HOW TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF FINDING A MISSING DOG

Lynn Byrd, local tracker

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 this advice.

Typically, the first step for people who have lost their pets is to 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, or under the shrubs, or along your fence line. They 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. Count your blessings if any of these quick tips work for you.

If your pet isn’t located within the first hour of being lost, the most immediate steps you will take are these:

• Call the emergency vet clinic. (In Winston-Salem, carolinavet.com, Carolina Veterinary Specialists, 1600 Hanes Mall Blvd near Jonestown Road, 336-896-0902).

• list your dog as LOST on your local animal control website (WS/FC Animal Control: https://forsyth.cc/sheriff/AnimaSer_Lost_Found_Report.aspx).

• Post on social media sites like Paw Boost, Facebook, and your neighborhood NextDoor site.  Ask your friends to help with this.

• Call or email every veterinarian in your town and county first, and then extend the net. Ask if you can post flyers their office. Ask your friends to help with 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. 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. 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. Less is more. What works really well is to engage your social network multiple times a day with updates. This is your chance to remind concerned people to report sightings immediately via text or call. Current reported sightings that give us the exact location, time seen, and the direction the dog is heading help bring dogs home much more quickly, and one good sighting is sometimes all that is needed to bring a dog home.

There may be a need to set a trap, and you will need to follow your tracker’s advice to the letter, including being able to pivot with a new plan when necessary.

1. Make big, bright signs and flyers with minimal information on them. All that’s needed are the words “LOST DOG,” a photo and your PHONE NUMBER. Make it bold.  Any more words and the message gets lost. Please don’t mess this part up. For the best information on sign making and placement, follow the instructions here: https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/neon-posters/

• 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 properly track, they may chase your dog into traffic or drive them further from home. Don’t take the chance! Instead, ask your tracker howto 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.

• When people call you and say they’ve seen your dog, ask them THREE QUESTIONS: Where exactly did you see them (address, crossroad, parking lot, landmark)?

What time did you see them?

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.

• 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.

• Leave the light on and the door open, when possible.

• Sleep near the door.

• Leave the garage door open, and the gate open to the yard.

• Fire up the grill, lure your dog with the smell of hot dogs or bacon. Morning, noon, and night, keep cooking.

• 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:  

1. 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.
   1. Sit down, sit down, sit down. Please, I beg you, sit down and be still. 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.
   1. Go. Slow. 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 and watch.
   1. 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!

1. 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.

Keep the faith!  And study this website. It’s the GOLD STANDARD for lost pet help:

http://www.missinganimalresponse.com