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 guardians!

One of the worst things that you can do is call a stray, loose, or stressed dog. That’s because if too many people have already tried to capture the dog, calling him becomes a “trigger” that can cause him to automatically take off in fear when anyone, including his guardian, calls him.

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Instead, try to calm the dogs fear and attract him to come to you by remaining calm and possibly some food or a treat. I always suggest to guardians to take a few deep breaths, to try and calm their own anxiety before trying to approach their dogs. Visualising them coming to you or with you is great too.

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Reasons Why Dogs Leave

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The three most common reasons why dogs become separated from their families are opportunity, wandering, and stress.

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Opportunity is when a gate or door is accidentally left open. While some dogs will remain at their homes, others simply can’t refuse the temptation to explore when presented the opportunity. Although these dogs might not actively attempt to leave, their noses just lead them on a journey that can take them blocks or even miles from home. Most of the time these dogs have not been sterilised. I suggest sterilisation as puppies.

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Wandering is also a common problem unsterilised male dogs of any breed as well as certain breeds like hounds. I call these dogs escape artists.

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These dogs will actively attempt to escape by climbing, digging, or wiggling to escape their yards. They will also bolt out a door or pull to get away from their guardian if the opportunity presents itself.

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Stress is a situation in which the “flight” instinct (from the hardwired “fight or flight” response to stimuli) kicks in and a dog runs due to a stressful incident. This can happen for three reasons: skittish or being prone to anxiety, loud noises (thunder, fireworks), or a traumatic incident (involved in car accident).

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These dogs will travel far, travel fast, and avoid human contact, even from their own guardians!

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There are human behaviours, animal behaviours, and other factors that influence the distance that a lost dog will travel. When giving recovery advice to someone who has lost a dog, be sure to consider the following:

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Factors That Influence Distances Travelled

There are six major factors that influence the distances that a lost dog will travel: Temperament, Circumstances, Weather, Terrain, Appearance, and Population Density.

 

Temperament of the Dog

how dogs behave around strangers influences how far they will travel when lost, prior to being rescued.

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There are three primary behavioural categories of lost dogs:

Socialised Dogs, Unapproachable Dogs, and Fearful Dogs.

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Socialised Dogs: Wiggly-butt, friendly dogs are more inclined to go directly up to the first person who calls them. Depending on the terrain and population density where the dog was lost, these dogs will generally be found fairly close to home or will be picked up by someone close to the escape point.

Socialised dogs are often taken in by individuals (not shelter or rescue workers) who find them.

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Unapproachable Dogs: these dogs are wary of strangers and will initially avoid human contact. They will be inclined to accept human contact only after they have overcome fear issues and become hungry enough. While these dogs can travel a great distance, unapproachable dogs eventually can be enticed with food and patience, typically by experienced rescuers who know how to approach and capture a wary dog.

These dogs are often recovered by rescue group volunteers, and their wariness can be easily misinterpreted as “abused.” In addition, these dogs are often not recovered for weeks or months after their escape, giving them the physical appearance (thinness, injuries.) that they are homeless, abused, and unloved.

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Fearful Dogs: Dogs with fearful temperaments are more inclined to travel further and are at a higher risk of being hit by cars. Due to their cowering, fearful behaviour, people assume these dogs were “abused,” and even if the dog has ID tags, they will refuse to contact the previous owner. Some of these stressed dogs will even run from their guardians!

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CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE DISAPPEARANCE

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A dog that digs out from a yard to explore a scent will tend to travel a short distance before it is found meandering and doubling back as it explores a scent. On the other hand, a dog that bolts in panic due to fireworks or thunder will take off at a blind run and can run for several miles.

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Weather: A dog that escapes on a fair weather day may travel further than one that escapes in a storm. Extreme weather conditions (snow, hail, rain, sweltering heat) will decrease the distances that lost dogs travel.

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Terrain: A dog that escapes in a residential area will not travel as far as a dog that escapes in a farm area. Fences that create barriers will influence a dog’s travel since a dog will tend to take the “path of least resistance” when traveling. Cactus, heavy brush, and steep cliffs can be barriers that influence whether a dog continues on a path or changes directions.

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Appearance of the Dog: What a dog looks like can influence how quickly it will be picked up by a rescuer. In general, most people are less inclined to pull over and attempt to grab a loose Pit Bull or Rottweiler they perceive as being “aggressive” than they would a “friendly” Labrador Retriever.

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Also, size matters as people are more inclined to pick up small dogs because they look vulnerable and are easier to transport and home than large dogs.

In addition, people are more likely to attempt to rescue a purebred dog that they perceive to have value than a mixed breed dog.

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Population Density: A dog that escapes in a town will travel a shorter distance than will a dog that escapes in rural farmland. When dogs escape into areas with a high number of people, their chances of being found close to the escape point are increased. But in areas with an extremely low number of people, dogs tend to travel further and their chances of being found close to the escape point are decreased. A dog that escapes in the middle of the night will travel further before being seen than a dog that escapes during rush hour traffic.

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Owner Behaviours That Create Problems

Dog owners often behave in ways that actually inhibit their chances of recovering their lost dogs. Some develop a “wait and see” approach and by the time they start actively looking, the vital first few hours to locate the dog or witnesses who saw the dog are gone.

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Others develop “tunnel vision” and fail to find their dog because they focus on wrong theories.

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They assume their dog was “stolen” when in fact their dog might have been rescued, or simply taken in by someone who hadn’t reported them as missing.

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They experience “grief avoidance” and quickly give up their search effort because they really believe they will never see their dog again. They feel helpless and alone, often discouraged by others who say to them “it was just a dog” and “you’ll never find your dog.”

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In addition, the level of human animal bond will influence the recovery efforts. People with a strong bond will go to extremes to find their lost dog. They will accomplish the impossible task of visiting all shelters, posting flyers, and contacting rescue groups while maintaining a full-time job and other family commitments. On the other hand, people with a weak bond will quickly become discouraged, assume they will never see their dog again, and will stop searching.

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Rescuer Behaviours That Create Problems

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People who find stray dogs often misinterpret the dog’s behaviour; they assume that the cowering, fearful dog was “abused” when in fact the dog has a fearful temperament and has been shy and fearful since it was a puppy.

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Dogs found in rural areas are often assumed to be “dumped” and homeless; many rescuers never think this could be a dog that was lost.

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Some people who find a stray dog that does not have a collar automatically assume it is “homeless” and therefore they immediately work to place the dog rather than attempt to find the dog’s owner. In addition, the first place the owner of a lost dog will search for his or her dog – the local shelter – is typically the last place that someone who finds a loose dog will take it (due to the fear of euthanasia)!