How rational is it to be worried about dog theft from unclipping of leads?

[OnlyHerefortheBiscuits]

How rational is it to be worried about someone unclipping the lead and an accomplice coming by on a bike or scooter to execute a quick getaway with the dog? Or something like that. Especially if anyone fusses the dog as a distraction.

I recently changed her collar to an "old fashioned" leather buckle one (rather than a clip one) for this reason, but it's pointless if the leads are all the usual clips which are easily undone. Now I'm wondering if I need to replace all the leads with ones that have swivel lock carabiner ends....but they're actually quite hard to find. They're usually heavy duty ugly things for hiking with Big Strong Dogs not 7kg miniature poodles en route to a café. 😂

Suppose it depends where you live but it only takes once.

Am I being ridiculous?? Does anyone else worry about this?

Sorry but your post reminded me of this 😂

@Danioyellow - haha! I know that one

For me it’s also just another credible way that someone knows its name and is thus the owner. If there was no tag and someone/vet/whatever asked its name and you said “oh, erm, Bob” and the dog had zero reaction, hello alarm bells.

I also don’t see why someone else needs to know my dog’s name. If he gets lost, phone the mobile number and I can show you approximately 15,937 photos of him on my phone, or, go scan his chip at the vets

I'd TELL them her name, hand over the lead and wish them good luck. She'd be home by lunchtime. She's a popular breed round here, but a working dog and the hardest work of any dog I've ever had.

I have never had any fear of anyone stealing any of my dogs. Obviously I wouldn't leave them outside in the garden all day and go out, but I think using two leads is a bit over the top.

No, he was quite obviously still intact 😁

I use slide tags - name and phone number on one side, and the address on the side against the collar.

I'm not usually the paranoid type, but friends of friends had working gundogs stolen. Both of mine are trained to working standard (and I work one), which is obvious when I'm out walking them to anybody who knows what they're looking at, I thought putting the address that side was a sensible thing to do. They're attractive dogs and people often stop to chat and maybe make a fuss of them, and it would be easy for someone nefarious to quickly read a normal tag.

During covid, when people suddenly decided to get dogs, there was a huge amount of dog theft. In my area we also had a few dog snatches while dogs walking off lead a few feet from owner and even thief unclipping dogs whilst pretending to fuss them and running off with them. One dog, who regularly walked by some forest land and liked to run in and out of bushes near the path disappeared within a few minutes. It was later found that he must have been snatched by someone actually hiding there and must have been taken to a waiting car. A huge search and publicity (posters, etc) campaign finally got him back six months later from a place about 60 miles away (tip off from a member of the public). It is better now but if you look at the doglostuk website, dogs are regularly stolen from outside shops, sometimes parked cars or when left unattended in gardens. One near me was left tied up outside a store about a month ago while owner shopped and was found about a mile away later tied to a lamppost (outer London suburb).

I have my dogs on climbing carabiners. Don’t buy special leads just add them onto the lead through the original clip loop. I do it in case of lead clips breaking rather than worried about dog napping. Nobody would get close enough to steal her as she is reactive. She is also always on a walking belt so if I were to drop the lead she’s still attached to me.

The only dog I have ever given this some thought to is one of my current dogs as he is an entire male, which perhaps make him more valuable to scummers who steal dogs to make money.
He isn't a hugely common breed and have had people ask what he is, but I am always wary to stay back from them, never give too many details. I only once said to someone that he is friendly and afterwards regretted saying it (but in my defence they were genuinely scared of him). I wouldn't say that now.
I think the size of my dog puts people off, that and the speed he can run, no way anyone is catching him. My smaller dog however is reactive, and yet because he is small people approach us, ignoring the obvious signs he absolutely does not care that you think he is cute & does not want to be introduced to you dog to play (Yes I have had this "oh he just wants to play, looks he's just excited to meet a new friend🙄)
Both have tags on their collar, my details only and definitely not their name. In fact one dog has 2 tags as he wears a collar & harness and there is a tag on both. They are also microchipped and the tag stats this also.

I am always very aware of my surroundings when out walking, I rarely see anyone other than other walkers. If I thought my dogs were at risk I would look at a different collar and lead combination, but between the size of one and the barking and growling of another I think I am perhaps not an easy target ( I certainly wouldn't give off friendly, approachable vibes either if I thought my dogs were at risk 😂) But if you think you are at risk on the routes you take, then take precautions. I guess in these situations we never think it will happen to us so being aware is never a bad thing.

Totally irrational

I do understand you’re thinking it’s certainly gone through my mind, it’s one of the things that put me off buying a trendy dog. When I got my first chihuahua years and years ago they were the in vogue dog at the time. I remember being very cautious not walking the same routes, being vigilant aware of my surroundings etc etc.
I would be tempted to have the little one on a thin light harness with a lead and also a collar with a lead. Just for double security, that way if someone did unclip the collar, you’ve got time to react and you’ve still got harness. I hope that’s makes sense 😀 x x

All those joking ‘they would bring my dog back in 5 minutes’ no they wouldn’t. If they had no need for it after stolen it would be killed, taken somewhere and let go, or if lucky tied up somewhere to be found by the public or god forbid sold to train /bait dogs for fighting.

Underground dog fighting is very much a thing in the Uk. There is a documentary on it.

Please never leave your dog tied up outside a shop.

Not first hand experience but there were a lot of incidents round us of attempts on the local FB page a few years ago (just after Covid) when dog prices and demand were high. Only certain breeds seemed to be targeted. Not heard of any incidents or attempts recently, it all seemed to die down this past couple of years.

https://www.directlinegroup.co.uk/en/news/brand-news/2025/five-dogs-stolen-every-day-.html

An interesting article on dog theft, with useful information on how to minimise risk. It does say that five dogs are stolen every day, which is quite alarming, (although I guess some could have run off), but overall the numbers of stolen dogs are declining.

(Now I’m going to have a sleepless night worrying about my dog being stolen!)

On the basis of those stats:
Given that the dog population of the UK is about 13 million, the chance of your dog being stolen in any given year is tiny (1.4 in 10,000) with a lifetime risk (assuming a life of 12 years, which is about average) of fewer than 1 dog in 500 being stolen in its lifetime. Some of those thefts are going to be when one party in a separation takes the dog without consent, and similar situations.

It massively depends on breed, I think.

Smaller dogs are probably more likely to be stolen - good for dog fighting (which is more like baiting), if you pick the right breed you can make a fortune off puppy farming (which as mumsnet has proved time and time again, including this week, people have no issue with - as long as the puppy is cheap and happy, they don’t care about the mother).

So, yes, people are right to be nervous. Not necessarily because it’s statistically likely but because if it does happen your dog is either going to have a short, painful, life or a long painful life. Neither are good options.

The benefit of a bigger dog, I suppose, is it’s less likely to happen! I can’t see anyone trying to steal @CoubousAndTourmalet dog, for example (and if they tried, then they’ve certainly got bigger balls than me), now she’s fully grown. 45KG+ is hard to fight against if the dog doesn’t want to go. When she was younger, I could totally see the risk - as I could with me. But now I imagine it’s a much smaller risk (if only because of her size, but also her breeds personality).

But a cocker or a poodle or a frenchie? Yeah, it’s easily done.

Wasn’t there a case a few years ago where a woman let someone pat her pig (or some other flat face breed) and they unclipped its collar and ran off with it?

Certainly the risk is largely gone for me now, yes @LandSharksAnonymous but up until she hit Labrador size it was a worry, given my experience with Finn (mentioned upthread). As pups they are friendly, as adults they become more aloof around strangers. I don't think I'll ever stop being vigilant, because, sadly, these days my breed could fall into status dog territory. I really wish that was not the case, but twice we've been asked "is that a Caucasian?" (Although more often wolf grey, the Ovtcharka can be cream or beige, and there is a resemblance). Both times the person proudly told us they had Cane Corso / Perro de Presa Canario, so you can draw your own conclusions from that... It troubles me. The PMD has always had a good reputation as a family pet, and never was a status dog.

I do agree though, certain trending breeds like Frenchies and now, as you rightly say, cockers & mini poodles (because of the money in cockerpoo breeding), will always be more at risk. It still pays to be wary, and I think the days of tying your dog up outside the Post Office are, sadly, long gone for most.

@CoubousAndTourmalet definitely agree about leaving a dog outside the post office! Not only for the stealing risk, but also people seem to be less dog aware - so often I see children reach out to pat dogs without checking first.

I can see it re. The status thing tbh, which is a shame as they’re a lovely breed. At least no one will ever buy or steal a Goldie for the status symbol side of things - they’re exactly going to install terror in the eyes of the world, are they? 😃

I don't understand what scenario you're thinking of OP. Do you mean leaving your dog tied up outside somewhere? If so, just don't do that

If you mean when you're walking, well anyone wanting to steal your dog wouldn't go to the trouble of unclipping the lead, surely they'd just yank the lead out of your hand. That's a really unlikely scenario anyway, I wouldn't give it too much thought.

That is very true about kids rushing up to grab, or trying to feed them rubbish 😒

Be thankful for that about your lovely breed @LandSharksAnonymous , that it doesn't appeal to the macho types. This is the main reason that Brie will never be bred, despite there being no endorsements on her papers.

I would have thought thieves are more likely to target loose dogs in the park rather than one on a lead.

Yes, the topic of the thread is 'unclipping a dog from its lead' to steal it, rather than overall theft of dogs. I can't leave mine tied up outside anywhere (she's horribly reactive and might well take a pop at a passing dog) anyway, which would be the danger point, but the fear of anyone stealing her while she's on the lead? Non existent.

We get our carabiner leads from here, they're really strong but light and easy to keep clean

www.apparelbyunleashed.co.uk/products/blue-waves-biothane-lead