Losing a dog is a terrible stress. When you imagine your pet wandering in an unfamiliar area and looking for a way home, it is difficult to control your emotions. What to do if your dog goes missing – find out an effective plan of action.

Why does the dog run away?

Dogs run away for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons are fear and hunting instinct. The dog may break the leash because something will suddenly and severely scare him. In addition, another fleeing animal can awaken the hunter s instinct in the dog, which will tell him to chase, say, a deer.
Dog escape and disappearance can occur even with very well-bred dogs that have a strong bond with the owner. A great influence on the reaction and behavior of the dog is exerted by:
• breed
• temperament
• whether the dog s needs are being met or not

It is also important to check the fence in the garden and remember to close the gate when the dog is outside.

How do I write a missing dog notification?

The moment your dog goes missing, it s important to act quickly. Let s go straight to the search. Walk around the disappearance site, or escape and call your friend loudly. If that doesn t work, you should seek help from other people, get them to take action, and report the missing dog. To do this, prepare an ad. Advertise:
• color photo of the dog
• Description: date and place of disappearance, breed, color, age, sex and size of the dog. Every detail matters: the uneven coat, the color of the collar or harness, the chip number,
• contact details: name, surname, phone number, email address
• it is also good to include information about the reward for helping in finding a dog

Remember to start your ad with a strong headline like:

“Attention – the dog is gone – the reward is waiting for the finder” or “Benek (dog s name) is gone. Help him find his way home. ”
Place the advertisement in a plastic clutch (which protects the paper from rain and damage) and hang it in the immediate vicinity of the disappearance site, as well as near the house (if the dog disappears in another area or even in another city). Use as much space as possible: notice boards and poles, trees, stairs, shop windows. The announcement of the missing dog should reach as many people as possible.

Call the shelter after your dog disappears

Call all the shelters that bring dogs from your city and surroundings. After calling, visit all institutions in person. Take the printed advertisement with you and leave it at the shelter. Ask the staff to contact you quickly when you find the dog. If you show up in person at the facility, the staff will remember you, see that you really care about getting your dog back, and will probably return to you sooner. Remember that every hour spent at the shelter is an ordeal for a lost dog. The sooner you get it out of there, the better.
Also, report the missing dog to the city guard and the police. Tell neighbors that your dog is missing and ask them to pay attention to your surroundings and to the animals you pass by as you walk.

Harness the power of the internet

Take advantage of the power of the Internet. Post a missing dog ad
• on social networks: on your profile
• in groups in the neighborhood
• Look on your city s fan page for dog search notifications. Also post your request for help finding a pet there. Do not forget to include in the advertisement the same information as in the paper letter.

Most likely, your dog has been stolen or someone has stolen it and wants to sell it now. Unfortunately, such situations do happen. Theft is even more likely if the dog disappears from the store. Therefore, after looking for a knife on the sales portals, you will see a photo of your friend there.

How to keep your dog from disappearing

Mindfulness training

How to prevent the disappearance of the dog? You may be surprised by our advice, because few people write about it, but training mindfulness is very important. Watch your dog and his body language closely as you walk. Very often, due to a lack of attentiveness, we do not catch subtle warning signals: dog muscle tension, restless snorting, accelerated, nervous gait. A damaged or worn-out pet leash can also be a warning sign, as well as the rustling of leaves on which a deer runs, which our dog can chase.
Lost in our thoughts, we may not hear an oncoming car or motorcycle, which will scare the dog and make it rip off the leash. If we are inattentive, we can miss a hole in the fence of the house, not fix the fence, or, absentmindedly, leave open the gate through which our dog will run out into the street.

Train your dog to practice the recall command

Dog training is another step that minimizes the risk of your pet going missing. During the exercise, the dog learns to trust you and works out the recall command. The training will help you have fun. Everyone likes to be rewarded for their efforts, results, and their work. These cookies are a great reward to make learning easier.

Dog token and tested equipment

It is important to use a good quality leash, collar or harness. If a leash is worn or chewed, it is easy to break. On the other hand, a dog with a collar that is too loose will easily stick its head out and rush to another dog on the other side of the street. ID tags are also a very useful solution to help identify the owner of the dog when the animal is lost. Real protection is the GPS transmitter that shows you where your dog is.
A missing dog is sometimes a traumatic event. This can happen to anyone, even the most gentle and cold-blooded pet. It is important to immediately begin search actions and act wisely, and not on emotions. At the same time, there is hope that some of the lost things will safely return to their owners, and some of them will be found even in a few years.