On my photo blog here is a picture of Nicolas with the dog in question. Go to Portraits and it's picture number eleven. He loved that dog.
I don't believe Nicolas ever stole anything. While we worked on "Peggy Sue Got Married" he might have copped some visual licks from Murnau's "Nosferatu" and perhaps the name for the dog (who I think was called Carlos after the Tom Waits song "Frank's Wild Years"). I haven't seen him in years but still, NICOLAS CAGE: NOT A DOGNAPPER.