How to Prevent Your Dog From Running Away

As loving pet parents, the thought of losing our favorite furry friend is terrifying. We do 0ur best to keep our dogs safe, but even the most cautious and caring dog owners can lose a dog. That’s why we’ve compiled some tips to prevent your dog from running away. Read on to learn about what steps you can take to decrease the likelihood of your dog running away.

Secure Your Yard and Home

For your own safety and your dog’s, all doors in your home should latch securely enough that your furry friend can’t bust through them. If your dog tends to jump at any open doors, consider crating them or keeping them in another room when you’re entertaining or people are constantly in and out of your home. Otherwise, your dog may slip through the door unnoticed while your guests are migrating in and outside. Your yard should be fenced with either a physical fence or an electric fence, especially if your dog enjoys wandering next door to explore.

Be Aware of Risky Situations

Aside from fencing and securing your home, you should be prepared to handle high-risk situations that may make your dog more likely to bolt. Stressful events like fireworks can make dogs panic and run away in fear. For that reason, the Fourth of July is the most common day of the year for dogs to run away. If fireworks scare your dog, try exercising them before the fireworks start and keep them in a secure room while the fireworks are going off. On a similar note, thunder can also spook dogs and increase the likelihood that they run away. You may consider getting a ThunderShirt for your dog to relieve their anxiety surrounding thunder and loud noises. The shirt doesn’t look like much, but it serves to reduce your dog’s anxiety and increase feelings of comfort, especially if you can’t be there with them.

Purchase a GPS Tracker

GPS trackers are a must for dog-owners. Even if you never expect to lose your dog, you never know when you could be in a situation in which you need to know where your furry friend is. Tracking your dog is simple and easy with recent advances in GPS technology, so taking the extra preventative step to ensure that you can find your dog is a no-brainer. They may be on the pricier side, but we promise they’re worth it. Not sure where to start with purchasing a GPS tracker for your dog? Check out our favorite dog GPS trackers here.

Have a Plan for Runaway Dogs

Again, no matter how safe you feel your dog is, you never know when they might run away. Dealing with a runaway dog can be incredibly stressful and time-sensitive, so you should have a plan in place ahead of time. Sit down with your loved ones and make sure everyone knows what steps you should take if your dog does run away. Make sure your dog’s tags are up to date and take photos periodically so that you can quickly put up “lost dog” posters if need be. Hopefully, you’ll never have to deal with a runaway dog, but it’s important to be prepared in case you do.

Losing a dog is a scary and stressful experience, but by taking these steps, you can mitigate the risk of your dog bolting. Now they can play and explore safely without you having to worry about them running away!