Before

What to do WHEN your Siberian Husky gets loose...

After

No matter how well you train your dog or organize your restraint system, chances are some day YOUR Siberian Husky will be loose in an open area.... Are you prepared for this contingency? Please read the suggestions below to store up some ideas for the day YOUR Siberian Husky "accidentally" finds freedom.

The suggestions on this page are provided from the experienced Siberian Husky owners of the Sibernet-l discussion list and other Siberian owners. Please join the list if you'd like to learn more about this captivating breed!

• RUN to a vehicle, throw open the door and call out "Let's go bye-bye!"

• RUN to the house, throw open the door and call out the dog's name to come in: -> "Odin in!"  

• RUN quickly to the fridge and pull out a piece of meat. RUN after your Siberian waving the meat in the air hoping he/she gets a whiff of it before catching one of the neighbor's cats/rabbits/chicken/sheep. 

• RUN away from the dog and yell to the dog to play one of your favorite games: -> "Reba tag!"

• RUN to where the dog can see you. Drop or fall to the ground and cry & sob LOUDLY. This will hopefully bring the dog right up to you to see what is going on. Grab him immediately. (This one is usually foolproof but save it for a real emergency situation as it usually only works once. Siberians catch on real fast, and you aren't going to fool them with this a second time.)

• MAKE FLYERS with the pictures you have on hand. You can go to any local store and tape a picture onto a flyer and copy it – I had 50 flyers made within a matter of minutes. Also, in winter or the rainy season, be sure to use something to cover the flyers to keep them dry so they are legible (we have used sheet protectors from an Office Supply store - simply tape the open edge)

• POST FLYERS at:
  • Stop signs at major intersections into and out of the area the dog is lost from.
  • Feed and Grocery Stores (all dogs must be fed)
  • Shelters & Dog pounds
  • Area Veterinarian Offices and Animal Hospitals
  • Near Banks (all humans use banks, increased audience of your flyers)
  • Near Gas Stations (most humans use these frequently)
  • Schools—dogs love kids and seem to be attracted like glue to schools!
  • Randomly on mailboxes or in newspaper boxes in the area near the escape.
    
• ITEMS to put on the SIGN:
  • Photo of dog
  • Description of dog (breed, coat color, eye color, sex, collar, identifying marks)
  • Area lost
  • Date lost
  • Your phone number AND an alternate phone number if you don’t have the phone with you while you are out driving around!
  • How the dog escaped—climbed fence, dug out of kennel—people are more likely to help if they think the dog escaped rather than he always runs loose and now you think he is missing.
    
• NOTE: Driving the neighborhood where your dog was lost is only good for a few hours.
  -After the first couple of hours, it is unlikely that you will find your pet this way because he is either further away than you imagine, in someone's house/backyard, or at the shelter. So, after the initial drive around the area, your time is best spent putting up signs and knocking on doors. Ask KIDS that you see walking or riding their bikes, they seem to know EVERYTHING that goes on in a neighborhood ?

Please note that many of these suggestions begin with the word RUN!

This list and the BEFORE and AFTER lists are open for expansion.

If you have any suggestions, please send them to ann@huskycolors.com

Home | Siberian Husky Information | Siberian Husky Colors | Siberian Pictures | E-mail | Words of Wit | Color Genetics| Table of Contents  

For additional sites related to Siberian Huskies, I suggest the links page of Barkarian Kennels and/or the Working Dog Web page.