Doggone Helpful Tips for When Your Dog Is Gone

IMMEDIATE STEPS TO TAKE TO FIND A LOST DOG

Stop. Stop what you are doing. Stop chasing your dog, stop calling its name. Stop. Know that every part of this will go against your instincts. Your instincts are wrong and are fear-based. Stop and listen to the experts. Your dog’s life may depend on it.
DO NOT CHASE YOUR DOG. This bears repeating. DO NOT CHASE YOUR DOG.
DO NOT CALL OUT YOUR DOG’S NAME. Your dog will hear the panic in your voice and think, “If he/she is scared, I’m scared. I better hide!”
Call in a pet recovery specialist. Someone like Babs Fry (619-249-2221), or Mike Noon (714-724-6712). They both work for free and can guide you by phone. Every circumstance is different, and they can tailor their advice to your dog’s situation.
Give your dog a way to come home. Leave a door open—especially at night.
Do not run around spreading your scent throughout the neighborhood where your dog is lost. You want to establish one place where your scent is that your dog can find its way back to—that may be at home or it may be where your dog was lost (see #11 below). If your scent is all over several square miles, your dog may chase that scent and wander farther off.
Put out some dirty laundry that smells like you—socks, underwear, a T-shirt. (Not your whole laundry basket or bedsheets; dogs have a very strong sense of smell, and you don’t want to startle them.) If you can hang a piece of dirty laundry in a tree or bush in front of your home, do so. The wind will carry the scent farther.
Get a PR campaign going—you want thousands of eyes on thousands of flyers. (See sample flyer.) Produce as many flyers as you can, and ask volunteers to hang them in the area the dog was last seen and for miles out from that spot. (See “Flyer Hanging 101.”)
Put up big, bright posters where people are most likely to see them.
Do not have volunteers, however well meaning, out searching for your dog. You want people watching from a seated position, observing, and reporting sightings, but not chasing, not following, and not walking around. Activity will cause the dog to hide. A place with lots of humans roaming around will not be viewed as safe by your dog. Give your dog a chance to find its way to a safe spot.
Eventually, if your dog doesn’t find its way back to your home, or if it was lost somewhere not familiar to it, your dog will establish a pattern. It will settle down in one locale. You’ll learn where this is by the sightings reported to you by people seeing your signs. This may take a while. Do not give up.
Once a locale is established, go to that spot with smelly food and a piece of your dirty laundry and sit, waiting. Your only job is to give the dog a safe space in which to expose itself. Do not call to the dog; do not chase the dog. Do not make movement toward the dog if you see the dog. Just wait. Let the dog find you. They will see you and smell you, long before you see them. This is also where the warming box detailed below will be set up.
Eventually you’ll find where the dog is and be able to set a humane trap.
Do not give up.

FLYERS

Make and place as many flyers as you can.
Use a photo with a side view of your missing dog, if possible. This is how most people will see your dog.
Do NOT offer a reward. You will only encourage people to chase your dog or provide false information that will waste your time.
Use one phone number only and post it clearly and visibly on the flyer. Make sure the phone can accept voice mail. Be sure to answer all calls, no matter what number they are coming from.
Keep the flyer simple (see sample): Lost Dog. [Insert photo.] Do Not Chase. Report Sightings. [Insert phone number.]
Put “Do NOT Chase” on the flyer.
You do not need to put the dog’s entire story. People do not have time to read it. You want the message short and simple.
See “Flyer Hanging 101” for how and where to post.
If your search continues for a long while, you may want to post new flyers that say “Still Searching” so people know the search is ongoing and don’t simply assume the flyers are old and the dog has been found.
Hang flyers at places that are heavily trafficked or have lots of people sitting around idly: coffee shops and coffee houses, community center or neighborhood bulletin boards, on the sides of community mailboxes (not federal mail boxes; that’s illegal), entrances to parks and dog parks, supermarkets, big box stores.
Hang large banners on sides of buildings, fences, bridges (only if safe to do so and with permission).
If putting flyers on light poles, lampposts, or traffic lights, put multiple flyers along the street every three to four posts so drivers driving quickly will see them. Put multiple flyers at intersections with stop signs or traffic lights, where drivers are stopping and have more time to look.
Always hang flyers at eye level for drivers, so that they are seen when people are driving by.
Use polyurethane sheet protectors (available at your local office supply store) to protect your flyers from weather and moisture.
Use neon or bright-colored poster board with big block lettering for signs that can be seen and read from far away or if viewers are traveling fast (along roads, posted near dog parks, shopping centers, school fences, etc.).
After your dog is found, organize volunteers one last time to pick up all flyers and signs.

Flyer should be hung on the RIGHT turn lane of all intersections, at a 45° angle (facing traffic) and at drivers eye level. This is where drivers are slowing down to turn and have time to register what’s on the flyer. Drivers eye level = your chest/belly level.
Flyers need to be hung in protective sleeves with the closed seam on top to keep out moisture
Clear packing tape up the middle of the flyer, top to bottom to pole and then around the pole with tape sticking back to itself to hold in place (like a belt).
All major intersections and small neighborhood inlet and outlet points should be covered. Drop off at vets, pet stores, groomers, etc. in area.
While hanging flyers, have a pic of the flyer in your phone. Instead of giving passer by flyers, ask them to take a pick of your phone with theirs. This way they have the number at their finger tips in their phone.

COLLECTING AND ORGANIZING VOLUNTEERS

Use social media to put a call out for volunteers. Also look for local dog and pet interest groups on social media, as they can help keep a lookout, and many might be willing to come out and help.
Be specific in your calls for volunteers. Are you looking for people to canvass? Make signs? Sit as a lookout for extended periods of time? Remember, a volunteer might not be physically capable of handling one or more of these tasks, so allow for them to help in a way they can.
Have all your volunteers meet at a central location, ideally quiet and private enough so you can identify who are the volunteers, and with enough room to allow for the making of posters and flyers and to spread out maps of the dog’s known vicinity.
When your volunteers arrive, have them all write their names and phone numbers down on either a piece of paper or a whiteboard. Once everyone has done this, have everyone take a photo of the list with their phones so everyone has the phone numbers.
Set up a single text chain with everyone’s phone numbers, so that everyone can communicate with each other instantly. Emphasize that this text channel should only be used for communications directly related to finding the dog. Create a new text channel for each day you have volunteers, as the group of people involved may change day to day.
Don’t get frustrated if your volunteers can only stay for a limited time or cannot assist on certain days or moving forward. Be grateful for their time and willingness to help at such a difficult time.
Before your volunteers arrive, have a loose game plan for who will do what and go where. This will shorten the time you need to explain and organize your volunteers and will help keep you focused on the task at hand and what needs to be done.
Break down your vicinity map into specific quadrants and assign your volunteers individual quadrants and sections with distinct borders, so they are not overlapping each other and you are canvassing a maximum amount of territory.
If a volunteer very quickly covers or finishes with a section, have them contact the text list to see if there are any areas that could use assistance or have not been covered as thoroughly.
Fewer people will volunteer in inclement weather; adjust your plans based on the number of volunteers and what the most vital tasks and regions are.

HOW TO CREATE AND PLACE A WARMING BOX FOR YOUR DOG

The primary dog owner or the person the dog was/is closest to should construct the warming box. The less human contact with the box, the better.
The warming box should be at least two times the size of your dog when he or she is lying down. Your dog should be able to crawl into the box comfortably and sleep inside if necessary.
Put clothing with your scent (socks and underwear are best), blankets with your dog’s scent, and some of your dog’s toys in the warming box.
Bait the warming box with rotisserie chicken (or some smelly food) to lure your dog.
If you have been tracking your dog with GPS or have had sightings, place the warming box at a place frequented numerous times by your dog, or in an area you believe your pet may be.
If possible, place the warming box upwind from where you think your dog may be, so that the wind will carry the scents to the dog.
Monitor the box in person from a distance for as long as you can, then set up a trail camera for overnight viewing, with a clear view of the box and of the most likely route of your dog.

Don’t get frustrated! The warming box may attract other animals like skunks, coyotes, and other dogs, but it is still one of the best ways to lure your pet out for a sighting.

OTHER HELPFUL TIPS IN SEARCHING FOR YOUR DOG

Ask everyone you encounter to take a photo of the flyer with their cell phones. They will maintain the photo in their phone much longer than they will hang on to a piece of paper. In addition, the cell phone photo is much easier to access if they happen to see your dog while they’re out walking or running errands.
If a homeowner is not home but they have a Ring or other doorbell camera, ring the doorbell and hold the flyer up in front of it. Even if they do not respond, they will have the image of the flyer and it will be harder for them to ignore than if you just leave a flyer in their door or mailbox.
Search on social media to find a dog recovery specialist near you. They may have supplies that you’ll need, like a humane trap, in addition to advice.
Ask neighbors to check their home security cameras for sightings. Remember: you’re trying to figure out the dog’s pattern of behavior, so you know where to set a trap and/or where to sit calmly waiting for your dog to show.
Put the flyer on your car windows.
Ask friends to put the flyer on their car windows. If you can park a car (with the flyers in the windows) in heavily trafficked areas, do so. Golf courses, shopping centers, and entrances to parks are all good places to get lots of eyes on the flyers.
Security guards in parking lots, groundskeepers at golf courses, crosswalk attendants, and the like are all great resources—they know their areas and what’s out of the ordinary, and they are typically present at dawn when a dog is most likely to be moving about.
Post to social media, asking neighbors to report sightings. Post on Nextdoor.com, your personal Facebook, lost dog Facebook groups in your area, Instagram, PawBoost.com, LostMyDoggie.com, PetFinder.com, FidoFinder.com, etc.
Homeless persons can be informative and often have cell phones. Provide them with flyers, inquire if they’ve seen your dog, and ask that they call you if they do.
Use a camping tarp and either duct tape or reflective tape to create a large lost dog sign with LOST DOG and your phone number as large as possible. If possible, blow up a photo of your dog to tape down in the middle. Hang this tarp sign around the busiest and most trafficked streets where the dog was seen (freeway overpasses and off-ramps are great for these, as are fences for parks and schools).

TOOLS YOU CAN USE IN YOUR SEARCH

Trail camera—It can watch for your dog when you can’t.
Diatomaceous earth—You can spread it in an area you think your dog might be to see if paw prints are left. Identifying dog paw prints versus coyote prints might be difficult, however, so please work with a pet recovery specialist to identify the prints.
Construction fencing—for fencing off an area once you’ve located your dog.
Flyers—so many flyers!
Tarps—Large waterproof tarps make great backgrounds for large signs. Use white tape to spell out your “LOST DOG” message and phone number. Put a large photo of your dog in the center and cover with clear tape.
Neon poster board—to post signs that get attention.

PLACING AND SETTING THE HUMANE TRAP

First and foremost, the trap should only be set up under the care and guidance of an animal rescue professional. Please do not attempt to set up a humane trap yourself without first consulting an animal rescue specialist.
Make sure all parts of the trap are working and unbroken. Before setting up the trap, test it several times to ensure all parts are working properly and that the door closes when pressure is applied to the floor.
Set up the trap upwind from where you expect your dog to enter or encounter the trap.
Place the trap on level ground and cover the bottom/floor of the trap with a layer of dirt, so that the animal will not feel or sense the bars when entering the trap. Make sure it is enough dirt to cover the bars, but not so much that it affects the mechanism of the trap.
Rub all sides, bars, and the mechanism of the trap with chicken skin and/or grease. Not only will the scent attract your dog to the trap, but the grease and oil from the chicken will lubricate the components of the trap to allow it to work better. Just make sure you do not get any pieces of the chicken into the mechanism of the trap.
Place a small amount of chicken meat at the end of the trap farthest away from the opening, so that your dog will have to come all the way into the trap to sniff at or eat the meat.
You can also bait the trap with some of the same items of clothing you were using in your warming box, to bring your scent to the trap.
Create a trail of chicken broth starting from the entrance of the trap and extending thirty to fifty feet toward where you anticipate your pet approaching the trap.
Sprinkle the trunks and bases of any trees along this path and around the trap with the remaining chicken broth, to lure your dog and make this area as interesting as possible.
Set up your trail camera to record both the trap and this path leading to the trap. Try to set up as wide an angle as possible so you can see your dog approach from any direction and help you reposition the trap if they are not lured into it the first time.
Your final action should be setting the trap and making sure it is properly triggered.
Do not set up camp near the trap and watch it. If baited and triggered properly and with the trail camera working, there is no reason for you to stand watch over the trap. Go home and get a good’s night sleep.
Do not get frustrated if you do not capture your pet on the first try. As long as you have a recognizable pattern or routine for your pet, continue to set up the trap. Be patient that it will do its job.

PREPARE FOR THE UNTHINKABLE

None of us plan to lose our pets, and yet 15 percent of pets go missing every year. Some things you can do to prepare in case your pet goes missing:

Microchip your pets. If Conor had not seen all of our flyers once he caught Poppy, our best chance for being reunited was the microchip in Poppy.
GPS trackers with phone apps are wonderful and very useful when your pet first goes missing. But don’t make the mistake I made in constantly updating to determine where your pet is—that drains the battery. Use it sparingly to determine your pet’s travel pattern rather than their exact location at any one point in time.
Have a photo of your dog from a side view. You likely have lots of photos of your dog on your phone, but they are probably looking straight at you or curled up sleeping. The photo you’ll want on the flyer is from a side view.
If you can help find a lost dog, please volunteer. Karma and all. (But remember—don’t chase a loose dog!)

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT COYOTES

Please check out ProjectCoyote.org for valuable information on understanding and coexisting with coyotes. This information is provided, with permission, from their materials.

Normal Urban Coyote Behavior

Active in the daytime and nighttime.
Most active at dusk and dawn.
Coyotes’ primary food sources in cities include rats, gophers, insects, and fruit. But human and pet foods (and water) may attract coyotes, so eliminate these attractants to reduce negative encounters.
Watching you (and your dog) in plain view or from a camouflaged position (like dogs, coyotes are curious).
Sitting on a hill in plain view.
Relaxing or playing in a field or other grassy area.
Walking and not paying attention to you.
Following you and your dog with curiosity from a comfortable distance.
Hunting gophers in fields and meadows.
“Bluff charging” your dog away from den/territory/food or pups during rearing season (spring and summer).
Standing his or her ground unfazed by your attempts to scare him/her away, during pup-rearing season (spring and summer).
Waiting at stop lights to cross busy streets.
Dashing across a trail.
More than one coyote relaxing together or greeting each other.
Hearing coyotes howling and yipping (they are greeting, communicating, and defining territories).

When to Take Action

If a coyote approaches to a proximity that you feel is uncomfortable, and you can make and maintain eye contact, do not turn and run, but haze the coyote (see below).
When a coyote seems interested in the food you are carrying, even if he doesn’t approach, but hangs around appearing to wait for a handout.
When a coyote is in your yard, unless you think there could be a den on your property. If you think there is a den on your property, please call a wildlife expert.

Quick Coyote Hazing Tools

Surprise with a pop-up umbrella or simple noisemaker (shake a penny in a shiny soda can).
Wave your arms overhead, make direct eye contact, and yell, “Go away, coyote!” Don’t stop until the coyote leaves.
Pick up your small dog or put your large dog behind you before you haze so that the coyote focuses on you and your message.
Stand your ground. Make eye contact. Advance toward the coyote with your hazing tools if there is hesitation on the part of the coyote. Haze until the coyote retreats. Allow room for the coyote(s) to escape.
Make sure the coyote is focused on you as the source of danger or discomfort. Do not haze from buildings or your car, where the coyote can’t see you clearly.
If you see more than one coyote, continue your hazing efforts; multiple animals will most likely respond to the same hazing techniques at the same time.
Make it multisensory. Use tools that scare with sound, light, and motion. Variety is essential. Coyotes can learn to recognize and avoid individual people, so the more often a coyote has a negative experience with various hazing tools and different people, the faster he will change his behavior to avoid human contact.
Hazing should be exaggerated, assertive, and consistent. Communities should always maintain some level of hazing using a variety of tools so that coyotes do not return to unacceptable behavior over time.
Coyotes have routine habits. Make note of when and where you encounter them. Ask neighbors in those areas to help you scare the coyote or avoid those areas.
Think prevention first! Coyote pups begin coming out of dens in the early summer, and parents are very protective. Keep pets close and don’t let them roam.

OPEN SPACES AND URBAN AREAS BELONG TO ALL OF US—PEOPLE, DOGS, AND WILDLIFE.

LIVING WELL WITH OUR WILD NEIGHBORS IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR DOG IS BACK HOME

Feed only small meals and small amounts of water over time. If your dog eats or drinks too much too quickly, it will all come right back up.
Keep your dog safe, secure, and at home for a while (a week if they were missing for more than a few days). They will have had plenty of exercise. They need rest and security.
Only transport your dog in a car when tethered or, even better, crated.
Do take your dog to the veterinarian to be checked for injuries, parasites, and illness. Some illnesses may not show up for 48 hours. Keep a close watch on your dog.
Do not take your dog out anywhere off leash—your dog is a flight risk.
Enjoy the reunion and spoil them with love.