Why you SHOULD MICROCHIP your dog!

tsukitsunetsukitsune
edited November 2008 in General
Why you should microchip your dog:

This AM I'm doing round one of neighborhood walking with Hachi, Kitsu and Tsuki. Everything is going fine until Hachi gets spooked by a branch falling from a tree and BACKS OUT of her adjusted Roman Lupine harness. OMG!
So I'm calling her nicely, showing a treat, crinkling leaves and she's semi interested until a freaking squirrel whizzes by and she darts, so I have the other two and I'm pleading with both God and Hachi to please just come back to me. Cars are going, I'm running across intersections then she's gone. I don't see her at all. So I'm calling to everyone I see "DID YOU SEE A BLACK DOG?!?!?" No one. No sounds. No indication which direction she went in. Holy mother of God where is my little dog.. . . .

So now I'm in real hysterics and I'm thinking OK - I have to keep calling her name, I have to make flyers, like a hundred thousand for every tree in the state, I have to get these two home and still take out Hanzo, maybe we'll find her then, what if she gets hit, what if someone spooks her farther away, what if a dog eats her, oh my gosh... BUT WAIT! She's Microchipped! And registered in the microchip system. Thank God I sent that check in. But she's so cute, if someone catches her, they'd keep her. OH MY GOSH.

So at this point I'm still circling the same block and have stepped in dog poop in a yard and dropped the bag of dood I was carrying and thank God still had the other two tagging along for the run...still screaming "HACHI - HAAAACHI" - I ran into a jogger and she's like "is Hachi the little dog running around? She's chasing squirrels on Clay Ave I tried to get her but she sniffed me, my ipod cord scared her and she ran off again..."

So I go back to the block I last saw her, call her name and see her little black self run from a yard full force towards us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then I'm scrambling to grab her and quickly do and hold her and kiss her and thank God and the jogger and go home crying hysterically the entire time.

At least she was microchipped. That fact alone helped me from stroking out right on the sidewalk. And now she is home, I want to spit on her and hug her until she can't stand it anymore at the same time.

Microchip your dogs if you haven't done so already. It may be the only difference of hopelessly lost and homeward bound!!!!!

Comments

  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    Ugggg. Tighten up that harness. I'm glad she's home safe.
  • HarlowHarlow
    edited November -1
    What a scare. I'm so glad you found her so quickly.
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November 2008
    We make sure her harness is as tight as it can be. First time it ever happened in the harness, she pulled out of the martingale collar already too.. I'm going to upgrade her harness.

    Since posting, I've been searching for harness alternatives for her and this is the best thing I've found thus far - the belly band looks to prevent backing out:
    http://www.ruffwear.com/Web-Master-Harness?sc=2&category=1131#
    -- -
    **ME TOO, Patty!!
  • ljowen123ljowen123
    edited November -1
    I'm glad you caught her - microchipping was one of the first things I did with Jazz, when I was doing all the research and kept hearing about door bolters - I was scared to death that would happen.
  • santuzzasantuzza
    edited November -1
    I'm so glad she's back. That must've been torture. At least the story didn't end the way it did with my previous dog. She'd always be found stinking to high heaven and requiring an immediate bath.
  • KaddyKaddy
    edited November -1
    I'm so happy that you found her!!! We have 1 week until Keiko gets her microchip ... My little story isn't quite as traumatic, but still got to me nonetheless.

    Last night it was unusually warm here, so when we got back from our walk I headed to the bedroom to change clothes, when I got back out James had opened the doorwall (sliding glass door if you're not from Detroit apparantly... ). Keiko and Belle were being terrors and it was a normal-ish night for Halloween. 10 minutes go by and no sign of Keiko in our sanctioned off area (they only get access to one room and that's the room we're in at that time). Turns out he hadn't checked to make sure the screen door was shut and Keiko was out on the patio playing with a stick. As soon as I walked out she bolted for the main door and sat there and waited for me to open it ... I was SHOCKED that the training actually paid off and my heart was beating so fast. I'm just thankful she didn't decide to go exploring or chasing the Trick or Treaters - this was her first 'escape' from us.
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    Evan - I know the feeling of those heart beats!!!!Glad the training paid off, too!

    Found this story about the miracle of the microchip:
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081101/ap_on_fe_st/od d_distant_dog
  • MommyofNikoMommyofNiko
    edited November -1
    Wow! Im so glad Hachi is ok and you didnt pull your hair out. I have had many similar experiences with Niko. She does know our area and knows how to get back but that doesnt stop cars from hitting her or people taking her. The kids in the neighborhood yesterday for Halloween were saying "I know that dog" To Niko....kinda embarrassing!
  • SangmortSangmort
    edited November -1
    THANK GOD! I'm SO happy she came running back! Gave her mummy quite the scare, eh? :) ~
  • kojichankojichan
    edited November -1
    I'm trying to figure out how it's even possible to back out of a Roman harness. So I guess Hachi was first able to get her head through the neck strap, and then once she accomplished that, it was a pretty easy matter to get her head and front legs through the chest strap? I would think the initial pulling of the chest strap against the back of the front legs would have prevented her slipping the neck strap. That's a heck of a contortion. I use one of these. Cetacea Step-in Harness . No real neck strap to slip, and easy to put on -- once they get used to the idea of putting their legs down into the "loops".
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    It was an interesting contortion - and it happened so fast... but I think her from legs backed out first then her head shortly afterward, it was SO fast I couldn't even react to grab her right then and there.

    We had a step in harness for Tsuki when she was a pup and she got out of it once, so we tried to the chest/back roman harness type and its worked until now. Ugh. I don't know.

    But she's back in her harness since, and we walk twice a day each day and we took a hike this weekend, and no slipping, no attempting to either. Just a freaky freak accident I guess.
  • brandon_wbrandon_w
    edited November -1
    Have you thought of a double ended lead, to hook onto the harness and her collar if this were to happen again?

    http://www.ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/1018


    That is a terrifying feeling, I remember it well from the time I dropped Turi's leash and he took off. He also came running back to us when we saw him, best feeling ever.

    So glad that this had a happy ending.
  • LoveMyMylieLoveMyMylie
    edited November -1
    I saw a story on the news last night about a dog that was found in Chicago who had been missing from his home in Florida for 6 months. He was reunited with his owner because he had been microchipped :D
  • DLWDLW
    edited November -1
    This is one of my biggest fears. Both my babies are microchipped but if they ever got loose I would be so scared that they'd get hit by a car. It's pretty busy around here traffic wise. My yard is fenced and when out on walks they both have fur friendly choke collars that they cannot slip out of. I don't really like the choke collars but Kayli can slip right out of her regular collar if she so chooses. I'm always on the lookout for something that might work better.
  • KFontaine04KFontaine04
    edited November -1
    DLW, have you tried harnesses?? I love that the dogs can't slip them and they make for a much more enjoyable walk for the both of us.
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    yeah thats why I don't rely on martingale/limited slip/choke collars - my dogs still pull and make gagging noises and I've known 3 people whose dogs ended up with crushed tracheas or other neck/throat damage, so I don't rely on the collars for walking - just out back romping and pottying.
  • KFontaine04KFontaine04
    edited November -1
    Yeah, Miso ALWAYS has his traditional collar with tags on just in case he escapes or if he is playing in the backyard, but he knows his harness is for walking. The only time he is collar-less is bathtime or sleep time because he likes to sleep in the bed and the cling clang clack of the collar drives me nuts!
  • DLWDLW
    edited November -1
    Kristin, I have tried a harness but it was for securing her in the car so not great for going potty. I think I heard once that a dog will pull more with a harness. Maybe I get one and see how it goes, in the yard first, tho. I also have the Gentle leader but I really don't trust it. They walked ok with it but it doesn't seem to be strong enough for me. Like I wanted to put another leash and collar on just to be sure. Kayli slips right out of the Martingale one and a traditional one. Luckily it was in the yard when she did that.
  • ljowen123ljowen123
    edited November -1
    I use a puppia harness on Jazz and she keeps it on most of the time - she doesn't pull much, but I think the training classes helped with that more so than the harness.
  • asiaasia
    edited November 2008
    Another reason to microchip!
    She found the dog as it was being adopted.
    http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/34842584.html
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    wow... that is a crazy story!
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