Lost Dog Prevention Tips
Most dogs that go missing are home again within a day or two, but a few simple habits can make it much less likely that your dog goes missing at all, and much easier to find them if they do. None of these take long, and most can be done this week.
1. Use a tracker, and keep it charged.
A GPS tracker on your dog’s collar or harness can show you where your dog is in real time. It only helps if it’s switched on, charged and securely fitted.
Choose a GPS tracker with live tracking. Bluetooth tags (such as AirTags) only update when a compatible phone passes nearby, so they’re far less reliable for a moving dog. Some of the trackers available include
Tractive
Pawfit
Garmin
Make charging part of your routine, for example every evening or every time you hang up the lead.
Check the tracker is fitted firmly and can’t slip off if your dog pulls or squeezes through a gap.
Keep the app logged in on your phone and on at least one other family member’s phone.
Check that the subscription is active. An expired plan means no live location.
2. Train a strong recall cue
A reliable recall is one of the best safety tools you can give your dog. It’s built up gradually, through lots of practice and rewards your dog really values.
Choose one recall word or whistle and use it only for recall.
Start at home and in the garden, where there are few distractions, and build up slowly.
Reward every recall generously with high-value food, play or both.
Never call your dog to tell them off or to do something they dislike, like ending a fun walk. Mix in plenty of “come back, get a reward, go play again”.
Use a long line in open spaces until the recall is reliable around distractions.
Keep practising even once it’s good. Recall fades if it isn’t maintained.
A trained recall works best when your dog is calm. A frightened dog may not respond in the same way, so a recall is no substitute for the other steps on this page.
3. Keep microchip details up to date
In England, all dogs must be microchipped and the keeper’s details on the database must be kept up to date. A microchip is only as useful as the information linked to it.
Check which database your dog’s chip is registered with, usually Identi or Petlog, and that your name, address and phone numbers are correct.
Update the database whenever you move house or change your number.
Ask your vet to scan the chip at your dog’s annual check-up to confirm it’s still working and readable.
Make sure your dog wears a collar tag with your name and address in public, as the law requires. Adding a phone number is a good idea.
4. Check your fences after wind or bad weather
Strong winds can loosen panels, blow gates open or open up gaps your dog will spot before you do. Many dogs go missing from their own garden.
After a windy night or day, walk the whole boundary before letting your dog out.
Look for loose or fallen panels, gaps at the bottom of fences, and damaged posts.
Check that gates are shut and latches are working, including side gates used by visitors or delivery drivers.
Look for anything that has blown against the fence that your dog could climb on, such as bins, garden furniture or branches.
If in doubt, take your dog out on a lead until repairs are done.
5. Store a scent sample in the freezer
If your dog ever goes missing, a clean sample of their scent can be useful to a trained trailing dog. It takes five minutes to prepare and can be stored for months.
Use a sterile gauze pad from a sealed packet and wear disposable gloves, so the sample carries your dog’s scent rather than yours.
Gently wipe the gauze around your dog’s cheeks, neck and back.
Seal it in a clean freezer bag without touching the gauze, then label it with your dog’s name and the date.
Store it in the freezer, away from strong-smelling foods.
Replace it every year or so, and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is.
If your dog does go missing
Act quickly, stay calm, and follow our step-by-step advice for the first 24 hours.