How To Make Sure Your Dog Doesn't Get Loose

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This article is based in very large part on a list posted to the GREYHOUND-L mailing list (see Links, left) by Lee Lavery, of Greyhound Guardians Inc., Indiana, in November 1998.

Since looking for a lost greyhound is never fun, here are some things we do to insure the dogs stay at home.

1. Most importantly.......ALWAYS keep a lock on all gates. Children, meter readers, tradespeople & neighbours are famous for leaving gates open. If you have had your gate unlocked for some reason (garden furniture delivery, perhaps? clearing out some old bushes?) always check that it is shut again before letting the dog out into the garden.

2. If you use your front door a lot, put a baby gate up somewhere that will stop the dog from getting to the front door.

3. Check your fence to make sure there are no open areas the dog can squeeze through.

4. Make sure there are no garden tables, etc. the dog can climb up on that will allow them to jump over the fence.

5. If your dog is interested in your fence, hang large "jingle bells" around the top of the fence. This usually will send the dog in the opposite direction, or, at least, alert you that the dog is up at the fence.

6. NEVER leave the dog outside if you are leaving the house. Even if you're just running next door for a couple of minutes. It only takes a minute to lose the dog. Worse still, there are people who will steal greyhounds or lurchers to use them for hunting or illicit racing - a dog unattended in a garden is a prime target.

7. Make sure your dog has I.D. tags. There are more "good Samaritans" out there than you think. Most people will call you if they find your dog, but they can't call you if they don't have the phone number!!! The minimum legal requirement is that the dog should be identified with your name and your address. It is also a good idea to have your phone number(s) and your vet's number too. The dog should wear the tags on a lightweight collar round the clock - then if you have to take care of some emergency at 3 a.m. and the dog does get out, at least you know it is immediately identifiable.

8. Use a metal engraved disc for your dog's tag; the barrel-type devices become unscrewed in a day or two and the information inside falls out, rendering them useless, and plastic tags are too easily torn off.

9. Consider joining the NCDL's Lucky Dog scheme. For just a small fee, you get an engraved id tag that also guarantees that the NCDL will pay for any veterinary treatment the dog needs when found. (You must undertake to reimburse them for any such payments, though!). This ensures that if your dog is found injured or ill, it will be treated promptly.

10. Get your dog micro-chipped. Some dogs turn up a long way from home, months after they disappeared, having lost their collar. The tattoos may not be clearly legible, and even if they are, not all general dog homes will check them. A micro-chipped pet can be checked in seconds and your details found quickly via a single phone call. A recent story in a local Oxford paper told of a Saluki, who was lost for months, and ended up in Oxfordshire where a local animal sanctuary scanned her and were able to reunite her with her delighted family in Kent.

11. Make sure your dog's outdoor collar (worn as well as the lightweight collar) is properly fitted and fastened before you leave the house. Greyhounds have very narrow heads and so the collar should be fastened to fit very snugly. A spooked greyhound can be as strong as a horse and a collar fastened just one hole too loose won't stop it from backing out and running off. If you have a dog you know to be fearful, skittish, or otherwise inclined to run off - get it a harness, as well as the outdoor collar!

12. Always wrap the lead securely around your wrist. If your dog is inclined to run after or away from things and you are worried about dropping the lead, fasten it round your waist or diagonally round your shoulder and waist. This can be useful if you are walking more than one dog and one is particularly mobile!

13. Don't use a flexi-leash - even set at a fixed length - with an unfamiliar dog or in a new or complex situation. Greyhounds do jolly well from a standing start and they can either pull you off your feet or pull the lead out of your hand - and the heavy handle bumping behind can just make some dogs more scared. There is an excellent article on the safe use of flexi-leashes here.

14. Take your dog to training classes and do your best to teach them "wait", "stay", "down", "come" and "no". A dog trained to wait in the car until given the OK, and to come when called, is obviously much safer than one which has not had these patterns of behaviour instilled into them. And also, the dogs really enjoy it!

8. Purchase a squawker either from your adoption group, or from a sporting
goods store. It is a wild game call that sounds (to a greyhound, anyway)
like a wounded animal. They usually can be purchased for about $15.00 to
$20.00. Make sure you keep your squawker by the door so you don't have to
look for it - just in case.

9. If your garage is attached to your house, make sure the door is completely down before you open the car door (if you have the dog with you). Also, make sure the door is completely closed before going into the house. Greyhounds are fast & can shoot out under the garage door before you know what's happening.

10. Make sure all latches on your doors are secure. A greyhound is very adept at "latch picking." After all, they spend a lot of time in kennels and will often find ways of amusing themselves - like learning to open a door. It does happen.

11. Taking the dog somewhere by car: if they don't travel in a dog cage or crate, or wear a car harness, they should at least wear their outdoor collar and lead so it is easy to get control of them when letting them out of the car. If they chew on their leads when travelling you could pop their muzzle on or get a chain to attach to their collar for car journeys.

I know it sounds like a lot of time & trouble, but how much time & trouble is it to find your dog if he gets loose? Worse, how much trouble is it to find your dog laying dead on the road? Having a lost dog is a living nightmare. It could be caught in a trap, lying dead in a ditch after being hit by a car, frozen to death under a hedge one night, poisoned, or shot by a farmer protecting his sheep; accidentally locked in a shed and dying of thirst; you just don't know. It is common to wake up several times a night, having dreamt that your dog has returned, only to see the empty bed.

Accidents happen to everyone, so never think it couldn't happen to you.

It has happened to me - in the early days my greyhound slipped past me at the front door to bound merrily after a neighbour's cat (who fortunately headed for the nearest cat-sized hole in the fence). He was happy enough to be recaptured once the cat had disappeared. Another time someone came to fix the garage door, and in the ensuing confusion with open front and back doors, the dog ambled out and started bounding wildly round the cab of this man's truck, trying to hitch one of the rides he loves so much.

A much worse time was when a newly adopted foster of mine, a fearful dog who had been adopted to people living in a quiet little village, shied at the shop's automatic door and backed out of her collar. This was two days after she had been adopted - and two days before we were due to fly out of the country! Needless to say we didn't get much sleep in those two days, and were anxious and worried until we heard - nine days after she had run off - that she had been found safe and sound.

Please mail suggestions or comments about this version to: Maria Hamilton (mailto:maria@gurk.demon.co.uk)

this page last edited 24 March 2002