Walker is a 3 year old collie, hound, shepherd, god knows what else cross. He grew up in a home with over 40 other dogs, he was a victim of a hoarder. Because of this, he was left traumatized, unsocialized and is now a fully grown 3-year-old puppy that has a whole lot to learn about 'real life'. Regardless of how terrified he is of all the new things he is now experiencing everyday, he remains gentle, loving and slowly becoming affectionate. He is learning to not only trust, but seek humans.
On Tuesday as he was being walked (and making great progress), unfortunately a truck drove me and scared him. He broke loose and bolted all the way from Westmount to NDG. Within 30 minutes of it happening we had people across the city looking for him, swapped the area with posters and corss-posted online through hundreds of people across Montreal (and as far as Florida!). We did not find him before night fall, and did out last round of looking for him at 12am. Thankfully our extensive efforts worked, and the next morning he had been found hiding between two cars in a garage. We were contacted immediately, as there was probably not a person in the area that did not know we were looking for him. He was returned safe and sound, went to the clinic to make sure he was all right and then was microchipped incase this happens again. He doe have some cuts and scraped on his pads, but other than that is in one piece.
He is now back safely in his foster home and happy to be there! He is also for adoption and looking for a family to see him through the development he needs.
This is not criticism - it's just information, OK?
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read on Craigslist that this dog had "broken loose" while on-leash, two things popped into my head: (1) The human holding the leash was distracted (cell phone or friend); and(2) the human was using an extendable leash.
Here are my comments:
(1) When you walk your dog, walk WITH your dog. This is not free time to chat with friends on your cell or text or whatever. Use this time to connect with your dog, to learn his body language and teach yours (this is something you should do for the dog's whole life). You should be looking out for discarded food, broken glass, skunks and other critters. Make him stop or sit or turn - interact with the dog. Dogs know when you're not paying attention...
(2) Extendable leashes - gad I hate those! You can't "feel" the dog through a block of plastic. They are difficult to hold securely and you can't use your thumb because it operates the reel. If you insist on using these things, make sure it has a wrist loop AND USE IT!! If the loop is too large for your wrist, take 3 minutes to stitch it smaller. If there's no loop, don't buy it. I understand that most people think it's a good idea since it allows the dog to roam a bit farther, but if you pay attention and interact with your dog during the walk, he'll have no wish to leave your side.
In addition to the dog's regular collar, on which you would hang the tags and contact information, you can use a choke collar or a Martingale collar so the dog can't slip out. These are not "inhumane" if you learn how to use these tools properly so you don't hurt your dog.
There are NO excuses for losing a dog - it's ALWAYS the human's fault. Whether the dog ran through an open door or a window or jumped the fence or slipped his collar or even escaped from a car accident, YOU didn't do your job of ensuring the dog's safety. It's easy - just PAY ATTENTION...
I'm very happy you got the dog back, and I hope those hours of worry will help you remember that it's YOUR responsibility to keep your dog safe.