Preparing for Emergencies
You should keep a comprehensive emergency and first aid kit in your home. You should also keep a first aid kit in your car or truck,
and invest in a 'pocket-sized' basic first aid kit to carry with you when out walking with your dog.
Even just a couple of simple bandages can make an important difference if your dog cuts a paw or is injured while out and about.
If you are exercising your husky or sled dog using a bicycle, dog-scooter or dry-land rig, be aware that both dogs and mushers often get injured whilst out 'on the trail'.
It is especially important to always carry a basic emergency kit when you are out training.
We would suggest a training safety kit should include (as a minimum):
- A basic first aid kit, including, at a minimum, Bandages, (specifically Ambulance Dressings), as well as perhaps safety pins, medical tape, sticking plasters, scissors etc
- A bottle of water and collapsible bowl for dogs to drink from
- A flash light
We find a fanny-pack useful for keeping supplies in. You can buy packs designed for dog owners that come with a collapsible water bowl and water bottle, and have enough space to hold a small flash-light, a basic first aid kit and a cell-phone.
Travelling with Dogs
Whenever we are out in a vehicle with our dogs, we always make sure to have a dog tie out pin and chain.
We make sure of this in case we are in a road accident.
If you are travelling with dogs, it's really important to prepare for situations where you may need to evacuate them quickly from your car or van.
A crash on the highway may seem unlikely, but if it happens the key priorities are obviously to make sure any passengers and dogs are safe. This may mean moving them away from the vehicle.
Even in the event of a breakdown, you may need to take your dogs out of your car or truck. Having some way to keep them safe and secure is invaluable in this kind of situation.
We carry metal dog chains with us, as in an emergency situation the dogs may be stressed and attempt to chew though fabric leashes or ropes.
An emergency survival blanket is useful to have when out and about in case a dog (or person) gets injured.
We keep one in our car at all times, and we take two emergency blankets in our truck when we are out with a team of dogs.
Further Safety Precautions
We would suggest that you carry a cell-phone at all times when out and about with your dogs.
Some owners carry army-style pocket knives to use in emergencies. You may find that you need to cut ropes or a leash quickly if a dog get in a dangerous tangle.
If you intend to 'work' your dog, a good investment to consider is a set of Walkie Talkies.
These can be used to keep in contact with others in places where your cell-phone signal is limited, as is the case in many training areas.