Companion animals are another member of our families. The moment we decide to incorporate one into our lives, we are responsible for their physical and emotional well -being. We must not only provide water, food adapted to their needs, exercise, play, a place to rest, veterinary care… We must also provide a safe environment that prevents them from possible accidents.
It is impossible to 100% prevent our dog from suffering a mishap, but it is up to us to reduce the chances to the minimum possible. One of the most common in dogs is their loss, as we can see every day with posters of dogs that are wanted in the streets and social networks.
In most cases, the loss of the dog has been caused by some oversight of its human family: walking with it without keeping it tied in non-limited areas, a defective or inappropriate leash or collar, a bad fence in the garden… Errors that we can avoid and that will save us the pain of losing our dog.
Next, we can read some tips to reduce the risk of our dog running away. But the best advice we can give you is to always supervise your dog and not to get distracted by looking at your cell phone or talking to friends in the park while your dog is on the loose.
- Adequate retention systems
A quality leash and collar or harness that is suitable for the size of our dog are two invaluable elements to avoid losing it. It is also important that we check their integrity before each ride and replace them if we observe their deterioration.
Also, if we travel with him, let us ensure that they always do so with approved systems, such as seat belts or carriers, which will guarantee high security for our pet.
In addition, today we can find GPS systems, reflective collars or LED lights so that we do not lose sight of our dog even at night.
Likewise, if our dog is an escape artist, we must pay special attention to using adequate retention systems, including double anchors.
- identify it
Having our dog identified will not ensure that it cannot be lost. But we will recover it more easily in case of loss.
The microchip is, in addition to being mandatory throughout Spain, it is a safe, painless and durable identification method.
But, in addition, we can complement it with other elements that will facilitate its identification by any passer-by, without the need for a microchip reader and access to the registry, such as identification plates and even harnesses and collars that we can put on with our phone or a QR code that will take you to more detailed contact information.
- check your home
It is common for some dogs to get lost when escaping from their own homes. Not only do we have to take special care when entering and leaving so that our dog sneaks in and out the door. The “escape” of dogs is frequent when visitors are received in the home or we have circumstantial workers in it, for example, when we are doing some repair or reform .
On the other hand, if we do not have a garden, we try not to leave the dog in it without supervision and we thoroughly and periodically check the entire perimeter to rule out possible problems in the enclosures. And remember that they are experts in cavers and climbers, so you will have to watch that they cannot escape by digging or climbing the fence.
- Educate and socialize
Teaching our dog to come to the call, not to separate from us, the order to stay… they can save us from more than one scare.
They must also be properly socialized to react appropriately to auditory and olfactory stimuli that can make them lose control: the trail of a prey, the noise of a firecracker…
- sterilize it
Even the most polite and calm dog can lose consciousness at the smell of a potential mate and run off in search of him. And it doesn’t just happen to males, a female in heat will also be more likely to run away motivated by her reproductive instinct.
With sterilization , we will not only be contributing to not bringing more dogs to a world in which thousands of them are waiting for a home in animal protection centers, it will also be an “extra plus” to prevent the loss of your furry one.
