Raising a Well Mannered Mutt

By Sallie Palmer
Certified Dog Trainer

Lost dogs

If you have ever lost a dog then you know that feeling of desperation in your search to find your companion.  The feeling can be tortuous as you frantically wonder where he can be.  Is he hurt? Did someone find him? Where could he be hiding?

Over the years I have been involved in many searches for lost dogs.  I am happy to say most of the searches ended successfully and happily. Some of the searches were sad and tragic. In all the searches I had my search dog, Skete, who has been trained to find dogs and people. I have learned a lot from these searches and would like to pass on the following information. 

It has been my experience that more shy and fearful dogs go missing than confident dogs.  Not to say that confident dogs don’t go missing as well but generally an unsure dog will become frightened by a situation, panic, bolt and run. The dog will usually run until he feels he is no longer in danger or has found a hiding place.  The dog is not thinking.  He is only reacting.  He is in a flight mode. The dangerous part about a scared panic dog is that he will blindly run out into traffic and possibly get hit by a car.  If you have a dog or witness a dog that panics and runs try not to chase him.  Chasing a scared dog can make him panic even more.  Do your best to watch where he is going.  Try to circle around him away from danger if possible. But if your dog does run off and become lost here are some steps you can take to get him home safely.

• HAVE YOUR DOG MICRO-CHIPPED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

This is a preemptive strike. Micro-chips are implanted under your dog’s skin. It’s an easy procedure and inexpensive.  The micro-chip, when read by a scanner, contains information about how to contact the dog’s owner.  Most veterinarians and animal control shelters have scanners at their facilities. Also have a collar on your dog with your phone number.  I will actually write my number on the dog’s collar because I have had experiences with dog tags falling off.  Don’t think that information on your dog’s collar is enough.  One small dog that Skete and I found was missing her collar.  It came off while she was lost.

• LOOK WITH IN A TWO MILE RADIUS.

I have been involved in several searches where the dog has been missing for a week.  It has been my experience that most dogs will stay within a mile to two mile radius of where they were last seen.  Scared dogs will attempt to hide.  They like to crawl under anything low to the ground and hide.  They will climb under cars, buildings, dense bushes, etc. Even when you call them they may not immediately come out from hiding if they don’t feel that it is safe. 

• SEARCH ON FOOT.

You can take in more of your surroundings if you walk the area on foot. Every once in awhile stop and just listen for a period of time. Sometimes you will here other dogs barking at something and it might be the lost dog.  If you can, go to high locations (hill top) where you can look down for movement you might see the dog in the distance. Bring smelly food with you such as hotdogs and cooked bacon. Search in the early morning and in the evening.  Dogs will come out when it’s quiet.

• CONTACT YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL CONTROL.

Take a poster with a picture to your animal control shelter. Dog descriptions vary. A picture is the best way to show what the dog actually looks like. Look at all the dogs in the shelter just to be sure that yours didn’t come in unnoticed.  I know this is unpleasant but ask if any dead dogs were found and where.

• PLACE POSTERS WITH A PICTURE EVERYWHERE.

Place posters at street corners in the area where your dog was, at veterinarian offices, groomers, feed stores. Contact surrounding dog rescue organizations. Make sure the posters are bright and eye catching. Contact radio stations to see if they have a ‘pet watch’ report. Place an ad in the local lost and found columns of the newspapers.  Offer a reward for the dog’s safe return but do not state an amount.

• CALL YOUR LOCAL SEARCH AND RESCUE VOLUNTEERS.

Sometimes you will find volunteers who want to put their skills to work.  There might be a search dog team that has been trained to track or search by scent articles. See if they will help.

• DON’T GIVE UP.

I have seen it happen so often.  Just when you think there isn’t any hope, your dog is found or seen.  There are so many stories of dogs being reunited with their families after months of separation.  Part of the reason some dogs aren’t reunited with their rightful owner is because some people are under the impression that a lost dog has been abandoned. Even a dog that has been out on his own for a few days can be dirty, have matted fur and covered with ticks. 

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU FIND A DOG?

• Do not assume the dog has been abandoned.  He is not your property just because you found him.
• Contact Animal Control immediately.  Have the dog checked for a micro-chip.
• Contact animal rescue organizations.
• Place ‘found dog’ posters in the area.  I once was tacking up a ‘found turtle’ poster on a telephone pole when I noticed an old, torn, faded ‘lost turtle’ poster on the same pole.  The owner only lived one street away from me.
• Contact the radio and newspaper to see if they have a lost and found section.

Returning a lost animal to his family can be one of the best gifts ever.  The feeling of recovering a loved one defies words.  It is an act of kindness.

 

Sallie Palmer is a certified professional dog trainer.  She trained her German Shepherd, Skete, to search by scent. Skete has found six lost dogs and tragically found the location where two dogs had drowned.  Sallie also trained Skete to ‘find the kitties’ so the cats can be indoors at night. The cats do not appreciate this talent. For more information about Sallie and Skete go to www.wellmanneredmutts.com .

 

 

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