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How to Leash a Lost Dog With No Collar

How to Leash a Lost Dog With No Collar

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July is Lost Pets Prevention Month sponsored by PetHub. 

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You can check out more info on the PetHub website.

All month long, some of my favourite bloggers have been sharing posts on how to prevent your pets from getting lost. They are all awesome. I feel like the black sheep because if we are being totally honest I used to kind of suck at not letting my dog get lost and I probably have no business telling you guys not to lose your pets.

No matter how hard you try to prevent it, eventually your pet might get lost.

I don’t want to point fingers here, (Felix) but some dogs (Felix) are a little harder to contain than others (Felix). That boy was born with a sense of wanderlust I will never fully understand. Back before we found the world’s tiniest hole in our fence, my dogs escaped a handful of times. Kolchak would get out, run around to the front of the house and cry until someone opened the door.

leash a lost dog

HEY YOU JERKS! Open the door! DON’T YOU KNOW I’M LOST?!

Felix, on the other hand, would take himself on a Grand Adventure. He’d follow our walk route, making friends with dogs and people along the way. I was extremely lucky that Felix met dog people who cared enough to help him get his stupid fluffy butt home.

We can’t always prevent dogs from getting loose, but we can help prevent them from getting lost.

Knowing that Felix is basically Houdini in a fur suit, I’m careful to make sure he’s tricked out with dog tags and ID at all times, but a lot of dogs escape the house naked as a jaybird. No collar, no tags, no leash. These dogs are the hardest to help find their way home, not just because you have no idea where home is, but because you have no way to contain them and keep them safe while you look.  Mel from No Dog About It has a very some awesome tips on how to catch a loose dog, but what about once you’ve GOT them? I can’t count the number of times that we’ve met a nice dog on our walk and needed to Macguyver up a way to keep them close. Using a leash to make a slip collar is the easiest choice, but I’ve never met a lost dog that didn’t pull like a team of horses. Maybe I’m over reacting, but I worry about damage to their trachea and choking. What good is it if I find their home, if I accidentally choke them in the process?!

We’ve found an easy way to leash a lost dog with no collar.

leash diy

I always keep an extra 6 foot leash in my dog walking bag. 6 foot is long enough to wrap around and create a makeshift leash/harness combo that will help you keep hold of (almost) any lost dog.

1. Wrap the leash around the dog’s neck and cross it over their chest, like you’re tying a tie. 

DIY Leash HArness
2. Pass the leash under the dog’s front legs.

DIY Leash Harness 2
3. Wrap the leash around the dog’s rib cage. 

DIY Leash Harness 3

4. Use the leash clasp to secure the leash around the dog’s middle.

DIY Leash Harness 4

5. Adjust until the loops fit snugly around the dog’s chest and middle. 

DIY Leash Harness 5

It’s that simple. The wrap will keep the dog secure without putting pressure on the dog’s neck. Because of the fit, it’s tough for a dog to wiggle free or back out of it. You’ve got control and you can save that loose dog from being lost. 

Have you ever found a lost dog? How did you help them get home?

 

 

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Bekah

Thursday 12th of January 2023

Found a stray puppy in our barn last night. This picture tutorial on how to leash without a collar was very helpful today, and we've done it a couple times already! Thank you!

Jodi & Kolchak

Sunday 15th of January 2023

Awe! Lucky puppy that someone found them! Good luck :)

Ashley Gee

Saturday 16th of October 2021

Works perfectly for my escape artist of a dog on walks. Really cute little old man you got there by the way :)

Jodi & Kolchak

Saturday 23rd of October 2021

I'm so glad this works for you! And thank you, I'm pretty enamoured with his sweet little face <3

jiyaferty

Wednesday 21st of April 2021

Your idea is excellent! Thanks for the suggestion.

Debra Rose

Friday 14th of February 2020

Ingenious!

M. K. Clinton

Thursday 28th of July 2016

Just one word...brilliant!

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