A burglar broke into a San Diego home to raid the refrigerator and take a nap — meanwhile, the 'world's friendliest guard dog' brought him toys

In a criminal justice study that surveyed convicted burglars, a “big, loud dog” was regularly cited as a major deterrent, ranking up there with security cameras and alarm systems. Convicted burglars admitted that “dogs are a deal breaker” and “the best to keep people out.”

Simply the presence of dogs could make neighborhoods safer. In fact, research suggests that in “higher trust” neighborhoods, where people say that they trust others who are out on the street, places with higher concentrations of households with dogs have lower crime rates. Robbery, for example, is two-thirds lower in areas with more dogs. Researchers have even suggested that, when neighbors are out walking their dogs, they “are essentially patrolling their neighborhoods.”

But not all dogs are so intimidating. Nash has been dubbed the “world’s friendliest guard dog,” according to Fox.

Break-ins cost homeowners billions each year

Americans lose an estimated $3 billion every year to break-ins, according to estimates of burglary losses by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Burglaries of residential properties account for 62.8 percent of those break-ins, or about $1.8 billion.

The cost can extend well beyond whatever stashed cash and valuables are stolen. Homeowners can also be left paying for damaged doors, broken windows, replacement locks, security upgrades and insurance deductibles.

And that’s before factoring in the cost of preventing a break-in in the first place. Homeowners spend significant money on everything from doorbell cameras and alarm systems to motion-activated lights, smart locks and professionally monitored security systems.

Nash, meanwhile, appears to have opted for a much simpler strategy: hospitality. And the San Diego pup’s wholesome encounter has attracted international attention.

Meet the guard dog who brought a burglar a toy

The break-in happened earlier this month at Dante Rowley and his fiancée Stephanie Calderon’s home in San Diego’s Sherman Heights neighborhood, according to local news outlet San Diego Fox 5. The couple was returning from Chicago when they received an alert from their home-security system and saw a man using a ladder to climb through an open second-story window.

They watched the break-in unfold on their security camera app while sitting on the plane, on the phone with police.

“We were basically giving them a play-by-play; like he’s in the living room right now, laying on the ground,” Rowley told Fox 5, adding that one of the officers took down their information and logged into the app to watch what was unfolding.

Once inside, the man allegedly removed his shirt and shoes; ate yogurt, turkey and cheese from the refrigerator; and, at one point, appeared to lie down and take a nap.

Meanwhile, the family’s 90-pound, four-year-old golden retriever repeatedly approached the man with toys in his mouth. Video shows Nash bringing toys to the intruder at least three times, with his tail wagging.

“We thought, ‘Wow, he’s way more well behaved with that guy than he is with us,’” Rowley joked to Fox 5.

Dr. Katherine A. Houpt, a professor emeritus at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, told The New York Times that “The dog wanted someone to play with, and the burglar is as good as anyone.”