How to get a proper scent article for a search

How to get a proper scent article for a search. 

What kind of articles can be used to get my pet’s scent?

The best type of articles to get scent from for a track are inside items like beds, blankets, scratching posts, toys, carriers, brushes and cat trees. The fabric helps to hold the scent for a long time. Machine washing will wash the scent away and also co-mingle the scent with all the other items in the wash, so the items should not have been previously washed since the pet has been lost.

To get scent off of an article, use a couple of sheets of paper towels and with the sheets in the tips of your fingers, rub the paper towels back and forth on all creases of the object and on both sides of the paper towels. Do this for at least a couple of minutes for each article, trying to pick up all hairs. After doing this, then put the sheets of paper towels into a zip lock plastic bag and store it in either the freezer and refrigerator. Make sure you mark the outside of the bag stating the object where you got the scent from.

If the item is something large like a bed or blanket, it would be best to make sure that item is safe until your pet returns by putting it in a large plastic bag like a trash bag and putting it into a dark closet or cool garage. Also, this keeps it safe from possible contamination from other animals.

The scent article must be only used by the lost pet. If there is a chance that another animal in the house had access to the article, then it would be best to talk to me to determine if that article would or would not be appropriate to use.

If there is a possibility that animals other than the lost pet have had contact with the articles, I like to use more than one article to make sure my dogs have a good variety of articles to get the proper scent from.

I don’t like to use items that are outside because there is a chance that other animals may have had contact with the item. I prefer items that are kept inside. However, I have had cases where only outside articles were available, and we were still able to find the track. My preference is articles that are inside and safe.