How to Increase Your Chances of Finding a Missing Dog

Lynn Byrd, tracker and coach
Beloved Companions NC

READ THIS FIRST!

UNLESS YOUR DOG IS OLD, BLIND, DEAF, OR INJURED, DO NOT TRY TO CATCH YOUR DOG AT NIGHT!

If your dog is old, blind, deaf, or injured, start your search by getting down to the nearest creek or to the lowest point / bottom of the hill as fast as you can and go both directions as far as you can. Old dogs go downhill and take the path of least resistance. Get all of your friends & neighbors out with flashlights to look for your dog. For more old dog tips scroll down.

If your dog is NOT old, blind, deaf or injured, STOP LOOKING AND READ THIS.

Do not follow behind your (or any) dog in a car. Do not chase, call out to, follow at any pace, step toward, run toward, or walk toward the dog. Do not walk behind the dog, or otherwise approach. If you or anyone you are with are doing these things, STOP DOING THEM IMMEDIATELY!

Instead, send everyone who doesn't live with you to their home, and then you go home as well. Put up the other dogs and open the gate to the fenced-in yard if you have one, then lay out scent items beginning from where he escaped and around your yard, especially to and through that open gate. If you have no gate or fenced yard, start at the door he escaped from and work your way around from there. Lay out your dirty clothes, his food bowl, favorite toys, blanket, etc. Turn on the porch lights, fire up the grill, and watch from the windows. Be patient. Remember, you are not "one and done." Keep doing these things and keep reading to learn more about next steps.

BUT WHAT IF I SEE MY DOG? WHAT DO I DO?

Sit down. Sit down, sit down. EVERYBODY around you must move away, sit down or hide and watch, and give your dog room to come to you. Stay low, not kneeling, but sitting, or even lying on the ground. Let your dog see you. Say his nickname - only you know what that is. Don't spread that nickname around, keep it a secret. More about that later. Be patient. Let him come to you. Don't grab at him, or lunge toward him. Let him come.

"BUT I SEE HIM! I'M IN MY CAR AND I'M FOLLOWING HIM! WHAT DO I DO?"

If it's nighttime and you're out there looking anyway, drive far enough ahead of your dog to pull safely off the road - 10 car lengths or more. With your flashlight, quickly but calmly get out of the car and sit down in the grass or driveway on his side where he can see you ahead of him. Point the flashlight on yourself, say his nickname very gently and see what happens. If he keeps on going, get in the car, follow these steps again. If he turns and runs into the woods, allow it. Stop. Go home. This will either work, or it won't, and don't keep trying it. You'll only put more pressure on him, and that'll only drive him further away. He may be heading back into your neighborhood or heading toward your house. Drive on home, turn on the lights, and let him come in on his own. Wait until morning. 

 

THE NAME OF THE GAME IS ZERO PRESSURE

Sometimes - really most times, and especially at night, you must understand and accept that the best thing you can do for your dog is to leave him alone and let him get his mind right. A dog's chances of being reunited with you are greater if you don't push him into traffic, or scare him further away from home. His chances of being injured, killed, or lost forever are increased if you follow, chase, yell, run, step toward, or otherwise put pressure on him, especially at night. Read that again.

Every lost dog story is different because every dog is unique, but there are common themes for success. You'll have a better chance of reuniting with your pet by following these tried and true tips and instructions. 

QUICK TIPS - FIRST 30 MINUTES / HOUR

If you've lost a pet, walk or drive around their neighborhood and talk with friends and neighbors. Sometimes, a "lost" pet is very close to home and can be reunited quickly this way, especially if they disappeared during a storm, or chased a cat, or are old and wandered down the street. 

Look in the garage, under the shrubs, along the fence line. Your pet may be trying to get back in the yard, so open the gate. After you've done these things, sit still and watch and wait. 

If you see your pet, be very friendly. Do not scold, chase, or walk toward them unless they need your help. You may have to sit down and let them come to you. Remember this above all else: when you see your dog, stop moving, sit down, lie down, or get very low to the ground, don't stare at them, and gently encourage them to come to you. If you are in a safe place, simply turn around, ask them to follow you, and walk toward home or to the car.

Count your blessings if any of these quick tips work. 

If you're in a hurry, scroll down to "NOT FOUND IN AN HOUR?" to read more tips and strategies. But be sure to come back and read about scams and prank calls before you agree to give anyone money! If someone mentions Instagram, shut them down.

SCAMS 

I tracked recently for a young woman who was scammed out of $200 by someone pretending to be a tracker. The scammer was somehow connected to Instagram. NEVER EVER give out your credit card information or send money to an unknown source. That is NOT how real trackers work. Scammers violate you by taking your money and breaking your heart at the same time. Here's the deal:

1. Real trackers aren't going to ask you for your credit card number or give you a code so you can transfer money to them. If someone does this to you, hang up, then block and delete their numbers immediately!
2. Real trackers don't use Instagram to promote themselves on your lost dog thread. Block and delete these evil people! But do pay attention to the folks making suggestions for trackers, then reach out for more information.
3. Beware of any caller who says they have your pet, and say they want you to send a photo of them to prove you are the owner, and then ask for money and request that you meet them somewhere. You should ask them to send YOU a photo. If it's one of the photos you're using on social media, you know it's a scam.
4. Scammers are getting slicker and sicker. They are now posing as local animal control employees and telling people their missing pet is in their care and is injured and money is needed for their emergency surgery, or something equally as evil. Even the phone number they call you from looks legitimate. But an Animal Control facility will NEVER ask you for money over the phone. They may call you about your pet if it shows up at their door and they can trace it back to you through an active microchip, and you may have to pay a small fee when you pick them up, but they will NEVER EVER ask you for money over the phone.
5. REMEMBER: If they're asking you for money over the phone or mentioning Instagram in their comment, or asking for or giving you a code, it's a scam. Don't fall for it. Hang up immediately, then block, report, delete. 

By the time you read this, someone will have invented a new scam. Learn to recognize their techniques, and don't fall for them.

PRANK CALLS 

Prank calls can be devastating, but teenagers are usually behind the pranks. They will call and say they see your dog or have your dog, but with a simple question or two, they run out of answers, then laugh, scream, fake bark, and hang up. I call them right back and warn them that their phone number is traceable and that I am working with the police. That usually stops them. And then I block their number. 

NOT FOUND IN AN HOUR? NEXT IMMEDIATE STEPS

If your pet isn't located within the first hour of being lost, take these steps:

Call your local emergency vet clinic and ask if they have seen your dog. (In Winston-Salem NC, carolinavet.com, Carolina Veterinary Specialists, 1600 Hanes Mall Blvd near Jonestown Road, 336-896-0902).

Contact your local animal control and ask if your pet has been brought in. They will usually direct you to a website with found animals listed, but sometimes it takes a while to put them all online. Make the calls, check the website daily. You are never one and done.

(In Forsyth County NC, WS/FC Animal Control: https://forsyth.cc/sheriff/AnimaSer_Lost_Found_Report.aspx).

SOCIAL MEDIA

Post your pet as missing on social media sites like Paw Boost, Facebook, and your neighborhood Nextdoor site and/or association. Also contact WXII Pet if you're in the Winston Salem / Forsyth County area.

DO NOT OFFER A REWARD! 

Why? Because rewards bring out people who don't know the rules of engagement, who don't care to know the rules, and who will chase your dog for money and push him further from home.

 

POST A RECENT PHOTO

If your dog has been recently groomed, please remember to take a photo. Then use that new photo in the posts. If your dog's coat is grown out, use a photo of your dog with their coat grown out if you can. Otherwise, it's confusing. Always do the best you can.

DO NOT SHARE YOUR PET'S NAME 

Why? Because if everyone knows your dog's name is Fluffy, then everyone will call out "There he is! Fluffy! Fluffy! Grab him!" when they see him. Pretty soon, Fluffy associates his name with strangers chasing him and he becomes numb to it. Soon, chances are good that he won't respond even to his person calling him. 

KEEP YOUR PET'S NICKNAME A SECRET

Nicknames can be your secret weapon if you have to lure your dog to you. Maybe everyone knows Fluffy's name because you've already shared it (unless you've read about why you shouldn't), but nobody knows "Flufferbutter, Floofy Goofy, Nutty Buddy, or Cookie Monster" but you or your family. If Fluffy has been traumatized by well-meaning people, he's numb to his name. His nickname is to be kept between you and your tracker. 

GIVE OUT ONE NUMBER ONLY AS A CONTACT, IF POSSIBLE

Why? Keep it simple, sweetheart. Less is more. Too much information and people stop paying attention. Like right now. You probably need to stop reading for a minute and stretch or take a short walk, maybe go talk to some neighbors.

NEVER SHARE YOUR SPECIFIC ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE. This is information you share with your tracker, not the entire social media community. 

Ask people to text or call with sightings immediately rather than post them in the comment thread. Why? You don't want well-meaning but untrained people, regardless of how much they love animals, to run after your dog!

WHEN PEOPLE RESPOND WITH SIGHTINGS, ASK THREE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS: 

1. TIME OF SIGHTING
2. EXACT LOCATION, AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE
3. DIRECTION THE DOG WAS HEADING OR WHAT HE WAS DOING

In order to become an advocate for your dog, you must be able to instruct people to DO NOT CHASE OR TRY TO CATCH your dog. You have to tell your mom and dad and best friends and neighbors to stop causing him to panic, and you have to mean it.

GRILL! Smell up the neighborhood! Don't have a grill? Fry bacon, open a window, set up a fan to blow the bacon smoke out of the house.

 

TURN THE PORCH LIGHTS ON! 

MAKE A SCENT TRAIL! Put his bed and toys, your dirty clothes, and any other smelly items he might use to get home. Make the trail with your scent out into the area where he disappeared and to the yard or door where he needs to come in.

BE PATIENT! Sit in your house and watch for him. If he doesn't show up by bedtime, go to sleep. Sleep near the door so you can hear him if he comes home during the night. Hopefully, he'll be back by morning, or will be on a neighbor's porch or in their back yard.

TRACKING AT NIGHT: DON'T DO IT!

If it's dark when your dog disappears, you must be patient and not go looking for him. There are other, better ways to encourage your dog to come back to you. Running or looking for a dog at night, especially with flashlights and a bunch of people, pushes them further from home and makes them panic. Things can get ugly really quickly at night. 

So, what do you do? You follow these instructions: 

Send everyone who doesn't live with you to their home, and then you go home as well. Stop drinking alcohol or imbibing other body/mind altering substances for the day or evening - your dog needs you to straighten up. Put up the other dogs and open the gate to the fenced-in yard if you have one, then lay out scent items beginning from where he escaped and around your yard, especially to and through that open gate. If you have no gate or fenced yard, start at the door he escaped from and work your way around from there. Lay out your dirty clothes, his food bowl, favorite toys, blanket, etc. Turn on the porch lights, fire up the grill, and watch from the windows. Be patient. Remember, you are not "one and done." Keep doing all of these things and keep reading to learn more about what to do.

These instructions are not easy, but that's what your dog needs you to do.

NIGHTTIME TRACKING EXCEPTION

Look for a missing dog at night ONLY if they are old, deaf, and blind, or if you know or have been told that they have been injured. Otherwise, let your pet settle and get their mind right. Chances are, they will hunker down until it's quiet and then make their way back towards home. Many times, they show up on the porch or in the yard by early morning. 

OLD DOG TRACKING, DAY OR NIGHT

Old dogs tend to travel downhill. Look for the path of least resistance. Go to the water. Walk the creek banks and streams. Old dogs get stuck into places they can't get out of. Stand still every few steps, soften your eyes, and look for movement. Listen for sound. 

Old dogs also tend to poop while they walk. Look for the poop ball trail, or poop circle. 

ROAD POSTERS ARE YOUR BEST TOOL TO GENERATE SIGHTINGS OF YOUR DOG!

Make BIG BRIGHT street posters and hang on stop sign posts. (see photos). Ask your friends to help with this. FRIENDS, OFFER TO DO THIS! Look at the photos with this post about road posters and the video about how to hang them. You'll need duct tape, hammer and nails.

 

Print 11 x 17" color or black and white signs with four things on them:

• The word LOST at the top (big, bold)
• LARGE PHOTO in the middle
• PHONE NUMBER at the bottom (big, bold)
• DO NOT CHASE!

Buy neon poster board sheets and cut them in half

• Tape or glue the image to the poster board
• Weatherproof with packing tape
• Watch the short video that will show you how to tape the road posters to stop signs.
• Post them ONLY where cars stop
• Take duct tape, a hammer, and some short nails with you

If you've contacted me and I'm coaching you, we'll talk about posters. I will give you a list of the best places to hang them

Call or email every veterinarian in your town and county. Ask if you can post flyers their office. Ask your friends to help with this.

FRIENDS, JUMP IN AND DO THIS!

Tune out negative comments and thoughts. Stay focused on the task at hand.

If you have a recommendation for a trusted tracker who is also a willing coach, now is the time to reach out. A good tracker can talk you off the ledge of panic and fear, give you solid advice based on experience, and work with you to plan next steps. 

When you engage a tracker, give them as much information as you can. They need specifics including who, what, when, where, and how. Answer all questions thoroughly and honestly. Make sure your tracker is totally informed and then listen with your full attention when your tracker speaks. Affirm that they have heard you correctly.

Tracking a dog is not intuitive for most people. Tracking is counter-intuitive. It's dog-thinking, not people-thinking. READ THAT AGAIN, PLEASE.

Decisions based on human intuition will drive a dog further away from home and put them in danger. "Let's get all our friends out with flashlights to look for Fluffy tonight" is an example of intuition gone wrong. "There she is! Grab her!" is also wrong. Chasing, following, and yelling her name? Bad decisions, all. That's what human intuition tells us to do, but that's not how it works for dogs.

Remember, your dog is in a different psychological state of mind when lost from you. They may be in flight mode, even to the point of not recognizing you right away. That's why when you yell for them or run directly toward them, they may see you as a big loud scary monster and take off in the opposite direction. YOU ARE PUSHING THEM AWAY, and you most definitely don't want to do that.

Thinking and acting like a human most likely will increase the time your dog stays lost. It's really hard to understand this concept, but so necessary. If your dog comes straight to you, you are fortunate indeed!

When your dog is missing, a few quiet people who take direction well are better than a multitude of people who do not listen. Less is more. What works really well is to engage your social network from the beginning. This is your chance to remind concerned people to report sightings immediately VIA TEXT OR CALL. Ask them to NOT post sightings on the thread but to call you instead. Too much information can bring out the wrong people who aren't savvy and will chase your dog regardless of what is being asked of them. 

As soon as the sightings begin, go dark - stop posting on social media. Don't advertise where your pet is! People may post sightings there instead of calling you. Check often, keep a log of the sightings, and delete any post that mentions where your dog has been seen. Why? Because you don't want too many people out looking for your dog, unless they're old, blind, and deaf - then the rules change. Read this article again and again until that sinks in. 

Current reported sightings that give us exact location, time, and direction the dog is heading help bring dogs home much more quickly and sometimes, one good sighting is all that is needed to bring a dog home. At this point, there may be a need to set a food station and/or a trap. If and when that time comes, you will need to follow your tracker's advice to the letter. 

WHEN YOUR DOG IS LOST, FOLLOW THESE 10 BASIC RULES TO HELP CREATE A POSITIVE OUTCOME:

1. Make big, bright road posters with minimal information on them. All that's needed are the words "LOST DOG," a photo and your PHONE NUMBER, and "DON'T CHASE." Make it bold. Any more words and the message gets lost. Please don't mess this part up. You can put more information on a flyer but use caution. Too much info can be risky for your dog.
2. DO NOT OFFER A REWARD! When you offer a reward for your missing dog, you're calling out people who may be in it for the money. Not knowing how to track safely, they may chase your dog into traffic or drive them further from home. Don't take the chance! Instead, ask your tracker how to pay them or gift them to show appreciation for their help. If a tracker has a set fee schedule, they will tell you up front.
3. When people call you and say they've seen your dog, ask them THREE QUESTIONS: 

- What time did you see them?

- Where exactly did you see them (address, crossroad, parking lot, landmark)? 

- Which direction were they heading? 

This information will help your tracker get ahead of the dog or, at the very least, learn more about your pet's route. Think of sightings as puzzle pieces. 

4. Get your scent items together. Put your dog's favorite toy, or harness, or blanket in a plastic bag and store the item in the freezer to preserve the scent in the event tracking dogs are needed. Gather your dirty clothes and bedding to use as lures to help your dog get home. Socks, pillow cases, t-shirts, pajamas, etc. are all good scent items. Your tracker will help you decide where to place them.
5. If applicable, leave the light on and the door open, when possible. 
6. If applicable, sleep near the door.
7. Leave the garage door open, and the gate open to the yard.
8. Fire up the grill, lure your dog with the smell of hot dogs or bacon. Morning, noon, and night, keep cooking.
9. Always carry two leashes with you and make sure one is a slip leash. Why? Let's say you are out in the big wide world and you see your missing dog. Here's what you do:
10. If they are ahead of you, find a way to very quietly get ahead of them, if possible. If you're driving, drive ahead, keep your dog in your sights, pull over, grab your leashes, get out of the car, and sit down on the ground. If you're walking, get on the opposite side of the road and be as unobtrusive as possible while scurrying ahead of them.
11. SIT DOWN, SIT DOWN, SIT DOWN. Please, I beg you, sit down and be still. NO CHASING. Do not run toward your dog no matter what your intuition is saying. Turn your profile to them where you can see them and yet be less threatening. Do not shout their name, but sing, or jingle your keys, or very gently say their name, their pet name. 
12. G O. S L O W. Don't stare at them. Let them come to you. Be patient. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Lower your energy and your body. Lie down on the ground if your dog hesitates. Whatever it takes at this point. If others are with you, they need to be quiet and sit down away from you, hidden from the dog if possible or at least not looking at him, and watch from the corners of their eye. If your tracker is with you, listen. She will coach you and others.
13. When your beloved companion decides to come to you, open your arms, invite them in, then hold on to them. Everybody else needs to be quiet and stay away, unless there is one other person who the dog knows and who can help you. But at this point, it's your job to get both of those leashes on your dog, then the dog into your car and home or to your vet safely. The slip leash will prevent your dog slipping away from you if he freaks out. Yes, it happens. It's not going to happen to you, though, because you are prepared with two leashes!

Keep the faith! There are many potential outcomes when a dog goes missing. Why think the worst when you can send positive, loving energy into your dog's heart instead? They will feel it and do their best to get back to you. This is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your pet. Stay positive!

What else can you do? Have your pet spayed or neutered and microchipped. Trust your tracker. 

 

TIPS ON LURING A DOG TO SAFETY

LURING INTO THE HOUSE 

Please put your other dogs up before you try this trick. If you have a storm door, prop it open. Lay out some small pieces of chicken, bacon, or other small high quality treats on your floor, starting on the porch at the front door, leading into the house, and continuing about 6 feet past the door, away from where you will be hiding behind it. Now, you are hiding behind your solid front door, sitting on the floor. Reach out however you can, open the door toward you, stay quiet, and let him wander on in. Once he's well ahead of you, just shut the door and you have him. Remember, he won't come in if he sees you. That's why you have to hide behind the door, and make sure he walks all the way in and past you before you shut the door behind him. 

 

LURING INTO THE GARAGE 

Maybe he is hanging around your garage. Maybe you can open a garage door and lay out a smelly food trail for him inside, leading to a plate of good smelly food - preferably not hard treats, and not kibble. Those are considered low quality for a dog who's eating bacon at your neighbor's house, and deer poop in the woods. But if that's all you have, give it a shot. You'll have to be nonchalant about luring this way because he'll probably run off, but maybe he'll stick around and watch you. Say hi to him, but don't look at him, don't approach him, and don't try to catch him. Just be a warm and friendly presence. Then, go about your business away from the garage. Go outside and away, but be sneaky - don't let him see you, and watch from a distance. You may have to squat down behind a shrub. If and when he goes in your garage, do your best to tiptoe over quickly and shut the door behind him. If you can't manage this, no worries. If he goes in, eats, and then comes back out, that's still a win. That means he may consider your home to be a safe, warm, dry place to hang out. With your permission, we may want set the food station and humane trap there. 

LURING INTO A FENCED YARD

If he's seen lingering around your fenced in back yard, open the gate for him. Lay in a pretty long trail of some smelly chicken or hot dogs, little bitty bites - no bigger than a dime, one bite every three feet or so, so you can get him pretty far into your yard (20' or more, if you can) and away from the gate. Once you've done that, go into the house and watch from the window, or from any place he cannot see you. When he's into your yard and romping on that good smelly high quality food, then very quickly and quietly sneak around, shut that gate, leave him, watch from a distance, and call me. 

TRAPPING 

Most good trappers have their own rules about when and when not to set a trap. Here are mine. 

1. NEVER, EVER set a trap at night unless there is a camera on the trap, a person monitoring the camera, and a person who can get to the trap within 5 minutes. Otherwise, it’s dangerous and inhumane. If you set a trap at night and any creature gets trapped inside (skunk, raccoon, opossum, feral cat), you must be able to release that animal within 5 minutes. If you can’t agree to these things, you must not set the trap at night.
2. Traps are best set between 6am and 10pm, and closed all other times.
3. Never set a trap unless there is a camera on it. 
4. If you don’t have a camera, you must be able check the trap every 20 minutes, 30 minutes max. Otherwise, it’s inhumane.
5. If the weather is extremely hot, cold, or stormy, do not set the trap unless you can see it from your car or camera and can get to it within 5 minutes. Otherwise, it’s inhumane.
6. Make sure the trap you are using is the right size for the job.
7. Make sure the trap is tested before leaving. I test three times before moving away.
8. Make sure you know what you are doing. You cannot borrow a trap and just go use it. You need to understand how it works and commit to making the best and highest decisions for the animal. 
9. Not all trackers trap, and not all trappers track. There are people who do both and will coach you along the way. Please make sure you find a person who knows what they’re talking about.
10. Use high quality food in the trap (rotisserie chicken off the bone, bacon cheeseburgers, bacon-fried anything).
11. Never put a water bowl or a food bowl in the trap. They can get caught under the trip plate, then the door won’t shut and the dog can escape. If this happens, the dog will remember and most likely won't go back in a trap.
12. If you’re trapping a cat, remember that cats like hidey holes. Cover the trap with branches and leaves or a blanket.
13. If you’re trapping a dog, remember that dogs need to be able to see out in all directions. Don’t drape blankets over it or close off their site line.
14. If you aren't sure, don't set the trap.

 

EXTRAS

"I'm a hunter so I know how to track." 

"The dog knows me and I can get her to come to me." 

"I don't need you to tell me what to do because I've had dogs all my life and I know how they act." 

"Why should I listen to you? You don't know this dog."

"Maybe I will do that, but..." 

"No! Putting up flyers and signs should be your job, not mine!"

"Well, I've read on another site that I should offer a reward and get as many people out looking as I can, so you obviously don't know what you're talking about."

"Why should I trust YOU?"

These are statements that have been made to me over the last few days from well-meaning people who see their friend, their child, or their client hurting and they just want to help. They have ignored my advice - standard operating procedure for every good tracker I've worked with and learned from over many years. They've pushed dogs further from safety because they think they know what to do. They are so determined to help that they have interfered with the dog's chances of being reunited with their person. 

From the very beginning, they closed off the possibility that they may be wrong. 

A really great tracker buddy taught me to say to people who question every move or go rogue and pile on more challenges, "Pick one person to listen to. It doesn't have to be me. But if it's not me, I'll be on my way." 

Trackers know how to pivot because sometimes, the plan changes on a dime. That doesn't mean we don't know what we're doing. It means we are taking the next best step. 

Ask questions, but please don't expect too many details. We're in dog brain. We don't mean to be rude, but sometimes we come across that way. At least I do. I'm a very strict tracker and become hyper-focused. My husband says I go to a place sometimes that is can't be explained, and nobody can go there with me.

Just like fosters, shelters, and rescuers, trackers are overwhelmed with work right now. When we're not on the ground with you, we're at home looking at maps and waking up at 3am to turn over that one stone we missed. We're going over every step to see where we could have gone right instead of left. We're hoping that nobody cuts up our traps or steals our cameras or goes out at night with flashlights and a posse to find their friend's missing pet, against our advice.

Trackers need a few willing people who take direction well to help us bring the happy ending for the dog and his person. And for that to happen, those people desperately need to know some basic tracker tricks. If you are a well-meaning friend or family member who wants to help, please read this very simple primer. It's chock full of the very basic do's and don't's of helping bring a dog home.

Visit this website for additional tips including a fabulous video: www.missinganimalresponse.com