we had 2 guys come to a home pretending to come see some Yorkie puppies and at gun point made out with the pups and mother ,threw them in a black garbage bag and took off.I always wondered people who let strangers come into their homes to see puppies, you just never know who you are opening your door to.This happend on Friday.Thankfully the poeple that were selling these pups ($2500 a piece)had cameras in their home but so far no luck.
Sorry if it's off topic guys ,but I thought I'd let this story pass around for people with pups in adds for sale.

Alice and Susan - all I can say is Holy Crap! I would never, ever leave my dog on the sidewalk alone waiting for me .

I suppose you both have a lot more faith in people than I do!

Angelique, they found those dogs! Four out of five were returned to the owners a couple of days ago. The tips to the police led the cops to the father of the 21 year old who stole them. They questioned the dad who in turn questioned the son. He then turned himself in. The paper said that they think he and his other accomplice did it to give out as gifts to people and although the dogs were found unharmed, they were already separated in places kind of far away from their original home.

But like I said, all but one puppy was returned as of the other day.

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Holy Crap! I would never, ever leave my dog on the sidewalk alone waiting for me

i'm sure you are right, as a general rule. i guess my immature 20 yr old brain just figured there were easier pickings out there than a 180 lb. male mastiff. who likely is going to raise a huge stink if anyone lays a hand on him. not to mention we were in our own neighborhood, where he was very well known. the neighbors would have noticed if someone walked off with him.

if i were still in nyc or a major metro area today, yeah, i would not leave ANY dog sitting alone on the sidewalk. even if he isn't wearing a leash (which sam often was not--his obedience was perfect), someone can always put a lasso around his neck.

Dogs get stolen for lots of reasons, and wanting a cute pooch is probably the least of them (plenty of shelters to find a cute pooch). I would suspect it's more for gang rites or halloween sacrifices, or some other form of torture. Sorry to have to post this so blatantly, but if it saves a dog from being stolen while left unattended, then it's worth it.

Ann, I just wanted to address your post about leaving your dog in the summer in the car with the A/C on....if your car stalls for any reason, any reason, your dog is dead within a few minutes. And worse things have happened in a busy parking lot in the middle of the day. Criminals are getting more bold, the lowlife scums.

As far as a dog getting stolen out of a car, that's why I don't mind my pup barking his deep bark when someone passes by the car or approaches. My mind is made up that I will actually praise him for it, even if my head splits from the noise by my ear. I've already taught him "guard" which I taught my last GSD. To him, "guard" (presently only used in our backyard) at this young point in his life means to bark ferociously and get really hyped up, running back and forth.

I don't even trust my neighbors not to injure my dog (not the greatest neighbors and bratty kids), much less someone I don't know. Lear is never in the backyard without me either there or in the kitchen where I can see him at all times.

Sandy, you're right, dogs get stolen for lots of reasons. One of the primary reasons is to sell the dogs to laboratories. These same people (bunchers) are very big on getting dogs/puppies that are advertised as "FREE TO A GOOD HOME".
People steal dogs to use as agitators when they are training and conditioning fighting dogs, too.
They steal them for ransom.
And they steal them to use as breeding stock, if they half way look like a pure bred dog.
My two are never left outside alone, and I don't leave them in the car, either.

Alice, I would think that you'd be ok doing that in NYC, or if not ok, at least better off than in a place with fewer people. Most people about to commit a crime would not want to be seen. A stranger trying to drag a mastiff off would be fairly obvious, whereas the bitch of a vet tech knew him, so it's likely he just went with her happily. Most people wouldn't approach that dog, either. I would never leave mine where anyone could get to him b/c he'd bite someone if I didn't specifically tell him not to. He'd stay where I left him, but if someone tried to take him, even if they thought they were doing him a favor, it would surely get ugly. Then I'd be sued.

About leaving them in running cars: I do this all the time. I do it while I have lunch with a friend, I do it while I'm running in and out of stores, and I do it while I show houses. It costs me a ton of gas, but I can't leave the windows open in many situations b/c of people getting too close to the Jeep,so I just park it where I can see it and make sure it's still running. It's not something you do for hours on end; it's a convenient way to leave them for 15-20mins. I've never had a problem. I also have a remote start that lets me know if it cuts the engine, if that's how I started it. If the car is very cool and all windows are closed, it takes more than a few minutes to get dangerous-much better than leaving it NOT running w/windows not down enough. My Jeep is black, w/black leather, and it gets extraordinarily hot just sitting if there's no shade. Windows down or not, it's waaaay too hot to leave a dog inside...let alone a black dog. I'll throw the money away and keep him comfy.

This got off the track of theft, but it's a real concern for those paranoid about someone stealing their dog if it means they don't leave windows totally down. I was stunned when I realized that there are still people that don't realize how quickly a dog can die in car in the heat.

While everyone has the best of intentions, it's not always practical to never leave your dog anywhere. We can't watch them 100% of the time. If someone is going to steal an intimidating dog out of a locked, running car, then what's to say they wouldn't do the same in your home while you're at work? It gets to a point where you have to do the best you can to prevent forseeable problems, but not be paranoid. Lock the fence, lock the kennel, lock the car, don't leave them vulnerable...fine. But to say they're never going to be alone is not practical. Your dog could be stolen from the yard just as easily if you're in the bathroom as if you ran to the drycleaners. It only takes a second.

Just to clarify, absolutely Jenni is right to mention NEVER to leave the car windows closed without the AC on if your dog is in the car. And Jenni, you're right to mention it - there are babies and toddlers that die here in Phoenix every summer because of some stupid parent that "forgets" their child is in the car and runs in to get their hair done, or go in the house after running errands. If idiots can do that with their child, a dog is a definite afterthought for a lot of people.

While my dog is still a pup and not reliable to protect himself against a dog thief, I do watch him at all times....when I have to go out, he's in the house, in his crate.

But my last GSD I could take with me to run errands...I would leave the windows cracked open, but that was ONLY in the winter and very cool autumn days....never EVER on a warm day, much less the summer. There was no way she would let herself be taken, even by someone she knew. She wouldn't go without a fight. Her stay was solid and time reliable, and "guard the car" was exactly the same as her stay.

Just wanted to clarify about the dog in the car issue.

Sandy, when Caleb was little, I NEVER left him in the yard alone. I sat outside with him if he wanted to play. I was petrified that someone would see what he was and steal him. He wasn't reliably nasty until he was about 18-24mos...now I dare anyone to try to steal him .

I understood your dog-in-car post perfectly. Just adding my P.O.V.

a puppy is at great risk for being stolen out of a car. it seems like it happens around here just about every year or so. but i would think a full grown GSD you could leave the windows all the way down in summer, and nobody is going to mess with that dog. especiallly if he's clearly guarding the car. especially if its in a public place with people around.