MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. -- A family dog is being hailed a hero after it stopped an intruder from breaking into their Madison Heights home while two teenagers were home alone.

“She’s always been a guard dog,” said Keri Bienienda.

Binienda, 17, said she heard someone come through the unlocked back door of her home in the 1800 block of Parkdale last Friday around 9:45 a.m.

She said her dog, a boxer-bull terrier mix called Bear, started barking.

"I was sitting in the family room and I ran to the back door," said Binienda, who screamed when she saw a man. "He had already grabbed my dad's laptop and it was sitting by the door," she said. "I was like, 'What are you doing in my house?'"

Her dog ran to the intruder and cornered him behind the back door, preventing him from leaving.

The man kicked the dog and was able to run out of the home but not with the laptop.

Binienda ran to get her brother, Andrew, 19, who was in his bedroom.

Her brother ran after the intruder but was unable to catch up to him.

“It was just a really scary moment…I was in shock,” said Keri Bienienda.

The teens' father is grateful to the dog and said he now regrets being less than enthusiastic when his daughter brought the dog home.

“It was a good thing that the dog was here. Who knows what that person might have done?” said Tom Bienienda.

The family said they bought the dog $50 worth of toys at PetCo as a reward.

The intruder has not been found and police have few leads.