There is a lot of information to learn and remember if you have a missing dog. Below you will find information on survival mode, protocol, tips, a checklist, scam info, links to file reports, flyer creation, what to do when you get a sighting, and how to properly bait a trap.
ASSISTANCE FORM HERE - FILL THIS OUT FOR HELP
By filling this out we can assist you by emailing you flyers and much more. *Please note: we may not be able to assist you if you are outside of our service area.*
Lost Dog Checklist
FOLLOW THIS CHECKLIST IMMEDIATELY
Help: Contact a lost dog SAR immediately, they can provide more detailed information based on your specific situation. If you do not know if there is a SAR in your area visit our jurisdiction tab, you will find a list of SARs.
Scent items: Get your scent items out! Put your dogs favorite toys, bed, and smelly food on a covered porch or in a garage with the door slightly open. Hang your dirty laundry around your home in a circle, dogs rely on scent.
The smells: Get the grill going, grill smelly food to entice them back home! Take liquid smoke and make a drip trail around your home in the shape of a wagon wheel. Liquid smoke is very enticing to lost dogs!
Get walking: Start walking the area of the last sighting or the area where the dog went missing from. If you have another dog that your dog has bonded to, it is beneficial to bring this dog with. A lost dog recognizes its "people" by scent, dogs are likely to recognize other dogs before humans. Always carry a leash and stinky treats (think irresistible- chicken, sardines, wet food, jerky, sausage, etc) at all times.
Make the phone calls: Contact the non-emergency police department, humane societies, vet clinics, trainers, and groomers.
Spread the word: Get road signs out, businesses alerted, a basic social media post, and begin handing out mini flyers. Read owner protocol below for more information.
Lost Dog - Owner Protocol
Day 1-4
Ensure the "immediate" checklist above is completed first
Get road signs out in a 1-2 mile radius of where the dog went missing from or the most recent sighting, for most areas we recommend 4-6 signs. Information on how to create road signs can be found below.
Deliver mini flyers to each home in the 1-2 mile radius. **Do NOT leave flyers on or in mailboxes, this is illegal**
Contact local businesses, delivery services, trucking companies, etc. via phone or email if delivering pull tab flyers is not an option. Pull tab flyers at local businesses is most effective because not everyone has their phone to take a photo.
Refresh your scent items daily. If the weather is bad (snowing, raining, etc) change your dirty laundry after each break in the weather if it is possible. Keeping your scent "fresh" is important.
Day 5+
If you aren't recieving sightings consider moving your road signs slightly.
Continue to deliver mini flyers, slowly expand the area. Ensure that everyone has a flyer, sometimes simply handing out flyers directly will get you a new lead. Some people do not have social media so they wouldn't see a social media post and some people do not leave their home often enough to see a road sign or business flyer.
Update your nationwide reports (PetFBI/Lost Dogs of State, Pawboost, Nextdoor, Ring, Petco Love Lost, Paw Maw, Pet Key, & Lost My Doggie) because this will bring your dog's report to the top of the list. It is important to keep your online reports updated so others know to continue to keep an eye out for your dog.
If you aren't recieving sightings go in person to humane societies and shelters. Ask to see all of the recent stray intakes. Shelters are busy and understaffed, information easily gets lost. Check shelters and humane societies every 5 days, in Wisconsin the stray hold is only 5 days so after that a dog can be adopted out.
Do not give up, your dog is waiting on you to bring them home!
Links to File Your Lost Pup
Checkout the links below, they will lead you to file Lost Dog reports! They are all free or have free options, depending on your selection there may be a charge.
Scams & What to Look For
Unfortunately you are likely to receive scam calls, emails, sightings, or messages. When it is possible, report the scammer! There are many different types of scams that you may come across. You should always ask for a photo of the dog (check to make sure it isn't one you have posted) and any identifiable features. Check the grammar, spelling, and punctuation of the messages or emails, while this isn't the only thing to look for oftentimes scammers have incorrect grammar, spelling, or punctuation.
Messages & Emails: "ive found your dog" when you then ask for a photo they will respond with "to confirm you are real let me send you a code" THIS IS A SCAM!!
Messages & Emails: "I have your dog, we have been feeding it so I will need you to pay me via Paypal, Cash app, etc. before you can get your dog back." THIS IS A SCAM!!
Messages & Emails- Potential Rescues: "Contact _________ rescue on Instagram/Facebook." or "_______ rescue, they can help you find your pet ASAP. They are highly specialized in recovery of lost pets. They helped find my pup when he was stolen." THIS IS A SCAM!!
Messages & Emails: Some will pretend to be a vet clinic, shelter, or rescue. "We found your dog and it was hit by a car and has received extensive medical attention which you will need to pay for upon reclaim." Look up the vet clinic, shelter, or rescue they are claiming to be apart of and call them to confirm whether or not this is true. THIS IS LIKELY A SCAM!!
Calls & Sightings: "I saw your dog on the corner of ---- and ----, good luck." If this is 20 miles from the last sighting(s) which was recent, then it is likely to be a scam BUT it is worth looking into. Sometimes the scammers are children or adults, are the words slurred or not making sense? THIS IS LIKELY A SCAM!!
Photos: You may be sent a photo of your dog that you took but with a different background, this is AI created. An individual may use this photo to try and convince you that they have your dog. Make sure they take a photo of the dog and it is not similar to one you took or have. THIS IS LIKELY A SCAM!!
Photos: You may be sent a photo of your dog that looks very similar but it isn't quite right, this is a photo completely created by AI. THIS IS A SCAM!!
Survival Mode
Lost dogs enter survival mode between days 3-4, if the dog is newly adopted, a rescue, skittish, missing in a new area, missing from an accident, or a few other situations the dog is likely to enter survival mode immediately. Survival Mode is when your dog has heightened physiological and psychological responses, this is a chemical change in the brain- a trauma response. Dogs in survival mode are likely to run from everyone, including their owner. This fight or flight response is survival mode, this is how they keep themselves safe. A lost dog often doesn't recognize its name or even its family, yes a lost dog will run from their family. A dog in survival mode is only looking for three things; food, water, and shelter (often woods or marsh areas). In survival mode dogs tend to move in the early morning hours and late evening hours as it is quieter. A dog in survival mode will do anything to avoid people, including running into traffic, this is why we stress not to approach, follow, call to, or chase a dog.
Where Should You Look?
*Dogs are going to always take the easiest path, keep that in mind while looking.*
fields & field lanes
ditch/ side of the road & culverts
marshes, streams, lakes, & other water ways
campgrounds & parks
sport fields
abandoned places
barns & sheds
railroad tracks
woods
behind gas stations, restaurants, bars, & dumpsters
areas where outdoor animals are being fed
*If you have another dog walk it in the area(s) your pup went missing from or was last seen multiple times.*
You've Spotted Your Dog, What Next?
*Do NOT publicly post sighting locations, this will lead to good meaning people calling, chasing, looking, and following your dog.*
Get low to the ground and position your body to the side, do not directly face the dog.
Do not call out to the dog, do not approach quickly, and do not make eye contact.
IF you are far away from the dog but close enough to get a good picture do it! Updating pictures on flyers can be very useful.
Speak softly using the dog's favorite words (leash, treat, grandma, etc.) or sing softly such as lullabies, this also helps you keep steady breathing so your dog can't sense how nervous you are.
Always have treats and a leash while looking, make sure you have good stinky treats, something very irresistible (bacon, chicken, or steak).
Create a slip lead- take the clasp end of a leash and put it through the handle. Do not plan on clipping a leash to your dogs collar, they often get nervous so slipping a leash over their head quickly is the safest way to secure your dog.
This is a video of a JWH team member luring a dog. The footage was recorded by Wisconsin Drone Deer Recovery who located "Laddie". Watch this to see how to lure your dog.
You Have Sightings, What Next?
record all sightings on google maps (also record where you have put flyers & road signs)- if you work with Jeff's Way Home we will do this for you
ask questions
-Where & when did you see this dog?
-Can you give me a description of the dog you saw?
-What was the dog doing & what direction was it headed?
Checkout the sighting ASAP, make sure you have stinky treats & a leash - *if you are working with Jeff's Way Home make sure you contact us ASAP so we can map the sighting and meet you at the location
How to Bait Your Pup
All dogs are different but once flight or fight mode is engaged they generally act similar, survival mode. Your dog is only interested in staying alive- so the necessities, food, water, shelter, and woods.
Your dogs favorite human food
Canned dog food
BBQ Sauce & Liquid Smoke
Sausages, Rotisserie Chicken, Burgers, Bacon, & Brats- anything super stinky
McDonald's Cheeseburgers- this has a huge success rate with many of the dogs we have helped
Put out fresh water near the trap or bait station
Setting the bait...
The Missy
The red dotted line is the ray tripper. The small circular dots are the small bits of bait. The tan colored drops are liquid smoke. The steak is the big jackpot. The placement of everything is very important. A list of dog delicious bait is above.
Box (Standard) Trap
The red dotted line is the front, or where the door is. The small circular dots are the small bits of bait. The tan colored drops are liquid smoke. The steak is the big jackpot which is hanging from dental floss to keep the dog on the trigger plate. The placement of everything is very important. A list of dog delicious bait is above.
Want to Create Your Own Flyers...
Check out the links below to create your own flyers for your missing pup! They should prompt you to make a copy. Once you make your own copy you can edit them for your own dog.
This is an example of what our road signs look like, include the dog's photo and a phone number. *Use the phone number of the person who is most available.* All of the supplies listed can be found at Walmart...
Blank yard signs/old political signs (24in x 18in)
Thick sharpies (red, black, and blue stand out the most)
Neon poster board
Packing tape (signs get wrapped in this to be water proof)
Your Dog is FINALLY Home, Now What?
Update any forms of social media or online reports that were filed.
Get your pup vetted ASAP, even if they were only gone for a few hours you do not know what was ingested.
Make sure to slowly feed regular portions to avoid an upset stomach or bloat. We recommend 1/2 of their normal amount of food fed throughout 4 meals for the first day, slowly return to a normal feeding schedule. Your vet may provide a different feeding schedule based on your dog.
Call the local shelter, vet clinics, businesses, and non-emergency police department to let them know your dog is home.
Remove all flyers and signs. Take down flyers at local businesses and road signs.
We highly recommend double leashing your dog along with getting a GPS tracker (if you reach out to us we can give you a discount code). For double leashing we recommend at a minimum the first 3 days.
Get a new collar or harness and make sure it is properly fitted. We highly recommend martingale collars. They gently tighten if your dog spooks and tries to back out, this helps to prevent them from going missing.
Check your fence and fix any gaps or broken latches. Also check invisible fences for weak spots or gaps, ensure the collar is properly working too.
Read about flight risks under our prevention section, it will give you tips to help keep your pup from getting lost again!! You can find many different items linked such as collars, leashes, gates, signs, harnesses, trackers, and more!
Don’t worry if your pup sleeps for a few days and eats only a little bit. Whether they ran miles or a few blocks, gone for hours or months they are going to be exhausted. If your pup was missing for a while they could be completely different- almost wild, and probably very timid. It will take time for your pup to adjust to your daily routine again and just know that it will be a flight risk for quite awhile.
*While trackers aren't 100% accurate, they can give you a general area of where the dog is. Some trackers do not require a subscription while others do.*
Not all trackers are 100% accurate, however they can give you a "close to" location.
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