Missing dog – how to deal with such a situation?

Missing dog – try to be rational

The disappearance of a beloved dog is certainly a traumatic feeling for his guardians. Under the influence of troubled emotions, it is not easy to make rational decisions. Fear for the life and health of a quadruped can be paralyzing. Besides, the passage of time only postpones our chance to find the pooch.

The start of the search should be fully thought out, taking into account all possible scenarios that may have occurred. So how to avoid this stressful situation which is the disappearance of a pet? Excessive caution over guarding a dog is definitely a better option than looking for a lost pooch.

Before you start searching for a lost dog

Before starting the search, first make sure that the pooch did not hide in the immediate surroundings, scared by a loud sound or noise. Check out your pet’s favourite hideouts where he could potentially find shelter feeling threatened.

Before you move into the search of a pooch, stay for some time in the place where the pet saw you last. There is a very high probability that the dog, having realized that he has gone too far, will come back the same way he has followed. Although it is not easy to remain idle during the unexpected disappearance of a quadruped, it may allow the pooch to return to his guardian on his own. To make it easier for him to find his way back, we can call him by his name.

Notify neighbours living in the immediate neighbourhood of your pet’s disappearance. Perhaps the pooch hid in their garden or unaware of the confusion he went to visit their dog. For searching, it is also worth taking advantage of the universality of the Internet, placing an ad about missing pooch in groups or forums of your neighbourhood or city. Be sure to add a current photo of the dog, which will also help his identification by unknown people.

Ask for help in searching. Doggy can travel much faster than you. Searching for it alone will greatly limit your chances of finding him. It is best if other family members whose smell is familiar to the dog join the search. Prepare your favourite pooches. This is especially important if strangers are involved in the search, unknown to the pet, who may not inspire confidence in him. In this situation, an incentive in the form of a treat may lure the dog out of hiding.

Keep in mind that a scared dog can run up to several kilometres. Therefore, it is good if someone helping us in the search driving a car checks further streets and forest roads.

Key tips when dog is missing

If you have always travelled the same route during your daily walks, there is a high probability that you will find a stray pet waiting for you on this episode. Dogs in moments of fear seek comfort in places they know well. Check your entire route thoroughly, searching the nooks and crannies of the trees, piles of leaves and other hiding places where the pooch could look for shelter. Ask passers-by if they do not see your dog in this area. Maybe he wandered to this place earlier but still not feeling safe there, he ran ahead.

The biggest chance to find a lost pooch is late evening, night and early morning. This is because it is most peaceful outside. During the silence, the pooch will hear your calls more easily. Also, the calm at this time of day and the lack of noise of the city makes the pooch feel safer and, as a result, leave his hiding place.

Be sure to call the nearby hostel. Animals lost in the city are transported there very quickly. Perhaps someone found your pet wandering around and drove him to the nearest shelter. Leave the pooch’s description and your number and ask for a contact in case someone later brings your pet to them. Another place to call is the city guard. It is an organ to which people most often turn to information about a wandering dog they encountered.

Prepare ads announcing the missing dog. A well-prepared poster should contain a current photo, a detailed description of the appearance, including age and special signs, name to which it reacts, as well as the time and place where it was last seen.

How to avoid missing a dog – a few tips

So how do you prevent a pooch from disappearing? Thanks to appropriate preventive measures, we can minimize the risk of our four-legged friend getting lost. Missing a dog is a very traumatic experience, so we should not try to save on his health and mental condition. Even if the pet is extremely attached to us and does not go away on its own, it is worth being prepared for any eventuality.

Make sure you mark the pooch properly. Chipping is the best option. This is the most durable of ways to mark a pet. Another option is a tattoo, however, there is a possibility that after a few years it will fade and, as a result, may become illegible. A perfect complement to the above markings is the address card attached to the collar or dog harness. A person who finds a stray dog will be able to quickly locate its owners without the need for chip control. However, there is a high probability that during a violent escape, the pooch will lose his address, so we should not treat him as the only way to mark a pet.

To avoid the disappearance of the pooch, first of all, we should avoid situations in which such an incident could take place. Adopted dogs (you can find more information about this dogs in text – Dog with a past – how give him warmth), which have just come under our care, are at high risk. At first, such a dog may not feel safe and comfortable with us in a new place, so we should pay special attention to him. Letting him loose from the leash during his first walks can be seen by him as a great opportunity to escape.

A lot depends on the nature of the dog. Getting lost pooch is not always the result of an attempt to escape from the owners, or the effect of being shy. If our pet loves to hunt, then a strong desire to follow in the footsteps of a potential victim may cause his sudden pursuit of a caught trail. Knowing the personification of a pooch and his passion for hunting, we should constantly keep an eye on him during walks.

Happy return home of your beloved pet

Missing dogs often occur and do not necessarily result from our inattention. Dogs often react very violently in anxiety situations, and running away is just one of their ways to deal with fear. Intense searches in a large part of the cases end in a happy return home. There are also situations that after some time, when the search fails, the pooch returns to his guardians himself.

However, first of all, try to avoid situations that allow the disappearance of the pooch and protect him from these possible ways.