The Old Trainer: Take steps to deter dog thieves

DEAR OLD TRAINER: I saw on TV that stealing dogs is up 50 percent. My husband says he has never heard of a dog being stolen in our town, but an increase that big worries me. We love both our Shelties and it would kill me to lose them. Is it true that dog theft is a common occurrence?

Eileen, Carmichael

DEAR EILEEN: I can’t find any reliable statistics to support that claim. If you search the Internet you see articles by companies selling security systems claiming 2 million dogs a year are stolen. An equal number of articles by firms that use dogs for research claim none are stolen.

The American Kennel Club estimates fewer than 400 dogs are stolen per year, but that information is useless because no one reports dog thefts to the AKC. There is no centralized agency that keeps reliable statistics.

We know thieves steal dogs, we just don’t know how often it occurs. One thing we do know is that it occurs most often with small dogs. No thief is dumb enough to try and steal a big guard dog.

It’s unlikely anyone will steal your dogs, but, as the old Mafia kingpins in the movie “Casino” say when discussing whether a mob member will keep his mouth shut, “Why take a chance?”

You can make sure it doesn’t happen by taking a few simple steps: Put microchips in your dogs, keep them in sight at all times when you are in a public place, and never leave them in the yard alone.

DEAR OLD TRAINER: I just found out it’s possible to put an ID microchip on my dog. How much does it cost and is it worth the money? Do you use it on your dogs? How do you attach it?

James, Merced

DEAR JAMES: A microchip the size of a grain of rice is inserted under the skin of the dog by your vet. It’s painless and costs about $40, plus $20 to enter the information into a national database. Most clinics by rescue groups offer it at bargain prices.

Once it is implanted, a vet or animal control officer can pass a wand over the dog’s neck and determine its history, owner’s name, and where it lives. It is a safe and effective way to ensure your dog will be returned if it strays. I use it and I recommend it to all owners. Even smart, trained dogs get lost.

I took my smartest dog skiing one time and she had a great time, riding up the chair with me, running down while I skied, getting fed by pretty girls on the deck.

She looked out the window as we drove and looked around while we were there, and her dog GPS calculated how to get back. The next time I left for work she went to the ski area to socialize. The animal control officer called me and told me where she was before I even knew she was gone. That convinced me the chip is a good idea.

This story was originally published December 5, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "The Old Trainer: Take steps to deter dog thieves."