Here's how NOT to lose your dog

Morning walks with our two Greyhounds are a much loved daily ritual. Bomber (aka tinklebert woofledink) goes totally nuts at the mere mention of the word "Walk". Lottie (aka the insinkerator) races to the front door.

This mornings walk started out like any other. A casual stroll around the block saw Bomber watering lamposts and wondering why they don't grow, while Lottie maintained a vigil for the ginger tabby-cat she's so become besotted with.

We were almost home when I spotted a Hunterway/Rottweiler puppy tearing into a rubbish bag. Aside from being cute, this pup was clearly an escape artist and was not accompanied by a human. The street it was on was particularly busy, morning traffic was building. This poor pup could run out onto the road and hit by a car at any moment.

Heart in mouth I handed my wife Bombers lead and she crossed the road (so the pup wasn't startled by our two hounds). I walked up to the pup gently calling to it in a high pitched friendly voice so it wasn't startled and knew I was there. Luckily it was used to people and didn't panic. I patted its fur, checking it out. There was no collar, tags or anything else to connect it with human owners. It wasn't injured or starving and its tail wasn't between its legs. These were all good signs.

I had no way of getting directly in touch with its owner so I pulled out my phone and went to call animal control so the dog could be picked up and hopefully re-united with its owners. Finishing the call, the unthinkable happened. The pup bolted across the road.  Luckily there was no traffic. I watched as the pup scooted up a path to one of the houses across the road.

By now I was running seriously late for work, but turning my back on this pup wasn't an option. I crossed the road and wandered up to the house whose path the pup had wandered up. I knocked on the door. They'd never heard of the dog, but said that they had new neighbors who might own a dog. Several door knocks later I finally caught up with the owner.

It turns out that the sneaky escape artist was already inside curled up on the sofa and owner hadn't even noticed the pup had got out.

So what can we take out of what could have been a tragic tale involving a lost pup or a road fatality? Here's 4 simple steps that can be the difference between losing a dog and making sure it doesn't escape.


1 - Dog Proof your Property
This might sound a littler obvious, but an ounce of prevention goes a hell of a long way. The pups home had no front gate - or fences. It turns out that the owners kids had left the back gate open and the pup had wandered off.

If you get a dog, make sure your property is dog proof. Use several gates and make sure your property is surrounded by a dog-proof fence. Never underestimate the ingenuity and finkiness of a determined mutt. Even if our hounds manage to sneak into our front section, it's still gated and  fully dog-proofed.

2 - Make sure your dog is identifiable
This is such a simple thing but is so often overlooked. The escapee pup had no collar, no tag and no means of contacting its owner. This meant I had to involve animal control. If an an animal control officer had of captured the pup it might've been  reunited with owners assuming its owners had got it chipped (Chipping your dog is a must-do). Trouble is the pups owners would then be liable for a whopping fine from the council.

The really annoying thing is that this was all so avoidable. Just by making sure your dog has a collar and a tag that  with its name plus your contact details. This means that whoever finds your dog can call you rather than the council, saving you a tonne of fines and council related grief.

3 - Neighbors are your dogs best friends
None of the neighbors whose doors I knocked on even knew who owned this dog, even though it only lived next door. Neighbors may be home when you're out. They may see your dog on the lose and could let you know and save people like me a heap of shoe leather wear, door knocking and unneeded stress. Introduce your dog to your neighbours. Its dead easy to do and may make a big difference one day should your pooch escape.

4 - Keep an eye on your dog
The pups owner wasn't  even aware it'd escaped until I knocked on their front door. Situational awareness (that is knowing where your dog is and its regular habits) can be the difference between a lost dog and a foiled escape attempt.

So there you have it. If you're thinking of owning a dog please think about these 4 simple steps. They may save you and your dog a tonne of grief.

UPDATE: While out walking yesterday the pup was once again on the street. Sigh