Police are investigating a spate of attempted break ins and robberies in the city’s East End.
A house on Arbroath Road was targeted on Tuesday when the thieves escaped with items including a Tag Heuer watch, worth around £1,000.
An attempt was made at another house in Broughty Ferry last weekend by a man wearing a waist-length cream coat.
He smashed a back door window pane of a house on Strachan Avenue before fleeing after being disturbed.
Police said they were not ruling out a connection between the incidents and urged householders to be on their guard.
Another potential theft was prevented on Kingsway, close to Caird Park, after a pint-sized dog scared him off.
Lori Malone’s 12-inch shichon – a cross between a bichon frise and shih tzu – raised the alarm after a man tried to get in through her kitchen door.
The 25-year-old said little Abel “held the fort” by barking at the man as he made his hasty escape.
“He is so small, but he obviously thinks he is a lion,” she said.
“If it wasn’t for him I don’t know what would have happened.
“The guy must have thought there wasn’t anyone in.”
According to Lori, the intruder tried to come back, but this time she decided to confront him head on.
She said: “I thought the best thing would be to face him – I was terrified but thought it was the best way forward.
“He just mumbled something and walked away.”
A spokesman for Tayside Division of Police Scotland said householders should take every precaution to protect their homes.
“If you are going out, leave a light on or fit internal timer switches to your lamps, lock all of your doors and windows and consider security lighting for the outside of your house,” he added.
“If you have an alarm, set it and if you don’t, consider getting one.
“Remember to secure garages and sheds and keep valuable items out of sight from passersby.
“It is also worth considering the information you post on social media. If you advertise that your home is unoccupied, it can be an open invitation for opportunistic thieves.”
Anyone with any information should contact Police Scotland on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
