How to Find Your Dog When They Runaway
How do we go about finding a runaway dog? Try to keep calm and maintain a leveled head. There are several things that one can do.
- Drive around the area in search of your lost dog. Odds are, if you noticed soon after they got out, they won’t have gone too far. If there are parks or areas that you frequently go to with your dog, make sure to check them. Your dog may have decided to go to the dog park by themself when they got out.
- One of the first places to check would be the dog pound or animal shelter. If your dog isn’t there yet, make sure to let them know what your dog looks like so that they can contact you if someone brings a dog matching that description in. Also, if your dog is microchipped, they should be able to quickly identify that the dog is yours and call you. If you haven’t already microchipped your dog, do it now. It can save you a ton of heartache down the road.
- Put up signs around the community with a picture of your dog and potentially even offer reward for their return. However, note that even though many people hang signs on telephone poles, you’re technically not supposed to and your signs may get taken down if that’s where you’ve been hanging them.
- Flyers could also be handed out to people in the area with a picture of the dog and your contact information so you can be contacted if he is found.
- You can also place an advertisement in a news paper. The more people you can reach about your dog, the better.
- Post on social networks when your dog goes missing. Many social networks have neighborhood and community pages that will be a great asset to you. Also, social networks make it very easy for other people to share your pet information and make your reach even greater.
- Call and text neighbors and ask if they’ve seen your missing dog. Sometimes, neighbors may try to be helpful by keeping a runaway dog in their backyard for a while before they can take it to the shelter. This is good because it can keep your dog out of the road and away from danger, but you’ll probably have a hard time finding your dog if it’s in someone else’s backyard.
- It has been advised not to chase after your dog if it runs away. The dog will think you are playing a game and keep going. You will lose track of them and their location. In fact, some people advise that you should run the opposite direction from your runaway dog in the hopes that they’ll think you’re playing a game and turn around and come back to you.
- Keep your gate or your front door open so that your dog can get back in if they come home by themselves while you’re out looking. Dogs have a better sense of direction than we give them credit for, and your lost dog may just find their own way home.
- If you see your pet running away, but can’t catch them, you could try following along in your car and see if you can get him to join you for a ride. You might take along his favorite toy as a means to entice him into the car. Of course, you should still drive safe. Some areas may not be easy or safe for a car chase.
These are ten ways to help you locate your pet if they go missing. However, the best way to find your dog is to take preventative measure to ensure they can’t get out easily in the first place. Make sure that you have a secure yard, tie, leash, and fence. Also, make sure your entire family knows the importance of keeping doors and gates closed, and to notify you immediately if the dog gets out. This is especially important if you have children.
Also, get your dog microchipped if you haven’t already. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reunite lost dogs with their owners. If he is turned into a veterinarian or a shelter he will be scanned and you will be contacted. Some people will even find, or even steal, a desirable dog breed and take it to get checked for a microchip. If the dog isn’t microchipped, they may then decide to keep the dog for themself or sell it for a profit.
So, get them microchipped just to be safe. It’s cheap and easy.
