Preventing a lost pet
To avoid the stress of looking for a lost pet, here are a few things to keep in mind.- Be extremely vigilant when you are in unfamiliar situations. For example, if you are having work done in your house or yard and a door or gate is propped open, confine your pet to a safe area where you know he won’t get out. If you are on vacation with your pet, make sure he is wearing the proper size collar so he won’t slip out of it when you are out for a walk.
- Periodically check your fence where an animal can slip out. If your dog likes to dig, fill in the holes near any fences. It may not look very deep now, but if he digs more tomorrow it may be big enough for him to fit through. If you have a wooden fence, check for missing or broken planks.
- Crate or buckle your dog in the car. If you get into an accident a dog that is loose in the car may be thrown or at the very least, frightened by the accident. If they are crated or buckled in, they are less likely to be thrown or flee the scene out of fear.
- Teach your dog some commands. Trainers consider "come" the most important command to teach your dog. If he associates "come" with his favorite treat or toy, even if he is chasing after something exciting, like a leaf, he will stop and come back to you. However, it takes time to build up to a reliable recall. Another tactic is to try "sit." Many dogs master "sit" before anything else, and know that good things happen when they sit. If he doesn't respond to "come" try "sit" instead.