to Tell or Not to Tell ;; That is the question

There is a lot of controversy in the United States about whether or not someone should put a sign on their door or fence that says "Beware of Dog" ; "Dog May Bite" ; "Security Dog On Duty". These signs may make the intelligent criminal think 'oh, they have a dog, maybe going there isn't a good idea'. This is where controversy comes in. Lets say a thief walks onto your property and gets bit by your dog, and sues. (Yes, it really does happen). There are two points that lawyers/attorneys can make:
Defendant/Defense Attorney - "There was a sign, warning an individual that there is a dog on the premises, and the dog will most likely bite an intruder. Therefore, the thief should not have walked onto the premises without permission from the owner, the dog had every right to protect its territory."
On the other hand:
Plaintiff/Prosecuting Attorney - "The owner put the sign out there because they knew that their dog bites, and the warning states it clearly that the outcome of any approach is inevitable. The owner made it clear that the dog is aggressive, and should have been placed in a more controlled environment."

Now, no matter what you're thinking, both sides have a good point. Many times, the case has been ruled in favor of the plaintiff/prosecutor because a sign does say a lot about a dog and their owner. Many home insurance companies will ask what type of dog the owner has, and will ask you not to put warning signs on your house. However, that doesn't mean you cannot put a sign out there that states that a dog is a resident of that property. They have signs that say "German Shepherd Xing", obviously not just for the German Shepherd but all major dog breeds, and these are fully respected.

Don't get yourself in trouble by posting a warning that your dog may sound in any way vicious or that individuals should be aware that a dog could lunge at them for intruding. Whether someone is a thief in your house or not, with the way that justice and court cases are ruled (civil and criminal) there is a good chance that you could loose your case, and your dog could be placed in isolation so they can be evaluated for the possible Rabies Virus.

Then again, my personal opinion, I think you should have a right to post that you have a security dog, watch dog, etc on the premises. If a criminal steps onto my property, I expect my dogs to act aggressively, obviously I don't want them saying "Hi, how are you doing? Nice weather we're having. You smell funny. Go ahead, take whatever you want." No, that isn't going to happen.