How do you find your missing dog? Especially when he is energetic and has no tag?

Question

My dog went missing one morning and I cannot find him. It was only 24 hours ago, but I know that dogs are fast and can travel far. Help!

Answer 1

door to door canvassing, print photo's to give neighbor hood kids $10 each to help, post fliers with picture of the dog, time lost, and REWARD in big letters, just don't say how much, and your phone # and call the local shelter to see if he has been picked up.

Answer 2

First things first.
Call you local animal shelter and check twice a day. They will put down a dog, especially if it does not have any tags. Though, if it has an id chip, they will try to locate you.
Second, put an ad in the local and two towns over in the lost and found.
Third, put posters up.
Forth, check with local vets.

As far as that comment on why doesn't he have a tag? Maybe he doesn't have one, which is a big NO NO. I can tell you this, my lab constantly looses her rabies tag. We finally got an id inserted into her skin.
But, alot of people that do not see a tag, will sometimes keep the dog and not even bother to get it checked out for the chip.

Alot of dogs have their so called "tags", but are in a chip and can not be seen. Id tags on collars also can get lost.

Been there, done that.
Dog owner for over 20yrs.

Answer 3

The fact that he can travel fast means doesn't matter unless you just got him or you just move. Most dogs have a strong homing instinct, so I doubt he's spent the last 24 hours running as fast as he can from home.

On the other hand, if your dog isn't neutered, he may be roaming in search of a female. If this is case, he probably isn't very far but busy falling in love. He will come home in a day or two, once the affair is over.

If you have recently moved, or you just got him, you should really canvas the area between where you lost him and his previous home, since you don't know where he might have wanted to go.

Call all the shelters in your area, as well as Animal Control and the Humane Society. Be prepared to give a detailed description of the dog.

Make posters and put them up everywhere. If you don't have a photo, find one of a dog that looks as close to yours as possible. With the internet that shouldn't be too difficult.

If you have access to a fax machine, that will save you a lot of steps: fax it to all shelters, pounds, humane societies, pet stores, and veterinary clinics in your area. Most will be more than happy to post it for you. If not, hand-deliver them to as many places as you can get to.

Many pounds and humane societies now have websites where they post photos of the animals in their care, so visit them several times a day. If there is no site, visit them in person, daily if you can. Sometimes a slight discrepancy between your description and what someone write at intake (for example, someone checks the box for male instead of female by mistake) can make it impossible to put two and two together, so that's why you need to search actively, not just wait for a phone call.

I sincerely hope you find your dog. It _does_ happen that dogs get stolen, especially when they are young and purebred. Most likely, though, when a dog doesn't come home it is usually because he has been taken in by someone or, sad to say, hit by a car.

If you do find him, please neuter him if he isn't already, and get him microchipped AND tattooed. Dogs sometimes sneak out on the best owners, so at least with these forms of ID you are increasing the odds of the dog being returned to you.

Good luck.

Answer 4

We found our beloved Sweet Pea by posting flyers in all local vet and animal shelters as well as putting a flyer in every mailbox in the neighborhood. If you give some sort of a reward you are more likely to get responses.

MAKE SURE THERE IS A GREAT PICTURE of your dog and a phone number that you can be reached at anytime of the day/night.

Good luck finding your pup!

Answer 5

Put up flyers, call the police and report him missing (sometimes people call the cops to report a dog), call animal control so they know to contact you if they find a similiar dog, and call the local humane society. Scour the neighborhood.

When you find your pooch, get tags. Honestly, they're only a few dollars at Petco; there's no reason not to have them! Even better, get your dog microchipped. If he wandered or escaped once, he'll probably do it again.

Answer 6

First of all alert all the animal shelters or SPCA. They will return him if they have in housed or will know where he belongs if he's picked up. Put up flyers and put a lost dog add in the paper. Good Luck....Oh, and by the way get him a tag.

Answer 7

Post signs, notify your local police department, check parks, parking lots, behind restaurants (may go to where food is present),drive around the neighborhood, also notify and check local shelters and fire departments. MOST IMPORTANTLY...if you get him back....he MUST have tags on at all times and microchipping him may be a good idea in case he does get out, slips his collar and is picked up by the shelter or someone who finds and takes him to the shelter. I "think" most shelters are now equipped with universal scanners for the micro chip. AND if you microchip him...register it so his info IS out there if he is ever scanned. they can contact you Good luck, I hope he turns up.

Answer 8

You should contact all the animal shelters around you and phone the police, incase someone has found him and handed in. Also phone local vet's and look around his favourite walking spots (area's he may have other doggy friends)
Walk about lots and asking people if they have seen him would help.
Chances are though he will get hungry and fed up and come home.

Good Luck i hope he comes home soon

Answer 9

you can call around to the vet offices, and pounds to see if anyone has caught your dog and turned him in. i would also get a picture of your dog and start going door to door and make posters and plaster them all over town. hopefully someone has found your dog and turned him in or is keeping him at their house. good luck.....and don't give up hope, he is out there

Answer 10

I would put signs up at stop signs near your house ASAP to start with.
Then you can usually put ads in paper for lost dog for free and keep eye on papers for found dogs.
Also call the local animal control in case he got picked up. They may have him.
Then there is http://www.fidofinder.com/