Does a dog provide a reasonable deterrent against house theft?

Question

Is there any evidence to suggest that owning a dog or that evidence of a dog (barking alarm, beware of dog sign) reduce the likelihood of your home being broken into?

Example 1:

Most burglars do not want to have to deal with a dog. Dogs can deter robbers in several ways. First the burglar does not want to get bit so a big mean dog may very well deter a burglar.

Example 2:

Beware of Dog is another sign that is a good deterrent. Who would want to take the risk of being mauled by a Rottweiler or pit bull?

Example 3:

Barking dog alarm is the most efficient way to deter burglars and to keep your home safe and secured especially if you are out for travel.

Answer 1

There is suggestion of moderate deterrence in the 1980s Kirkholt Crime Study (in north west England) reported on page 7 of this burglary statistics report

Based on findings from a small sample of burglars in a study in Kirkholt (Forrester et al., 1988; n=76), over half of the offenders felt deterred by occupancy, visible burglary alarms or high visibility at the point of entry. Findings from a small group of active burglars (Cromwell et al., 1991; n=30) indicated that for a sample of 30 active offenders, 90 per cent stated that they avoided selecting houses that appeared to be occupied and 70 per cent were deterred by the presence of a dog.

On the other hand, advice to homeowners from Crimestoppers (an official English crime prevention organisation) from an ex-burglar said

Avoid ‘Beware of the dog' signs. They are a sure indicator that you don't have an alarm in your property. A thief will also think that you probably leave your back door open to let the dog into the garden. The same goes for an ‘I love cats' sign, or something similar. Pet owners often don't have an alarm.