Find Out Which Dog Breeds Are Most Stolen by Thieves - How to Keep Your Dogs Safe 

Definitely microchip. Collars and tags can be removed. A microchip can be the only way to prove ownership. Take good photographs of your pet. Look for distinctive marks on your pet in the coat or on the skin and take photos of those too. Vets and any type of pet shelter have a good reputation for aiding the return of a stolen pet. If your pet is missing, phone all the local pet agencies with a description. I've heard of vets that will actually find an excuse to detain a pet until you can be contacted. A good vet will also protect your interests if you wish to return a stray to its owner. Strays are rare in my neighborhood which is full of dog lovers. I took in a stray German Shepherd and phoned all the locals with a description. I said I meant to keep the dog but would happily return him to the owners if they ever called in. It took a few months for the owners to turn up. They were new to the area and the dog slipped away during their move. The vet's office mediated the return instead of just handing over my contact information to complete strangers. I really appreciated that consideration. People can be as passionate about their animals as they are about politics and religion. You just never know.

Please discuss sane methods for dealing with stray dogs when people are out walking their dogs on a leash. I've had incidents where I ended up bruised and bleeding with torn clothing trying to make sure neither dog took damage.

Definitely padlock the yard gates, especially if there are young children in the household. The locks are inconvenient, but children and even dog owners eventually forget to close a gate. Locks are inconvenient but trying to locate a missing dog can be pure agony. Also there have been unhappy incidents. In one such case, a child had gone missing in a neighborhood. Police were walking into all the local yards to search for the child. One officer let himself into a fenced yard that contained a dog. Naturally the dog objected to trespass in its territory. The officer used his gun and killed the dog. The owner was mightily upset but there is no comfort arguing the right and wrong when you are watching man's best friend bleed to death. Always use a leash when you take your dog from your property. I don't care how well trained the animal is. There is always that chance in a million your dog will bolt. Few humans can catch up to a dog on the run. The leash is protection for your animal.