{"id":628378,"date":"2022-07-13T16:36:33","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T21:36:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/?p=628378"},"modified":"2025-10-08T03:40:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T03:40:56","slug":"lost-pet-prevention-month-dog-safety-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/dog-safety\/lost-pet-prevention-month-dog-safety-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Lost Pet Prevention Month: Dog Safety Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you know that July is Lost Pet Prevention Month? Alarmingly, 10 million pets are lost every year in the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since Halo\u2019s mission is to keep dogs safe, we talked to a few of our dog behavior experts to get special insights on how to keep our dogs safe and secure year-round. The tips below came from renowned dog behaviorists Steve Del Salvio, Heather Mickelson, and Jas Leverette.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"583\" class=\"wp-image-628390 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/D-Expert-Dog-Trainers-1024x583.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/D-Expert-Dog-Trainers-1024x583.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/D-Expert-Dog-Trainers-300x171.png 300w, https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/D-Expert-Dog-Trainers-768x437.png 768w, https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/D-Expert-Dog-Trainers.png 1164w\" alt=\"D-Expert-Dog-Trainers\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some of the best dog safety tips that our experts mentioned:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<h2>1. Provide your dog with plenty of structured exercise.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOne of the most common reasons why dogs run away is that their owners are not providing them with enough structured exercise,\u201d said dog psychology expert and trainer Steve Del Salvio. \u201cStructured exercise is any activity that challenges your dog\u2019s mind in addition to his or her body.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To be clear, letting your dog run freely in your backyard is an example of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unstructured exercise<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some examples of structured exercise you can try:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take a long walk with your dog paying attention to you and staying at your side<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practice recall training (see tip #9 for more information)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take your dog with you for a bike ride<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walk on a treadmill with your dog<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2. Be a Pack Leader for your dog.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dogs are instinctively inclined to follow a calm, confident leader. This concept is discussed at length in Cesar Millan\u2019s in-app Halo Training Program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being a Pack leader requires you to be highly aware of your energy and tone when you are interacting with (or even in the vicinity of) your dog. When you \u2013 as their pack leader \u2013 exude a calm confidence and show them affection, it puts your dog at ease and allows them to behave calmly in return.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Del Salvio\u2019s advice is to monitor your energy by \u201ctaking time throughout the day to ask yourself \u2018how do I feel right now?\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your answer is anything other than calm, centered, and focused, then you should wait until you can achieve that calm focus before interacting with your dog.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>3. When in doubt, put a leash on your dog.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-628395 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Halo_Collar_Dog_Safety-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"Halo_Collar_Dog_Safety.jpeg\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou should not have your dog off-leash unless you\u2019re 100% certain that you will be able to reliably call them back to you in every situation,\u201d said expert trainer Heather Mickelson.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your pup should not be off-leash in any very busy area where a sound could startle or distract them, or near areas dense with cars or wildlife.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mickelson emphasizes that \u201cAs the owner, you need to put your dog\u2019s immediate welfare over your own ego and desire for your dog to be \u2018free\u2019.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to test if your dog can handle being off-leash and respond properly when you call them back, you should perform that test in a controlled environment with a long leash line \u2013 not out in public where there could be immediate danger.<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<h2>4. ALWAYS be mindful of your surroundings when with your dog.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This may seem obvious \u2013 but if all dog owners were consistently mindful of their surroundings when with their dogs, then lost dogs would be a less frequent occurrence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf your dog is out with you, no matter what else is going on, that dog should be your priority and the primary thing you\u2019re paying attention to,\u201d Mickelson said. \u201cYour dog is more important than your lunch, your conversation with another person on the street, or anything else that is going on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should always pay attention and be mindful. Understand what might trigger your dog and only take them into situations where you know they will be comfortable and not anxious \u2013 because that anxiety can cause them to want to run away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDon\u2019t just do things with your dog because YOU want that experience. Only take your dog into situations that THEY can handle and be successful in. Set your dog up to succeed so you can set yourself up to succeed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>5. Microchip your dog and join local community groups.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mickelson and renowned dog trainer Jas Leverette agree that microchipping your dog is an important safety measure that all dog owners should take. A microchip can be used to track down the owner of a lost dog.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMany people nowadays know to look for a microchip if they locate a lost dog, and use that to get in touch with the owner,\u201d Mickelson said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leverertte says you should also join Nextdoor, an app for neighborhoods to share information with each other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your community does see your dog you will find out very fast.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, we recommend that you put ID tags on your dog\u2019s collar. The more ways that people could identify your dog and get in touch with you, the better chance that you will be reunited with them in a timely fashion.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>6. Make sure your dog is spayed or neutered.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dogs have incredibly strong reproductive drives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mickelson says to \u201cMake sure your dogs are spayed and neutered, because their reproductive drives will cause them to run away and go after other dogs because they smell them.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a dog smells another dog who is ready to mate, it can cause them to abandon any notion of safety, listening, or training, and they may do whatever it takes to get to that other dog.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spaying or neutering your dog(s) is a smart way to reduce that instinctive drive and keep your dog in safe, controlled situations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>7. Make sure your yard is secure.<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"wp-image-628401 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Halo_GPS_Fence-300x200.jpeg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Halo_GPS_Fence-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Halo_GPS_Fence-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Halo_GPS_Fence.jpeg 1024w\" alt=\"Halo_GPS_Fence\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf you have a fence in your yard, make sure all gates or entryways are closed,\u201d Mickelson advised. \u201cPut a sign up outside of the gate that lets people know that a dog lives here and they <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">must<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> be careful to close the gate behind them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you do not have a physical fence then you should use the Halo Collar Wireless Fence and make sure your dog is properly and reliably trained before ever letting them roam free in the yard.<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<h2>8. Create an association with doors as a boundary that your dog understands.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCreate an association with the front door threshold so they know they cannot go running out of the front door without you,\u201d Mickelson said. \u201cSame thing with the doors in your car. Make sure they associate those thresholds with staying, unless you\u2019re with them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For dogs who are trained on the Halo Collar, you can use a Beacon as a powerful tool to teach your dog not to exit any doors without their Pack leader (you). Many cases of lost dogs could be prevented if dogs were trained not to jump and run out of any open doorway they come across.\u00a0<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-628403 size-medium alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Invisible_Dog_Fence-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"Invisible_Dog_Fence\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>9. Practice recall training with your dog.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is incredibly important to make sure that your dog understands the concept of coming back to you when called. Having the trust that your dog will return to you in situations filled with distractions is key to dog safety. But in order to build this trust, you and your dog need to practice on your own time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSpend some time everyday practicing recall,\u201d Del Salvio said. \u201cOne simple way to start this process is in your home \u2013 using treats. It\u2019s important to engage your dog\u2019s nose because 60% of their brain is related to their sense of smell. Nose, eyes, ears \u2013 in that order.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Del Salvio\u2019s advice was to practice the following recall training with your dog:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take a strong-smelling treat (such as warm bacon), approach your dog, and wave the scent in front of them. As their nose gets engaged, their eyes follow and look for the food.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At that moment, back away from your dog. When they start coming to you to get the food, say \u201c(dog\u2019s name) come!\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their ears hear these words each time they are coming to you, and they start to create the association that, \u201c(dog\u2019s name) come!\u201d means \u201cgo to your human for a reward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practicing exercises as simple as this can be the difference between your dog running away or returning to safety when you are calling them back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>10. Get a Halo Collar for your dog.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of the tips above are related to preventing your dog from running away, while others are about recovering your dog if they do happen to run away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting a Halo Collar for your dog is a catch-all solution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-628410 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Halo_Invisible_Fence-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"Halo_Invisible_Fence\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Halo\u2019s amazing in-app training program will bring you and your pup closer together, teaching you more about their psychology and how to provide them with the structure they instinctively need: rules, boundaries, and limitations. Dogs with a strong foundation like this are less inclined to try to run away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Halo Collar is also an effective tool for reminding your dog to stay within their boundaries when they become distracted. A dog that is well-trained on the Halo Collar will always stop and return to safety whenever their collar communicates with them at your Halo Fence boundary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, in the unlikely event that your dog is lost while wearing the Halo Collar, you can track their exact location from the Halo App. Just make sure that their Halo Collar is on and charged whenever your pup is wearing it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mickelson also emphasizes that you should \u201cMake sure that the Halo Collar is on tightly enough so that it is very secure and won\u2019t slip off of their neck.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many things that we, as dog owners, can do to keep our pups safer. Most of it comes down to mindfulness and a strong sense of responsibility. You need to make sure that you\u2019re taking every precaution to only put your dog in situations that they are secure and comfortable in, and practicing recall with them at home so that you can confidently communicate with them inside and outside of the home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We hope that you find these tips valuable for keeping your pup safe!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know that July is Lost Pet Prevention Month? Alarmingly, 10 million pets are lost every year in the United States. Since Halo\u2019s mission is to keep dogs safe, we talked to a few of our dog behavior experts to get special insights on how to keep our dogs safe and secure year-round. 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