Originally Posted by yngldy
Seems to me that is a quilt were microchipped, all a thief would have to do was submerse the quilt in a tub of water. The microchip in a dog is under the skin, which is somewhat waterproof. Maybe, the quilts could have a device like the department stores have on clothing (but harder to be taken off and waterproof, teehee), and the detectors at every door at the quilt show.
Microchips were designed for a wet environment. Under the skin of a dog (or any other mammal) is essentially a wet environment. Microchips are encased in a tiny glass tube, so they are waterproof. The tube is tiny enough that it is nearly impossible to break them; during a demo, I got a chance to hammer at one with a 16 oz hammer and the microchip survived.
I think you're probably right about the alert devices. They can be removed but it would be more obvious to onlookers.
What deters most thieves is the sense that someone is watching them; I'm not just theorising this, research supports it. Even a poster of a face with eyes that appear to follow you around as you move will reduce theft.