Despite our best efforts, pets can get lost in all sorts of ways, even when they are happy and content at home. If your cat or dog goes missing, know that you're not alone: statistics show that one in three pets will become lost in their lifetime.
Dogs are well known for their ability to backtrack to a beloved home — or person. Most animal behavior experts attribute their navigating ability largely to a hypersensitive sense of smell.
The good news is, when a pet runs away, they seldom go very far – which makes it more likely to reunite with them. According to a 2012 study, 59% of lost cats and 20% of lost dogs return home on their own after being lost. But there are always additional steps you can take to help ensure a happy reunion.
The most common causes of pets going missing or running away are natural instincts, which can drown out any training, including your pet's sex drive, fear or anxiety caused by an unexpected event, hunting instincts, inquisitiveness and longing.
Big strong dogs, especially young ones, can run 5 miles or more. Small dogs may be able to go half a mile at most. Most dogs are recovered well within a two-mile circle of their home, especially because they normally will never run for an extended length in a straight line no matter how strong or fast they are.
Dogs often don't wander far; they sometimes are in a neighbor's yard, or just around the corner in someplace where they feel safe and quiet (a garage, an alley, or a barn, for example). Sometimes, a well-intentioned neighbor will take in a runaway just to keep the dog safe and off the streets.
Many dogs, even dogs that normally are not fearful at home, become terrified when they become lost. While some dogs will ultimately calm down and then approach people, other dogs will continue to run from everyone, including their owners! One of the worst things that you can do is CALL a stray, loose, or panicked dog.
Ask friends or family to help you search. Bring your dog's favorite treats or toy with you to lure them out of hiding. Place your dirty clothes or your dog's bedding outside to attract your dog using familiar scents.
If they've only been gone for minutes, chances are they're still close by. Open yard gates and put food out to entice them back. Use positive recall words to lure them, like “peanut butter.” Or if your dog loves car rides, start your car and gun the engine a little.
If a dog is scared or shy, Kathy Pobloskie of Lost Dogs of America says that you can often find them on hiking trails, slightly off the beaten path (they may have sore feet from running), and they will often hide in areas like: Houses that back onto wooded areas or parks. Tall grass or marshy areas. Cemeteries.
Some dogs go into survival mode almost immediately when separated from their owner. Some do not go into survival mode for a week or more. It depends on the dog, his past experiences, his breed, and the circumstances surrounding him being lost.
If you find a lost dog
Take the dog to a vet so it can be scanned for a microchip if the dog has no tag or you can't contact the owner. Otherwise, contact us. The information on the microchip will help us contact the owner and return the dog to them.
Statistics indicate that most lost pets are recovered within 30 days. But the time varies greatly depending on whether it is a cat or a dog. Most people will notice a stray dog and even try to help it. Lost cats are inclined to be furtive and they are harder to spot.
A small and active dog can travel for between 5 and 6 hours a day, which equals between 12.5 and 15 miles a day. Larger dogs may be able to walk further, but older and small dogs likely can walk less.
There are times when a dog runs away from home. If you live in a rural area with forests, then there is a fair chance that the dog has run into the forest. Your dog is after all the latest in the long line of tamed wild animals, with a residual surviving instinct inside. It can survive in the wild.
Can dogs be homesick? The answer is definitely yes. If you have ever house sat for a friend, or taken in their pooch while your friend or family member is away, you already know the answer is yes. Dogs are very emotional fur people and they are very attached to their home and their people.
Losing a pet can be one of the most stressful times in your life. Most pet owners these days treat their pets like children or at least consider them part of the family. Our best advice for a lost or stray dog is to LURE them back, DO NOT CHASE after them.
The most common reasons why dogs run away are:
Fear or anxiety. Boredom. Prey drive. Mating instinct.
Your dog's reluctance to come inside might be due to a sudden change in the living environment. The dog might feel anxious inside your home if you recently did a complete renovation. Or it might be as simple as cleaning the house with a new household cleaner that smells bad to your dog.
How far a dog smells depends on conditions such as wind and type of scent, but they have been reported to smell objects and people over 12 miles away. Dogs' olfactory systems work so well that they can be trained to pick up odors as little as a pictogram which is a trillionth of a gram.
Feeling sad, shocked, or lonely is a normal reaction to the loss of a beloved pet. Exhibiting these feelings doesn't mean you are weak or your feelings are somehow misplaced. It just means that you're mourning the loss of an animal you loved, so you shouldn't feel ashamed.
When a dog loses a companion, two- or four-legged, he grieves and reacts to the changes in his life. Dogs alter their behavior when they mourn, much like people do: They may become depressed and listless. They may have a decreased appetite and decline to play.
It's not unusual for dogs to grieve the loss of a person they've bonded with who is no longer present. While they might not understand the full extent of human absence, dogs do understand the emotional feeling of missing someone who's no longer a part of their daily lives.
Lost dogs and cats are also more likely to move around in the late evening or early morning hours. With careful planning and the help of other people (and animals), you'll have a better chance of finding your pet soon. If you don't find him on the first night, don't give up.
New research has found that dogs rely on familiar scents to find their way back home, and those scents can lead them a long way. A 10 mile distance isn't that far for a dog to follow a scent as long as the wind conditions are right.