Today April 23, 2018 is National Lost Dog Awareness Day so I wanted to share some of our Deaf Dogs Rock tips on what we do here at Deaf Dogs Rock Headquarters with our 6 dogs to keep them from getting out and getting lost.
Why should you help us create awareness?
Your participation will benefit your community because:
Getting lost dogs home reduces stress on the owner and the dog, and
Reduces work for staff at shelters/animal control facilities and rescues, which
Saves taxpayers’ money for animal care, and
Opens up cage and kennel space for truly homeless dogs.
It also shows individuals with lost dogs that their community cares!
This special day was created to bring attention to all lost dogs each year and the fact that not all stray dogs are homeless dogs. This year on the fifth annual National lost Pet Awareness Day let’s all bring awareness and remember the thousands of pets that have been successfully reunited with their families.
CELEBRATE
To bring awareness to National Lost Dog Awareness Day, share your stories about an experience you or a family member may have had on Social Media using #LostDogAwarenessDay. #microchipsforpetsrock
Our dogs here at our Deaf Dogs Rock headquarters want to share the following tips to ensure your dogs stay safe and if they dog get lost they get returned home A.S.A.P.
Here are 10 Tips we use here at our Deaf Dogs Rock Headquarters for prevention and action. If you would like to add to our 10 tips be sure to leave your tips in the comments section below this post.
- Make sure your dog is microchipped and consider having a collar with embroidered ID information as well as an ID tag. That way if your dog won’t let a stranger come near they will be able to read your phone number from a distance and always Micro-chip all of your pets.
Personalized dog collars, harnesses and leashes can by clicking here.
2. Check your fences to make sure they are secure and that there are no potential escape routes for your dogs.
3. Check your gate latches and we even installed spring loaded hinges on all our gates so our gates are forced to shut. Also consider adding a lock to your gates from the inside.
I have little looped ropes on all my gates so I can visually see from my porch the gates are all looped before I let my dogs out in the front yard to play.
4. Don’t let your pets roam free. You wouldn’t let a one year old child roam free would you because they don’t know or understand the dangers? The same goes for a dog. Always supervise your pets when they are outside.
5. Our double fail system (which means it would have to fail twice on both ends for the dog to get loose) is easy to make. Read about our double fail system here. We use the DF system when walking our four dogs here at DDR. We use a leash on the collar and a connector to the harness. I attach the the leash to my dog walking hip belt. This way in an emergency I can actually be hands free and my dog is still attached.
6. When out walking your dogs, consider always taking the same route. I do this every day and I know if my deaf dogs get loose they will automatically head back home when they get to the white house at the end of our road because we have been walking that route for 3 years. Most dogs will turn around and come home because of the constant repetition and they are conditioned to turn around (it literally becomes habit like putting your seat belt on).
7. Train your pets to stay near you and work really hard on “recall training” so if your dog goes down the road and you do a “come boy”, he/she will automatically come to you because you took the time to do solid recall training.
8. Add double fail bolts and hooks to all gates around your property. Not only do we have those on our gates but I also have little rope loops to visually see the fence gates on our front picket fence are secure. I also have heavy duty bolt locks on my 6 foot gates. See photos of our gates and additional safety tips by clicking here.
9. If your dog goes missing contact all the local shelters and Vet clinics to see if your dog is there. Make sure you leave them your direct contact information and also ask them for their email address. When you get off the phone, send them all a flyer of your dog and keep checking back with them regularly to see if your dog has showed up. Be sure to go to Lost Dogs of America and fill out a report with Helping Lost Pets.
10. If you dog gets lost, be sure to post your flyer on Facebook (ask friends, family and their church groups to share the flyer), also post on CraigsList and your local newspaper classifieds.
PS: If you have a dog that bolts out the door then it is crucial you teach your dog the “wait” command. Click here to find out how easy it is to teach the wait command just by doing it at mealtimes.
These are the TOP 10 Tips on what to do to prevent and to find your lost dog. Please share with your friends to bring awareness to National Lost Pet Day 2015. Feel free to add your tips to our comments section below.
To see more of our Tips to Keep Your Deaf Dog Safe, please click here.
Thanks so much. Christina Lee – Deaf Dogs Rock
