Amanda Teixeira
If your dog gets lost while walking, you need to act quickly. Here you can find out what you can do now and how you can prevent your dog from running away in the future.
A nightmare for every dog owner: the dog ran away on a walk. Nevertheless, you should urgently remain calm. If the dog is out of sight, you should wait for it in the same spot for at least fifteen minutes and call for it.
If he comes running back to you, give him plenty of praise. Scolding would be counterproductive now – he would link that to his return and next time he wouldn’t come back so quickly. If your dog hasn’t returned after about 15 minutes, there are many different measures you can take now.
Immediate action if the dog ran away
If your dog hasn’t returned to you, you should expand your search. Leave a piece of clothing where your dog ran away. This way he can continue to smell your scent. You should always come back to this place to check if your dog has found its way back.
Engage other people
It can also help to ask other people in the area, such as walkers or local residents, if you’ve seen your dog. Social media can also be helpful when searching for a missing dog.
It can help to report to the body where your dog is registered. State where and when your dog escaped. If your dog is found and handed in to the police or veterinarian, its ID will be checked using the chip and forwarded to the registration office. She already knows about the loss of the dog.
Don’t scare the dog
If you spot your dog, you must not run towards it. Stray dogs are fearful and often scared of their own owners. So that your dog does not run away in panic, you should lure him with a lot of patience.
So the dog stays with you
In case your dog got lost, it is good if he wears a special GPS tracker for dogs*. With this device, your dog can be located at any time using your smartphone.
Dog owners can avoid their dog running away during the walk. This also means that the dog can be called up at any time. So call him regularly when you go for a walk and reward him for it.
Keep your dog busy and don’t let other animals distract him. A ball is usually great for this, or you hide a toy that he has to look for. Think of the reward.
As you walk, observe your dog’s body language and the environment. Develop a knack for spotting potential risks before your dog in order to avoid them. This reduces the risk of your dog running away on a walk.