A knife-wielding intruder who was hiding from police in an Adelaide backyard has been caught out by a pet dog.

Police were alerted to the presence of trespassers on Brown Hill Creek Road in Mitcham shortly after 2.30am, responding to reports of suspicious activity in a residential backyard.

The homeowner, after being woken up, chased two men who had allegedly been attempting to steal bicycles.

"He was chasing them up the street, swinging his baseball bat," a neighbour said.

One of the suspects then jumped the fence into another backyard, where he was found by Nora, an eight-year-old beagle.

Police arrested the man, who they found in possession of a large knife.

"There has been break-ins over the years over here but this is the first time I've been aware of someone being armed and thr

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