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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

How worried are you about your dog being stolen?

58 replies

MistakesOwned · 11/07/2020 09:01

More and more requests on FB to share details of stolen dogs. Really local to me and it’s heartbreaking. I live alone and walk my dogs by myself. I use popular dog walks but even they can be quiet and lonely. I’ve ordered a personal alarm to take with me but would love any other tips please.

OP posts:

rosiethehen · 11/07/2020 09:08

I think sticking to more populated areas is probably the answer. I don't think there's a way of preventing theft if a person decides to overpower you and take the dog. Part of owning a dog is being able to enjoy going on secluded walks, but with the current climate, I don't know if that's advisable anymore.

Finfintytint · 11/07/2020 09:14

Most dogs that are stolen are taken from the garden whilst unattended.

Original poster

MistakesOwned · 11/07/2020 09:16

I have a high, locked gate to my back garden but I’m still not leaving them unattended 🙁

OP posts:

ElizabethMainwaring · 11/07/2020 09:18

I wasn't aware that it was so rife.
Are they targeting specific breeds?

Sunsage · 11/07/2020 09:23

I am really concerned about this! There seems to be alot of reports in my local area too, I'm just sticking to walking round the neighbourhood / busy areas and not leaving the dogs unattended out the back.

The price of 'designer' puppies has really sky rocketed recently km not sure if this is to do with the thefts.

wetotter · 11/07/2020 09:27

Most of the time it's taking dogs from easy to access garden, or if the dogs vanishes out of sight of the owner (which can often happen in popular dog walking areas with woods or even just in parks)

I do know an owner whose previous dog was snatched in a park (but spotted and retrieved) so I am quite careful.

But you still need to let your dog be a dog. If there is a place near you where the same owners walk their dogs at about the same time of day, and you get in chatting terms with them, then there is likely to be safety in numbers, especially if it's flattish and not too overgrown. The dogs may play together, and it's harder to nick from a group than take an individual.

squeekums · 11/07/2020 09:28

We in Aus but our dog was marked for taking, we found the chalkmark on gutter.

At the time where we lived people had been noticing chalkmarks on their gutter or sidewalk, it coincided with dog thefts at the same houses.
Different colours were for different types of dogs
The ones for fighting and ones for bait. We have the fighter breed, though they would have been disappointed, he no fighter lol
We believe our dog wasn't taken as we saw enough of the person doing it for it to be deemed a risk. We also had an 8ft high gate and cameras

CherryPavlova · 11/07/2020 09:33

I live in hope. He’d not go with anyone else and nobody in their right mind would take him. Not even Cruella.

Happy for him to run a couple of fields away knowing he’ll run back if he sees anyone.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 11/07/2020 09:35

I've noticed spaniel breeds tend to be targeted, loads of stolen/missing fb posts for cocker/springer spaniels 🙁

I'd get my dog neutered for this reason apart from anything else.

Scion286 · 11/07/2020 09:44

This is worrying, I’ve not been aware of it happening around here but when I was doing training classes with our spaniel/terrier pup the trainer came up to me and said ‘be very careful with him, theres a lot of people who would take him for lots of reasons, he’s a lovely dog’ I was really surprised by the comment cause he’s not a designer breed, we paid £300 for him.

He’s 10 months old now but I don’t think we’ll be getting him castrated as he’s quite a nervous dog.

Our back garden is very secure and we don’t leave him out alone. He’s suddenly started really barking at anyone who comes near or in the house. It’s been doing my head in but I’m now thinking it’s probably not a bad thing!

PrayingandHoping · 11/07/2020 09:48

It was worse a while ago (maybe 8 years) for them going on walks... we tinted my car windows so no one could see them in the back and possibly note my walking habits

Nowadays it's more going from back gardens. I never would leave mine unattended at home in the back garden, they are always locked in the house

A lot of stolen dog reports turn out to be lost dog reports though... wandered off on a walk or escaped from back garden. I never let my dogs go out my sight on walks.

PrayingandHoping · 11/07/2020 09:48

It was worse a while ago (maybe 8 years) for them going on walks... we tinted my car windows so no one could see them in the back and possibly note my walking habits

Nowadays it's more going from back gardens. I never would leave mine unattended at home in the back garden, they are always locked in the house

A lot of stolen dog reports turn out to be lost dog reports though... wandered off on a walk or escaped from back garden. I never let my dogs go out my sight on walks.

PrayingandHoping · 11/07/2020 09:48

It was worse a while ago (maybe 8 years) for them going on walks... we tinted my car windows so no one could see them in the back and possibly note my walking habits

Nowadays it's more going from back gardens. I never would leave mine unattended at home in the back garden, they are always locked in the house

A lot of stolen dog reports turn out to be lost dog reports though... wandered off on a walk or escaped from back garden. I never let my dogs go out my sight on walks.

tabulahrasa · 11/07/2020 09:52

We’ve had a few local cases of dogs snatched or attempted to be on walks recently... I assume because of the current high price of dogs.

PrayingandHoping · 11/07/2020 09:53

Sorry for multiple posts! It said it hadn't posted! 🤦🏼‍♀️

CMOTDibbler · 11/07/2020 09:59

Locally, they are stolen from gardens and sheds/kennels (working dogs). My dogs are never in the garden when we aren't there

Original poster

MistakesOwned · 11/07/2020 10:55

Not just my area by the look of other posts.
Spaniels definitely high on the list here but also older family dogs. Sickening.
We’ve had our morning walk by the river (in and out of the river). Lovely morning so plenty of other dog walkers about fortunately.

OP posts:

SlothMama · 11/07/2020 11:18

I do walk my dogs where I know I won't see many people, but these areas are far away from roads. So in my mind any thieves would have to walk for miles to steal them. So I feel save walking them there, but I also don't let them out of sight for long anyway.
A thief is welcome to try my garden, we have a territorial akita who would stop that. He's a big softie with invited guests but uninvited would soon be running away

mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork · 11/07/2020 12:15

The dog owners group in my London (outer) borough is very good and contributors keep us all up to date with dodgy characters who have tried to snatch dogs in leafy dog walking areas, etc (they are quite suspicious-looking and usually seem to go for easy marks, i.e. dog owners who are very young or very old or frail. There is obviously a market for most dogs. It used to be Frenchies and chihuahuas but now it seems the thieves will take any dogs. There is a lot of it about and most of us would never leave our dogs tied up outside a shop even for just a few minutes and we tend to alert people we see doing it on the dangers. I also think that, as a general rule, people should not leave their dogs alone in gardens. Having said that, mine is sometimes alone in the garden but only because I live in a very nosey cul-de-sac and there isn't a chance that anyone would be able to get near my garden gate without several neighbours noticing and my dog barking her head off (which I can hear indoors). In my borough, dogs have, from time to time, gone missing and then been picked up by other people who have not bothered to return them until publicity becomes too great and they claim to have bought them from someone. TIPS: I call my dog back to go on the lead if I see anyone behaving oddly when we are in the forest, particularly if they seem over interested in her. I don't mind passers by admiring her and asking me about her but very occasionally some seem just a bit off and phony. I want her on the lead because, if she senses my disquiet and they come too near, she will bark - also I want her with me if we have to run away!

mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork · 11/07/2020 12:19

We've also had dogs taken from cars in supermarket car parks round here. As far as I have seen, the owners have not got them back - quite often Frenchie puppies.

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 11/07/2020 12:36

The dogs stolen around here are mostly working gundogs from kennels. These dogs are often also pets as well, so the bond with the owner can be really strong. Some make it home, some do not.

Our garden is very secure and I keep a close eye on my dogs on walks. I don't have much of a regular routine either.

vanillandhoney · 11/07/2020 12:42

I'm not remotely worried. Everyone knows everyone around here, and I never walk in totally isolated areas. I'm also a dog walker and often have 3-4 dogs off the lead at once.

I do think a lot of dogs that are "stolen" on walks are dogs who have no recall and have just run off or gotten lost, though. Similarly, dogs who are left tied up - the owner may not have tied the dog up properly, or the dog could have slipped their lead or collar.

I would never leave my dog alone in a car or tied up anywhere, though. I also don't let him out of my sight on walks - his recall is solid and if it wasn't, I'd keep him on a lead - there are more cases of dogs running off and getting injured/hit by cars than stolen.

overweightcat · 11/07/2020 12:52

I think it's usually from back gardens as PPs have said. But again where I live owners don't let their dogs run off for miles or out of sight. We have plenty of footpaths and they can get quite busy so everyone is either keeping them on a leash in the busier places or they have those fantastically trained dogs that literally stay beside them at all times - mine unfortunately is not one of them

Also everyone is very up in each other's business and because we live a bit rurally everyone has quite high fences and any new faces are being watched by the nosy neighbourhood watch brigade like a hawk so probably wouldn't really be able to get away with it.
Last summer we had a couple of shady characters wondering up the lane trying car doors at about 3-4am when it was only just getting light and eyeing up sheds and they got nicked before they got halfway down the estate because some of our neighbours are either very light sleepers or very early risers for random jobs.

LochJessMonster · 11/07/2020 12:57

We’ve just had about 50 dogs/puppies stolen from 2 local breeders. Cockers/cockapoos mostly.
Then this week a breeder/boarding Kennels was targeted and they took breeding stock, puppies and boarded pets.

Spaniels are often taken as they are working dogs and usually kept outside in kennels, and in higher numbers.

Davodia · 11/07/2020 12:57

In the 80s our dog would spent entire afternoons in the garden, behind a waist height fence with a hole for her to look out. Nobody ever tried to steal her and it never even occurred to us that might happen. How sad that people can’t even leave their dogs in the garden nowadays. My dog is always supervised for exactly this reason. I wouldn’t go for a walk in an isolated place, I’d be concerned about dog theft and also about rape.

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