchen knife... as far as the dog biting them, it is up to the judge if the thief decides to press charges for the dog bite. if you have signs on your property that warn them of a dog on premises and so on, you might have a chance. if not, then the judge will say that you were negligent and you will be held responsible for the damages your dog did... so the best thing to do, is to make sure they cant press charges after your dog bites them...
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