Sometimes you cannot prevent your dog from running away no matter how careful you are, said Zita Annoni, whose puli called Pamacs has already run away. “One day, Pamacs decided to wander away and discover the neighbourhood. He escaped to the garden next door where he found a hole on the fence and then he started running loose. The whole thing happened in about two hours.” Pamacs wandered across nearby streets and forests for four days before he was found.
“When Pamacs disappeared, we immediately started searching for him using a head camera and lights in the middle of the night. I just couldn’t sleep knowing that my dog is somewhere out in the streets and may get into trouble. We found him four days later based on a phone call. He was soaked wet, hungry, dirty and lame. He was so frightened that he hardly recognized me. I’ve been doing my best to prevent this from happening again. Besides a chip, I also attached a badge showing my name and phone number to its collar”, said Zita.
Although Zita Annoni’s story has turned out well, it is very important to respond to such incidents as soon as possible as a frightened dog may run as far as 30 kilometres in an hour. This is why it is very important to be a responsible owner when adopting and training a dog to prevent them from running away.
Responsible adoption
The number of people planning to adopt a dog has increased during the pandemic. It is important, however, that this intention be combined with a major commitment. According to András Óvári, Head of the Take Me Home (Vigyél Haza) Foundation, if you plan to become a pet owner you should first try to assess how much time you’ll be able to spend with your pet now and after the pandemic. Evaluate the size and species of dog that would be ideal for your home and lifestyle because the lack of compatibility may cause problems when pandemic home office is replaced with a traditional office regime.
It is also important to neuter dogs not kept specifically for breeding. “This way you can prevent not only unwanted litters but also your dog in heat running away”, said András Óvári. “Newly adopted dogs may feel less comfortable under the new conditions in the first few days. You can use a tracking device to set a virtual fence for them that sends an immediate alert if the fence is crossed by you pet.”
The importance of exercise
Try to give your dog as much exercise as you can during the pandemic, as this is the best method to reduce their desire to run away. Take them for long walks or hikes because spending time outdoors lets them fulfil their need for exercise. Still, be careful because even a well-trained dog may get frightened or follow the trace of another animal. If you use Blaupunkt GS02 tracker available from Telenor, you can attach it to your dog’s collar without your dog even noticing and then track their movement through a phone-based app. This way, you can find your dog easily, even if it runs away.
Dog friends
It is essential to make your dog as social as possible so that it wouldn’t be frightened of other dogs in a dog walking area or park and run away. Taking them for frequent walks will help them get used to the smell of other animals and be more open to their presence. It can also help them if they have another dog in their company. “During the pandemic, we avoid dog walking areas but try to spend as much time with our dog as we did before our son was born a few months ago, no matter how tired we feel. We keep that in mind and even adopted a 1-year-old black puli to keep Pamacs company”, added Zita Annoni.
Using the Blaupunkt GS02 tracking device and the associated app available with the Telenor Track tariff, you can track your dog or cat anytime. For more details visit Telenor’s website.
The dog called Körte in the attached photo was admitted to the pet shelter of Take Me Home Foundation last Christmas. It is a friendly, medium-sized, healthy neutered dog waiting for its owner who would keep it as a family pet in a flat or in a garden with free access to the house.
For more information about the Foundation and dogs available for adoption please visit the Foundation’s website.