DIY Temporary Vacation or Anytime Dog Collar ID tag:
Easy to follow directions and template from Modern Dog Magazine – A PDF for making a temporary Dog ID for their collar:
https://moderndogmagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/uploads/ModernDog-VacationDogTagsTemplate.pdf
Photo Credit: Samantha Orr
Public Advisory:Please be Advised that Lambs Lake at Mickey Hill Provincial Park in Annapolis County is closed to…
Posted by County of Annapolis on Wednesday, August 29, 2018
FLYERS are best used handing out going door to door searching. Also they are appropriate for busy pedestrian traffic such as mailboxes, lamp posts near bus stops, etc., and on bulletin boards and windows of local businesses. Take one to work and put it up in the staff room or out front if possible. Thank you.
Please feel free to print off copies of the flyer to hand out:
ID Tag/Microchip:
Have your dog’s updated ID tags on their collar and the collar on them at all times during a storm. We recommend having your cell phone on your dog’s tag and that you have a dog licence from your municipality. Also, have your dog microchipped and the information kept up-to-date with the chip company/vets. If you don’t have a tag available, as a temporary ID use a black marker to write your cell number either on tape around or the webbing of their collar.
Long Walk:
Take your dog for a long walk as you both may be housebound for a few days.
Food and Meds:
Make sure you have enough dog food and medications in stock for both you and your dog. They recommend at least 72 hours worth.
Winter Dog Gear:
Get out your dog coats/sweaters and boots because when your dog has to go, they have to go. People will be using a lot of salt with this ice build up, so be prepared with dog boots or ointments to reduce the risk to your dogs pads. Have towels ready to dry off your dog after being out in the storm.
Evacuation:
Prepare ahead of time and have a plan for your family and your pets incase you had to evacuate your home. You can find a great article on planning ahead for your pets safety during an evacuation here. And disaster preparedness for pets here.
Have toys ready for indoor play:
Stuff kong’s with your dogs food or special treats, use interactive toys where both you and your dog work together, have chew toys ready: Your dog will be anxious and active and you will need to burn some of that energy off while indoors.
Print a copy of this list:
You can find a copy of this list for printing here.
Thunder and Lightning Safety:
Please read the info provided at this link for information on keeping your dog calm during a Thunderstorm:
Outside for bathroom breaks only:
Limit the time you and your dog spend outside during the storm. Ice makes the streets and sidewalks dangerous and the storm itself may cause havoc. Don’t forget your own cleats for your boots as everywhere you step will be icy. (Information on hypothermia in dogs can be found here.)
Leashed when outside:
Please keep them on leash, even within a fenced yard during the storm. Winds, heavy ice build up, noise of salt trucks, falling branches, etc. All these things can cause your dog to bolt. A dog bolting from fear can leap high fences and/or run for long distances.
Stay Inside During Worst Part of Storm:
The risks are too high during the worst part of a storm, so be prepared to keep your dog inside and safe. Take your dog out before the worst hits, create a potty area/pee pad inside your home so your dog is comfortable. Don’t feed your dog during the worst part of the storm.
Power Outage:
Stay calm so your dog stays calm as well.
Don’t forget to keep your dog warm by providing them with blankets or sweaters.
While shovelling/salting/cleaning up:
Please keep your dog leashed or tethered when they are out with you shovelling/salting/cleaning up. Often people let their dogs play in the snow while they shovel out the cars and driveway. With snowplows, high winds, and all the other dangers out there, we advise that your dog be on a long line, on a leash, tethered safely or simply kept indoors.
Speak out if you see a pet left in the cold:
Call your local Animal Control or the Provincial SPCA Cruelty Investigations to report a dog left out in the cold. You could also try your local Police or RCMP. Contact Information listed by County for Nova Scotia can be found here: www.ns.lostdognetwork.com/contact-list/ If you feel comfortable, doing so at your own risk, please consider offering this pet shelter, in your home, basement, garage, or even a shed. You should also report finding this pet to local online community pages (lost pets, community centres, yard sales, etc.) and place a free ad on Kijiji.ca under Pets: Lost and Found. Thank you.
Before you let your dog out, check your yard:
Thoroughly check the yard after the storm for any gates blown open by high winds, broken fence sections, hanging or downed branches/trees, power lines down, live wires, etc.
Road Salts:
After a snow storm the sidewalks may be very icy and/or covered in road salt. “When you get back inside, wipe down (or wash) your pet’s feet, legs and belly to remove these chemicals (road salt) and reduce the risk that your dog will be poisoned after (s)he licks them off of his/her feet or fur.”* Or consider getting winter boots for your dog:
As dog owners, we look to products like the iota GPS Tracker to provide backup security for our dogs containment system, whether we have a fenced yard, use a tether or we boundary train our dogs. Most of us want something that is going to give us good coverage, have long battery life, and is affordable. There are a variety of trackers now available, however, it looks like the Iota Tracker is hitting the most marks on the dog owners “must have” list.
The iota Tracker is small enough and light enough to fit almost any size dog. My 10 lb dogs wear theirs on their harness’s. The iota has a long range of 1 to 4 miles; using both GPS and Bluetooth to track your dog. It’s rechargeable battery will last from a few weeks to a few months depending on use. It’s price is mid-range at $199 with no ‘extra’ charges like a lot of the cheaper trackers that require a monthly service fee and/or cellular costs.
Beyond that, the Iota is also waterproof, as in submersible. That’s a plus for all the Lab and water-loving-dog owners. However my dogs, if they had it their way, wouldn’t even have rain touch their “iota’s”. It’s durable and securely attaches to your dogs collar or harness. And the entire system; the tracker, the home base and the free app, are easy to set up and use.
Typical of iota, they promised when I bought my system to upgrade the software to include an activity monitor. True to their word, I can now set goals and monitor my dogs’ activity levels. Tracking my dogs activity level throughout the day may help with early diagnosis of any health problems as well. These are the kind of extras that makes iOta a great all around product.
The iota home base gives you 1 to 4 miles of coverage. Wow! That beats any Bluetooth option with an average coverage of about 100 feet. Also, it is half the price of the cheapest hunting dog quality GPS system (which are bulky, have an antenna sticking up and aren’t available for every size dog.) The iota Tracker smartly included Bluetooth with their GPS tracker, making it easier to pinpoint a dogs location. This kind of thinking that really makes the iota Tracker the best value for your money.
Uses GPS/Radio Freguency with a 1 – 4 mile coverage around your home base
Virtual Fence – Alerts you when your dog leaves the area, and can ring to help find your dog or to use in training
Long Rechargeable Battery life – a few weeks to a few months
Small and light but durable. Waterproof, even submersible
Attaches securely to your dogs collar/harness
Free App that is easy to use, and sharing the App with friends extends coverage via Bluetooth tracking
Monitors dogs activity
Works in the background of other home bases, potentially extending your coverage
iota Base Station – small with a sleek, modern design
No Monthly fees
No GPS coverage outside of the 1 to 4 mile range (think hiking) until other base stations are running in your area which may or may not happen.
Cost is mid-range at $199 which can be discouraging or unattainable for some dog owners
The iota tracker itself is white – rather noticeable (Having small dogs I just say it’s their battery pack!)
May not be durable enough for large breed dogs rough housing (“Crunch!”)
The iota Tracker helps to keep your dog safe at home and while walking in your neighbourhood. It does not give you GPS coverage outside of the home base range of 1 to 4 miles (without more home bases covering your area). This means that hiking with your dog outside of your neighbourhood will depend on the Bluetooth only coverage, no GPS. Statistics do show that the majority of dogs that end up lost have escaped from their home. This is probably due to dogs being left on their own while on their own property as opposed to being with their owner on a walk.
The iota is not the most expensive GPS tracker with ‘hunting dog quality’ trackers starting around $400. But it’s not as upfront affordable as the $50 Bluetooth trackers. However, you can’t beat that there are no monthly fees. The base station is a great, modern design but the tracker, which does complement the base station, ends up standing out on the collar. Simply offering a black option would solve this problem.
Overall, the iOta GPS Tracker is still my favourite dog tracker available. The pros out weigh the cons for me, but every dog owner is different. I’m impressed with the company getting so much technology into this small box, a lot of bang for your buck. So far they are true to their word with upgrades. And in places like San Francisco iota Tracker owners are living the dream knowing the entire city is covered with home base’s. Check out the coverage map on their website to see how this option is spreading.
SaveSave
The Hubbards Boxer was first spotted and reported to us by Nicole on Friday, May 5, 2017. Little did we know that was going to be the beginning of a very busy week of sightings. We had to map out all the sightings. He was seen multiple times crossing the 103 Highway (phew!), then the old number 3 highway, and along the rails-to-trails paths, near cottages and rec centres, by local businesses… he was spotted a lot, but we never heard of an owner looking for a lost boxer. Sigh! We advised all to immediately report sightings to the respective Animal Control Services for either Halifax or Lunenburg Counties, as he was roaming between both municipalities. People didn’t just see him and leave him, they all tried to help him but he would have none of that… if approached or called to he may stop for a second to look, but then he was off into the safety of the woods.
Having sightings reported to us, the Nova Scotia Lost Dog Network, enabled us to create a map which we hoped would establish a pattern of his behaviour and area travelled. This is the actual map of sightings, each colour pawprint represent a different day:
Let’s see who reported sightings and hopefully we haven’t forgotten anyone… there was Nicole, Annette, Kris, Kandace, Rebecca’s Parents, Old School Pizza had a sighting on their Facebook page, Marcie, Allyson’s neighbour, Mike’s wife, Carol, Allyson’s friends, and finally Allyson got a photo of him on her security camera on May 9th, 2017:
This was the first visual the rest of us had… very blurry, but you can definitely see the boxer traits of a black muzzle, deep chest, short tail. Nothing further for another full day. Not until Karen had a sighting in her yard. Then Brittny had a sighting down by the beach again. And then the Boxer had a chance encounter with Tanya’s daughter:
“My daughter first spotted him last night at 7:15 pm in my neighbour’s driveway. He had been back to our yard at least three times last evening before dark. My daughter put out dog food on our front deck and she watched from inside while he finished the bowl and walked away.”
It was such a relief to know he had a good feed. Well done! Another sighting at the same location late that night and again the next morning.
“When I looked the other day it seemed like the last sighting was in front of the rec center on Wednesday night. I think from then on he may have been living in the woods behind our house because he didn’t ever seem long coming once I put food out.”
Tanya wasn’t going to let this dog suffer:
“There is food and water and a warm bed/crate/den for him on our front deck if he so pleases to have some warm rest.”
We suggest they move it closer to the wooded area behind her house, as that was his place of choice to escape if he felt insecure or frightened. This is what she photographed the next morning:
Such a handsome boy. He was very aware of every movement and sound. It must have been exhausting for him, but he was in survival mode. All he wanted was food, water, and shelter at this point.
From Tanya Friday afternoon:
“I just came home from work and walked up the hill to take the blankets off the crate like you had suggested (some dogs like a ‘cave’ and some like it open…we were trying both). I look up and there comes this handsome fella out of the woods and looks at me and walks on by. I turned my back to him so I didn’t spook him and he walked on by along the treeline to the path and back into the woods.” Bravo Tanya… He was checking in to see if you were bringing more food and you did exactly what you should have done… turned away so he didn’t feel intimidated or pressured. “He walked on by as if nothing. He didn’t creep. He didn’t run or sprint. Just walked.”
Fantastic.
VIDEO: Please click this link to see the video: LURING IN THE BOXER
He had everything he needed… a comfortable bed and blankets, regular feedings, and fresh water. He was looking a little thin from his week on the run, but he was still in excellent health. Boxers are very athletic dogs with a deep chest, tight waist and long legs. He would come back to the house looking for more food. We didn’t want to over feed him as we needed him coming back to the same location looking for food in order to work out getting him to safety.
“Then he came back looking for food again. (By the house.) He would eat some and then if he heard a noise he would go back up to the crate and wait a minute then come back again.”
This is great – he feels his safety zone is near the crate. At this point, we could have replaced the crate with a humane live trap. That was the plan at least…
“He came back and finished his food on the deck. Then back to the crate and laid on the blanket.”
Things were moving along quickly…faster than we could get a live trap to the location.
“He’s quite comfy in the crate now.”
That evening, things changed considerably. He was feeling very confident and so were Tanya and her family. With the door ajar, their dogs and cats away, a gate up… he almost came inside looking for more hot dogs. Now, I can’t say I recommend doing this with a dog you don’t know. There was definitely a point missed where you lure a dog into you, gaining its trust enough to touch them and put a leash on them… and then decide if you are going to bring them into your home. It was pretty exciting seeing the progress they were getting. Being the kind animal loving people they were, Tanya and her family just couldn’t let him stay outside in the cold. He certainly found the right family to ask for help.
“I didn’t really plan on getting him into the house bit once my daughter started I just went with it and thought at least if we for him inside we could all hide in my bedroom until Brian (Animal Control Officer for Lunenburg County) came to get him.”
VIDEO: Please click this link to see a video: Hubbards Boxer Inside
You see his confusion in this video. He want’s the hotdog and he may even want to be inside, but he’s been in survival mode for a week and he’s nervous. And we don’t know what his life experience has been up to this point either. His ears keep listening behind him, his exit route, to make sure he can escape if he needs to run. He creeps forward, but only for the hot dog. Then he backs out again. There is a lot of body language going on and basically, it all says he’s unsure of being inside and being near people.
Wait…what? He’s inside again? This is what I hear next:
“He knocked over the gate and came from the back hallway to the house and went right upstairs.”
What a transformation from early that morning being sighted by the kennel at the back of the yard until now…
“It just all happened so quickly Friday day and evening. He stuck around right from the time he ate at 3pm Friday and was up and down the hill. We went out to dinner and when we came home and let our dogs out they were excited to see us and we made such a big deal of them talking to them and patting them and talking to them with so much excitement. Mr Boxer stood up at the top of the hill watching the entire time. I can’t help but think that it was these actions that helped him decide to come to us.”
I guess he made the decision it was going to be inside for him. I’m proud of Tanya’s next statement about this strange dog being in her upstairs:
“ I don’t want to go up and (make) him feel trapped.”
She was giving this dog the space he needed to feel safe, even if it meant he got the upstairs and she got the downstairs. The great thing is, he was in, the doors shut and Mr. Boxer was safe. Again, we don’t recommend using your entire home as a humane live trap with a strange dog…but since it worked out this way for Tanya we were all going to go with the flow. This next statement will tell you a lot about how nice this family is:
“I’m happy he’s safe but feel sad because he trusted us and we are giving him up. Wow. I could never foster dogs.”
Awe, you did the right thing (not necessarily in the right or safe way but you trusted your gut) Tanya and we all can’t thank you enough for getting this beautiful dog to safety. You and your entire family are this dog’s heroes, and ours too.
“I wouldn’t approach him. (Again, not putting any pressure on him to have to decide fight or flight.) He found a mat in my 12 year olds messy room.”
Thunder and Fireworks can be a very stressful time for your dog. The following is information that can help reduce that stress and help keep your dog safe during storms. Plenty of dogs that are not scared of fireworks. Perhaps they were exposed at a young age to loud noise, or are just easy-going in general. However, for those that have a scared or fearful dog, you will find listed below information to be applied early in a dog’s life, but also some last minute solutions that may help reduce the stress now.
Preventative:
Starting early can help lower your dog’s sensitivity to fireworks. Fear will get worse over time, handle it now. This is not a short-term fix but long term training by increasing your dog’s exposure through positive reinforcement/rewards.
Associating loud noise with rewards
Talk to your Vet about the use of drugs – some of these dogs/fears may require drugs before any improvement can be seen.
Schedule an appointment with a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviourist – Not every community has one, so talk to your Vet for any references.
Sound Therapy: Desensitize your dog through Thunderstorm CDs. Use this technique beforehand to slowly expose your dog to louder and louder noises, and rewarding them all along with treats and/or pettings.
“Through a Dog’s Ear” – specifically designed to reduce canine anxiety. Start using it when your dog is already in a calm, relaxed state, long before any fireworks. He will begin to associate this training with being in a calm/relaxed state. Then, on the night of the fireworks, begin the music hours before to bring him into that same state…continue straight through the fireworks and afterward as well. It doesn’t have to be loud and it has been clinically proven to calm the canine nervous system.
Sound Therapy combined with Desensitization: Fireworks, Thunderstorms, City Sounds, and Calming. A desensitizing training tool for sound sensitive and noise phobic dogs with Victoria Stilwell.
iCalm Dog 3.0 – portable player – A preloaded audio player
DURING OR DAY OF THE EVENT:
Do Not Take Your Dog to a Fireworks Display – leave them at home where they feel safest. Dogs have been known to bolt at the first explosion of fireworks, pulling the leash right out of the owner’s hands. This is very common with extended retractable leashes. Also, remember that dogs can change over time and those that were not scared before, may be frightened this time. It’s always best to leave your dog at home, in a safe, calm environment. Please don’t gamble with your dog’s safety by taking them to fireworks displays.
Know: It’s normal for a dog to be scared
Plenty of exercise before the event – Take your dog for a long walk or extended play time before the bad weather approaches or before a Fireworks Display.
Make sure your dog is wearing their ID tags with a properly fitting collar at all times – Even when your dog is at home have them wearing ID tags as fearful dogs have been known to bolt through doors and windows (both screen and glass). We recommend using a martingale style collar, as most dogs cannot back out of them… a technique successfully used by scared dogs to escape their leashes. However, if your dog is locked in a kennel at home, it’s best to remove their collar so their tags or buckle doesn’t get stuck in the wire mesh.
Do not let them “sweat it out” – Dogs will not learn to calm themselves, but instead are likely to become much more stressed when left to their own devices.
You need to stay calm – That doesn’t mean you can’t love on your dog, it means that you do it while staying calm and relaxed, reassuring your dog that everything will be okay or more correctly for your dog, that everything is okay.
Associating loud noise with rewards
Keep dogs inside during the event – preferably with human companionship.
Create a retreat inside for your dog – Create a special area within your home where your dog can feel safe and secure.
Sound Therapy – Play calming music that you have trained them with in the beginning. But even if you haven’t trained them with this, you can still use this technique. Calm classical music can work or the suggested, Through a Dogs Ears, classical music created just for dogs is a great help.
Calming wraps/Thundershirts™ can help some dogs, even if it just takes their fear down a notch, they are a great tool in your Fireworks toolbox. The swaddling, a gentle, constant pressure, works like with a baby, making your dog feel more secure in stressful situations. You will see some improvement to varying degrees depending on the dog. For my dog, it definitely takes the edge off the anxiety.
Natural therapies may help with the first signs of fear. However, it may be too late for them to work on severe cases – when stress is elevated to it’s highest point. Bach Flower, Lavender Oil, DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromones) sprays are all effective to some degree or other… may depend on the dog itself as well.
Resources:
Victoria Stilwell:
https://positively.com/contributors/10-safety-and-calming-tips-for-dogs-during-fireworks/
Purina:
“Providing a positive or distracting stimulus is more likely to calm her down.”
http://www.petmd.com/blogs/dailyvet/2009/June/09-4226
BEFORE THE STORM:
ID Tag/Microchip:
Have your dog’s updated ID tags on their collar and the collar on them at all times during a storm. We recommend having your cell phone on your dog’s tag and that you have a dog licence from your municipality. Also, have your dog microchipped and the information kept up-to-date with the chip company/vets.
Long Walk:
Take your dog for a long walk as you both may be housebound for a few days.
Food and Meds:
Make sure you have enough dog food and medications in stock for both you and your dog. They recommend at least 72 hours worth.
Winter Dog Gear:
Get out your dog coats/sweaters and boots because when your dog has to go, they have to go. People will be using a lot of salt with this ice build up, so be prepared with dog boots or ointments to reduce the risk to your dogs pads. Have towels ready to dry off your dog after being out in the storm.
Evacuation:
Prepare ahead of time and have a plan for your family and your pets incase you had to evacuate your home. You can find a great article on planning ahead for your pets safety during an evacuation here. And disaster preparedness for pets here.
Have toys ready for indoor play:
Stuff kong’s with your dogs food or special treats, use interactive toys where both you and your dog work together, have chew toys ready: Your dog will be anxious and active and you will need to burn some of that energy off while indoors.
Print a copy of this list:
You can find a copy of this list for printing here.
DURING THE STORM:
Only outside for bathroom breaks:
Limit the time you and your dog spend outside during the worst of the storm. Ice makes the streets and sidewalks dangerous and the storm itself may cause havoc. Don’t forget your own cleats for your boots as everywhere you step will be icy. (Information on hypothermia in dogs can be found here.)
Leashed when outside:
Please keep them on leash, even within a fenced yard during the storm. Winds, heavy ice build up, noise of salt trucks, falling branches, etc. All these things can cause your dog to bolt. A dog bolting from fear can leap high fences and/or run for long distances.
Power Outage:
Stay calm so your dog stays calm as well.
Don’t forget to keep your dog warm by providing them with blankets or sweaters.
Speak out if you see a pet left in the cold:
Call your local Animal Control or the Provincial SPCA Cruelty Investigations to report a dog left out in the cold. You could also try your local Police or RCMP. Contact Information listed by County for Nova Scotia can be found here: www.ns.lostdognetwork.com/contact-list/
AFTER THE STORM:
Before you let your dog out, check your yard:
Thoroughly check the yard after the storm for any open gates, broken fence sections, hanging or downed branches/trees, power lines down, downed live wires, etc.
Road Salts:
After a snow storm the sidewalks may be very icy and/or covered in road salt. “When you get back inside, wipe down (or wash) your pet’s feet, legs and belly to remove these chemicals (road salt) and reduce the risk that your dog will be poisoned after (s)he licks them off of his/her feet or fur.”*
___________________________
* AVMA Cold Weather Pet Safety: https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Cold-weather-pet-safety.aspx
RCMP Constable on Radio to Discuss Leaving Dogs in Cars on Hot Days | $$$Fines$$$
Today on 105.9 SEASIDE-FM’s Road Check with RCMP Constable Jim Shield, the topic will be about leaving pets in cars on hot days…quite the fines… Listen at 4:45 today, July 16, 2015
Listen Live online:
