How to prevent your gundogs from being stolen

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a huge spike in the demand for dogs of all breeds. Between the start of April and the end of June 2020 the number of puppies registered increased by 26%, as people sought a ‘Covid Companion’ to take on their government permitted daily exercise walks.

Of course, a spike in demand is followed by a spike in prices, with research by the Pets4Homes website showing that the average price being asked for a puppy between March to September was £1,883, a rise of around £1000 when compared to the same period in 2019. For some popular breeds, such as labradors and cocker spaniels - coincidentally the most popular breeds with the shooting community, according to the 2020 Game Shooting Census - the asking price could have been as high as £3,000. 

And where there is demand and high prices, there are those who seek to make a quick buck, which has seen a dramatic rise (some stats suggest an increase of 250%) in the theft of dogs. Social media is awash with posts from anguished dog owners pleading for information on their beloved dogs.

It might be easy to think of these thefts as opportunist crimes, but the reality is that this is often an organised operation, targeting breeders and those known to have high value breeds. There is even some suggestion that the thieves specifically target female dogs, or even pregnant bitches in order to maximise their returns. In this environment, the shooting community is especially vulnerable, so it makes sense for dog owners to look at their security arrangements. Here are some top tips on protecting your dogs from theft:

Think about where your dogs spend the night

Clearly, many dog thefts take place under the cover of darkness, so consider how secure your dogs’ sleeping arrangements are. BASC advise keeping your dogs in the house where possible, as thieves are less likely to break in. However, where people own several dogs, there’s a good chance that they are kennelled. In which case:

Locate your kennel within sight of the house

If you can see your kennels from the kitchen or bedroom window, it is far easier to keep an eye on your dogs. What’s more, if you hear something suspicious in the night, it is far easier to check on them. If you can’t move your kennel closer to the house, consider other security measures like reducing the access, making fences higher and installing gate sensors or some other form of alarm system.

Keeping your dogs in the house not only helps keep them safe, but means you get someone to share the fire with

Install CCTV and security lighting

CCTV is now relatively cheap to get set up, and is fairly easy to install - there are even systems that you can monitor via your mobile phone. It can help to have more than one camera, to maximise the chances of catching the ne'er do wells in the act. Hand-in-hand with CCTV comes lighting - a security light turning on can be enough to spook a would-be criminal, but in the event that it doesn’t it, it still makes the CCTV images that much more useful in tracking down the perpetrator, successful or otherwise. 

Be careful when you are out and about

While many dog thefts are planned, some are more opportunistic, so if you’re out with your dogs, be wary. Avoid leaving your dogs in an unattended car if you can, and if you must do so, make sure the car is locked. Ideally your dogs will be in a lockable crate too.

There have been reports of people being assaulted while out walking their dogs, and while there’s not much that can be done in this situation, if you’re walking your dogs in a public space, keep an eye out for suspicious looking people and don’t allow anyone you don’t like the look of to touch the dog, no matter how nicely they ask.

Think twice before leaving your dogs unattending in the car

Don’t advertise

While its harder for dog breeders to stay off the criminals’ radar, for regular owners, it is best to avoid making yourself a target. All sorts of things can bring you to their attention, from incautious social media posts that give away your location, to car stickers or even signs on gates. 

What to do if your gundog is stolen

If you are unfortunate enough to have your dog stolen, there are a number of things you can do now to increase the probability of getting them back. It is now a legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped, but do make sure the information and contact details are up to date.

Take plenty of photos of your dogs, focussing on their distinguishing marks / features, so that you have good images to provide to the authorities and help members of the public to recognise them. Ensuring that they wear a collar and tag (when not working) can also help to find them and deter potential thieves.

This article was produced in partnership with Chudleys