Doggy Don’t Run!

It is important to take extreme safety measures to ensure your new dog doesn’t escape as their flight risk is extremely high in the initial days prior to the bonding happening.  Despite your best efforts it can and does happen.  It has happened to us before and many of our adopters. Luckily we have never lost a dog yet but there are many sad stories so always best to do all you can to avoid.  If it does happen, it takes patience and you need to outsmart the dogs and think as they do.

Some lost dog facts.

1. The majority of lost dogs return to the spot they ran from
2. Dogs have extreme survival instincts and rarely die from cold or starvation.  They find shelter and food and water sources almost always.  The majority die from being hit by cars when people chase them.
3. The majority of dogs run when chased.  They either think its a game or their instinct kicks in and they flight out of fear, especially when someone is frantically calling “Come doggy come!”.  Dogs pick up on our most subtle emotions and it intensifies their feelings of fear.
4. After 3 days on their own they revert to their innate feral instincts, making them harder to catch.
5. The highest risk is when they join new family because they may have not bonded yet, are trying to find their previous home, and are not sure if they can trust you yet.
6. Former street dogs are even a higher flight risk because they are less fearful of free roam living and may even miss their former freedom.
7. Frightened and determined dogs can be escape artists and escape the most secure, collars and fenced areas.
8. Most dogs will bunker down and hide during daylight hours when people and cars are moving about.  They will come out at dusk and dawn to look for food when it is quiet and they have the cover of darkness.

The single most important thing to do is to register the microchip IMMEDIATELY as often times their collars come off during their flight and that is the only way to link the dog back to you if found.  Microchips have reunited many of our lost dogs with their owners.  ID tag attached to collar with owners phone number is the second most important thing.  If you think your new dog is skittish, do not leave house without a double leash… one attached to a secure properly fitted martingale collar and the second to a harness even in a fenced in yard.  Better to be overly precautious then to go through the agony of a lost dog.

If your dog goes missing you must keep your calm and get to work on your plan to bring them home safely.  You have to outsmart them and think as they do.

Here’s ISDF’s recommend plan of attack.

1. Place their dog kennel (if they have one) and comfort objects with familiar scents of them and you near your home.  Comfort objects may include an unwashed shirt, their kennel bedding, a dog bed they’ve used, and/or their favorite toy.  Place a water bowl and a food bowl with some tasty dog treats next to it.
2. If they eat the food when you are not watching, move the food bowl closer and closer and ideally into a closed in fenced yard in order to capture them.
3. Consider setting up video cameras to watch overnight movements and to get a sighting.
4. You want to create a safe zone that they will come to again and again for resources.
5. Create Lost dog flyers and post everywhere…. great places are near ATMS, traffic intersections, cafes, libraries, and gas stations (near the pumps).  You want to place where people are stopped and will have time to read them.
6. Talk to your local postal drivers, food delivery drivers and others that drive in your neighborhood frequently and are likely to have spotted the dog.  Give restaurants many flyers to hand out to all the drivers.
7. Go door to door to all your neighbors hand them a flyer… they are more likely to look if they know more about the situation and you.
8. Call your local animal control facility, vet clinics and other animal care facilities.  Tell your story and give them flyers.
9. The most important thing is to get a sighting.  If you do and the dog will come to you GREAT.  Whatever you do don’t let them feel threatened.  My recommendation is to get the most succulent of treats such as pieces of grilled chicken or hotdog pieces.  Play it safe and say the dogs name calmly and softly and crouch down in a none intimidating way.  If that doesn’t work sit on the ground and if that doesn’t work lie on your back which is the most non-threatening position you can be in. You can up the ante if needed and make soft whimpering noises…. sometimes that will illicit their curiosity and bring them near.
10.  Sometimes you need to resort to trapping.  You can rent a trap (coyote) from your local animal care facility or buy them at a Farm and Fleet type store or on Amazon.  The importance with a trap is to make sure it looks natural and is camoglauged with leaves and branches.  Dogs are smart and if it looks suspicious they most likely will not enter.  You want to make sure that you don’t put out too much food outside of trap because you want them hungry.  Finally leave a food trail (not a lot to keep them hungry) leading to the trap.  Use food that leaves good smells… for example roasted chicken with succulent juices.  Consider hiring a professional trapper if this is out of your comfort zone.
11. Grill out tasty smelling food so the scent travels throughout the area.  Do it everyday if possible in the same spot at the same time.
12. Ask friends and family for help.  It is emotionally and physically taxing to keep up the vigil.
13. Most importantly, DON’T GIVE UP, they are relying on you to stay strong and keep up the fight.  Many dogs go missing every year, some in sub-zero temps for over a year and they are eventually found.  They are very SMART creatures and very resourceful.  Street dogs tend to have higher intelligence and survival instincts as they come from a “Survival of the Fittest” environment.