The most stolen dog breeds in the UK: 2025 data, updated for 2026

The most stolen dog breeds: 2025 figures

Anyone searching for the most stolen dogs in the UK in 2026 should know that the 2025 police year is the newest data that exists. The next annual release is expected in spring 2027. Here is what the current dataset verifiably says. Where the release did not publish an absolute count for a breed, we say so instead of guessing.

Two caveats before you compare this with other lists online. First, these are reported thefts drawn from FOI responses, so they undercount reality: not every force responds fully, and not every theft is reported. Second, the striking pattern in 2025 is that overall thefts fell about 11% (1,626 against 1,808 in 2024) while several individual breeds rose sharply. Thieves are getting more selective. Not less active.

Why thieves target these breeds

The list is not random. Every breed on it combines some mix of three properties:

• Resale value and demand. Fashionable breeds sell quickly with few questions asked, whether as pets or, for unneutered dogs, for breeding. High legitimate purchase prices create a market for stolen shortcuts.
• Portability. A French Bulldog or Dachshund can be picked up and carried in one arm. Small dogs disappear from gardens and car boots far more easily than a 35kg guardian breed, though the German Shepherd's rise shows big dogs are not exempt when the price is right.
• Availability. Popular breeds are simply everywhere, which puts more of them in gardens, outside shops and on predictable walking routes.

None of this means an unlisted breed is safe, and it certainly does not mean a listed breed is doomed. It means owners of these breeds should assume they are worth stealing and act accordingly.

Breed by breed: risk notes and tracker fit

Prevention habits are the same for every breed and we cover them in depth elsewhere. What differs by breed is physique, and that decides which tracker a dog can comfortably carry. Our picks by size and budget are in our best dog GPS trackers guide. The short version follows.

French Bulldog

The most stolen breed in the UK for another year, with 39 reported thefts in 2025. Small, expensive, in demand and easy to carry. The complete target. Frenchies also spend a lot of time in gardens and short urban walks, both recurring theft scenarios. Their compact neck takes a standard tracker fine, but keep total collar weight modest and check fit around their broad, short-coated neck.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Reported Staffy thefts rose 23% in 2025. Staffies are among Britain's most numerous dogs, which keeps them permanently on this list. A medium build carries any mainstream tracker without trouble. The Pawfit 3s and the Tractive DOG 6, both on our bench, are natural fits for this size of dog.

German Shepherd

Thefts rose 38% in 2025, a reminder that theft is not only a small-dog problem. Working-line dogs have real resale value. Size is no constraint on tracker choice. Battery life and range matter more for a breed that covers serious ground.

Dachshund

Reported Dachshund thefts more than doubled in 2025, the sharpest deterioration in the dataset. They are the definition of portable. Their popularity keeps demand high. Weight matters most here. For very small or miniature Dachshunds, lighter is better. The lightest GPS unit we know of on the UK market is the Weenect XS at 27g, rated for dogs from 3kg (£39.99, subscription required). We have not tested the XS ourselves. Those figures come from Weenect's official site, checked 29 August 2026.

Cocker Spaniel

Eighth overall in 2025 but the fastest-growing theft target of any breed in the release. Cockers are the classic "stolen to order" gundog, and their rise is worth watching in next year's data. A medium build fits any mainstream tracker.

XL Bully

We get asked about XL Bully theft often, so here is the honest position: the May 2026 release did not publish a verified breed-level theft figure for the XL Bully, and we have not found one elsewhere that we trust, so we do not quote one. What we can say is that the breed's legal status in England and Wales (exemption certificates, lead and muzzle requirements in public) raises the stakes of any loss or theft considerably, because an escaped or stolen XL Bully creates legal exposure as well as heartbreak. If you own one, the prevention layers below are not optional extras.

Location matters as much as breed

Breed risk compounds with local risk. The most recent verified county figure, from the 2024 dataset, put Kent at the top with 152 reported dog thefts. And whatever the breed, the theft scenarios repeat: gardens, outside shops, cars, predictable walks. A tracker helps with recovery but does nothing for prevention, a distinction we spell out honestly in do GPS trackers stop dog theft?. If your breed is on this page and your routine is predictable, change the routine first.

How we keep this page current

Breed theft data goes stale fast, and stale lists are worse than none because they misdirect worry. Direct Line's FOI analysis is published annually, usually in spring. We update this page within days of each release and show the check date at the top. This page was last verified against the original 21 May 2026 release on 29 August 2026. If you spot a newer official dataset before we do, tell us. Per our editorial policy we will correct the page and log the change.