Has your dog gone missing? Microchips or trackers might help

There’s not a day when I wouldn’t come across a shared post concerning a missing dog on social networks. Sometimes it’s about neglecting its safety, sometimes bad luck. Therefore, using a microchip should go without saying. However, it’s not enough for finding the lost dog.

Nowadays, a microchip is (or should be) a common thing. I even dare to say a necessary thing for dogs’ owners. It is used for a permanent animal tagging and it is obligatory in Prague since 2015. It is a very handy and practical thing. A chipped dog can be identified very quickly when it’s abandoned or lost using a reader which animal control, police, veterinary clinics and some dog shelters and associations have available. Besides the situation when a dog is lost, this tag will come in handy when travelling in the EU.

It is a radiofrequency device, about a millimetre wide and a centimetre long which is put inside the animal’s body to the subcutaneous tissue on the left side of its neck using an applicator. A chip is programmed with a unique code and the animal and its owners are matched in a database using this code. When a dog is chipped at a vet, the owner should receive two registration cards with the code. The owner keeps one of them and sends the other one to the National Register of Animal Owners.

And the chip will help to find the owner of a lost dog. A tracker works on the opposite principle – it helps owners to find their dogs. Moreover, while a chip is a passive device, a tracker helps to find the dog actively. Or more precisely, it gives you information on where your dog is right now in the real time. It is also useful for cat owners if they are interested in where their little adventurers wonder during the day. For example, my cat spent a lot of time at my neighbours. I thought, she’s out there all day, hunting pigeons and playing with other cats and meanwhile, she has a second home in the next flat :).

A GPS tracker is a small box you can attach to your dog’s collar. You only have to recharge it regularly. And it’s not even that expensive as you might expect. The prices start at one thousand crowns.

If your dog is after any hare or roe deer it smells or no high fence can keep it on your garden, a tracker is the right thing for you and it is necessary for the safety of your dog.

Does your companion have a tracker? And what type have you decided for? I’ll be glad if you’ll share your experience.

 

Related articles

Liber tail syndrome. How to avoid it?

It sits with great difficulties. It also looks like it is very painful. It seems that any contact of the tail and ground causes great pain. As well as any touch when I try to find out what’s wrong with its tail. We came back from swimming where our dog...

5 tips for summer city activities with a dog

If you decide to head to the streets of your city during a hot summer day, remember that pavements you will be walking on are much warmer that the air. In general, I try to go out with my dog during hot summer days as least as possible but if we go...

Summer first-aid kit: What shouldn’t be missing?

Weekend or holiday is here and you are thinking about  what to pack? You definitely shouldn’t forget your first-aid kit. And also the one for your dog! Properly equipped first-aid kit is a must. If you are struggling with deciding what should be...

Does a giant dog breed mean as large responsibility?

Our personal experience is what influences us most in our opinions. But if we don’t have it or can’t get it at least from a friend or family member, it is more difficult for us to imagine how living with a giant furry friend looks like. And if it comes...

10 things you should have to keep your rodent happy

The best option for living of a small rodent are big aquariums, plastic boxes or cages. And I don’t mean big as high but rather with as big area as possible. Hamsters are naturally running creatures and need enough space. Max has a space of the...

Turkey – The Land of Cats

Turkey, the homeland of angoras and Turkish Vans is almost cats’ paradise. Even though veterinary care is quite expensive here, also cats living outside are taken care of well. Even in large cities like Istanbul and Ankara you can encounter a lot of...