By Dakota Murphey on Apr 27, 2023
From the moment we welcome dogs into our homes it quickly becomes difficult to imagine life without them. Whether that’s the whirlwind of chaos they’ve introduced or the affectionate cuddles on the couch they’re almost too willing to enjoy, we love our dogs irrespective of what.
As such, we do what we are able to to make them joyful, from walks within the park to treats and belly rubs, it’s all good from a dog’s perspective. While great, owning a dog is a giant responsibility and besides veterinary bills or compromising your routine, we must also concentrate on dog nappers.
Each yr roughly 10 million pets go missing within the United States and with the boom of thefts as pedigree dogs grow to be much more desirable, it’s more essential than ever to protect your dog. Here are some essential suggestions to help keep your dog protected at home and if you enterprise outside.
1. Reducing social media posts
Social media for dogs is maybe the easiest way to procrastinate from work but while it’s fun to follow this rabbit hole, there are risks involved with contributing to dog posts. Although taking fun snaps or videos of your four-legged friend is just a part of the fun of owning a dog, sharing an excessive amount of of this content on social media can draw the eye of thieves.
Just out of your social media posts, would-be thieves can work out: where you are taking your dogs for walks, should you leave them at home alone for any length of time, and perhaps most worryingly, their name. It’s great to teach your dog a robust recall but think about using a distinct command word than their name as this will then be called in a public place by a kidnapper and your dog could go to them, through no fault of their very own.
Social media posts of particular breeds also can bring them to the eye of potential dognappers so consider making your profile private so only friends and family can see and enjoy your lovely dog photos.
2. (*6*) within the park
Dog owners need to be vigilant against thieves, particularly when owning a fashionable pedigree breed. Knowing what to search for in a dognapper can aid you simply avoid the situation altogether and keep each you and your dog protected.
For starters, whether it’s within the park, on the road, or anywhere else in public, don’t let people get too close. People hunkering down extra low to stroke your dog isn’t okay because it’s quite easy to scoop them up from this position, so ensure and stay close to your dog at all times outdoors to prevent this.
3. The vulnerabilities of pet monitoring apps
Pet monitoring apps help reduce the anxiety we sometimes feel when leaving our beloved dog home alone. If we worry that they is likely to be distressed, or we expect they’re chewing the cushions to shreds, we are able to log into our monitoring app on our phone or device and check on them.
Live footage of our dogs at home alone might be great for us to see that they are literally silently sleeping but they’ll leave pets vulnerable to theft too. Cybersecurity won’t be the very first thing you think that of to protect your pooch but in case your monitoring app is hacked or device is compromised, footage of your pet home alone might be used to learn when is one of the best time to take them.
But you may protect yourself with strong passwords, updated software versions, and multi-factor authentication (MFA). As Jed Kafetz, a cybersecurity expert, highlights “MFA provides an important secondary layer of defense in the event of a password being stolen and is especially important given people’s tendency to reuse passwords across accounts.”
4. Fences and gates are essential
We like to think that our dogs are protected so long as they’re inside the perimeter of our homes but the reality is nearly 2 million pups are the victims of theft. Worryingly, only 10% of dog owners get their pets back so we must be certain that our homes are as secure as possible to prevent any theft from happening in the primary place.
Consider putting locks on any gates and establishing strong fencing around your property. A useful addition to your gate is a bell or noisy mechanism that may draw your attention should someone open it. Even then, try not to leave them outside unattended, particularly within the front yard as someone could conceivably swoop them up and drive off before you notice.
Of course, our dogs also can grow to be escape artists without anyone else’s help, so finding an answer that keeps your particular breed from springing free is crucial. Whether your dog digs, has a special leap or is large or tiny, appropriate perimeter fencing is vital to make your garden or yard like Fort Knox for dogs.
5. A mixed walking routine
There is nothing inherently incorrect or dangerous about walking your dog, if there was then there could be quite a lot of unsatisfied pooches world wide. However, we can also’t ignore the proven fact that dogs are stolen while being walked by their owners or dog walkers.
Dog thieves often steal particular breeds because they know they’ll fetch a high price for them. Pedigree dogs find themselves the goal here and many dog nappers will spend the time to scope out certain areas to pick up on the routines of their owners.
One of one of the best ways to guard against that is to simply keep your routine varied, one walk turn overlooked of your home and the following time turn right. Additionally, mix things up further by visiting different dog parks, taking different routes, and altering the times you allow. Ultimately, the less predictable your behavior and walk times are, the less likely you’re to be targeted by a dog napper.
6. Upgrade your walking equipment
Most dogs love going for walks and it wouldn’t be fair to deprive them of such fun frolics for the sake of them possibly getting stolen. Besides mixing up your walking routine you may also spend money on useful dog-walking equipment and accessories to offer you greater peace of mind.
Here are some dog-walking accessories to protect against theft:
- Cut-proof leash
- Cut-proof collar
- Alarmed dog lead handle
- Wrist straps – to tether your dog more firmly to you
- GPS tracker
Cut-proof leashes and collars are made using steel wire that’s woven right into a reinforced design which prevents opportunistic thieves from cutting through and snatching your dog out of your grasp.