[Discussion] Body Worn Camera Vs Dog Theft

[Badwolf]

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Good morning. First time poster on this board (hope I've not broken any rules).

In the UK, and I imagine most of the world, dog theft is on the rise at an increasing rate (some sources report 250% increase in 2020). Whereas in days gone by most of these would occur in burglaries, it would appear now that men, women and children of all ages are being assaulted and robbed of their pets during walks.

Sadly most of these beloved pets are not recovered and the offender's never identified.

On that note, I've been considering the use of body worn video when exercising the dogs. It wouldn't prevent a theft where violence is used but it could lead to suspects being identified with the hope of locating missing pets. This is on the assumption that the camera isn't also stolen in the process.

Does anyone, ideally in the UK/Europe use body worn video for any purpose and can reccomend a high quality/suitable camera. Pros and cons etc and general advice on this subject.

Thank you

 

[Ari_RR]

Interesting thought.
Where we are, I am not aware of dog theft being a real problem, especially taking a dog from a person in broad daylight.

That said, I have used (and still do occasionally) use GoPro camera. For the purpose of recording dog-dog and dog-human interactions, they are very interesting to watch and analyze.

I have a harness which allows me to wear the camera on my chest, I also can wear it on my head. I actually have a dog harness and can attach it to the dog, on his back or on his chest.

Observations:
I could never get really good quality of video. It was good enough for what I intended, but quality-wise my iPhone does much better. Maybe because I have an old GoPro model, or haven’t played with settings enough.

Very easy to operate - just press of a button to turn it on/off, hands remain free.

Need to be aware of the angle, turn you body left and right so camera can follow action. Perhaps using wide angle mode makes this easier. I suppose it’s also easier when the camera is on your head, but having it on my head is a bit annoying.

Some people are not fond of being filmed, some have asked me not to video them or their dogs. While I doubt that there is any statute which can prevent you from filing whatever you’d like in a public space - this can be a bit aggravating for some folks, probably easier not to get into a row, at least this is my approach. If someone is uncomfortable and asks to turn the camera off - I just turn it off.

Recorded videos are mostly (in my case I would say 90%) a waste, and just show me my own dog’s butt. The other 10% however are lots of fun to watch, to show to other family members, etc.

 

[JudyN]

I think my son uses a Garmin on his bike - it might be worth you having a look on cycling forums for recommendations. It does sound like a good idea - though as Ari says, innocent parties might not be keen. Maybe you could have it switched off most of the time and quickly turn it on if you see any dubious-looking characters?

This is one situation where I'm quite glad my dog is fear-aggressive and as difficult to manhandle as an oversized set of bad-tempered bagpipes.