Lost Dog - how far will they travel????

Question

My dog wandered away from our home in the country on Sunday morning. He is neutered, but since I only adopted him 6 months ago he doesn't know his way around to well. I've put an ad in the paper, put up fliers, and have drove a couple of tanks of gas out of my car. What distance should I be searching right now??? 1 mile - 5miles??? On average, how far will a 60lb lab mix travel. Keep in mind it has rained not stop for the past two days - temp is in the 50's.

I greatly appreciate any input you have. By the way, we are in Southern IL - no ice around here!!

His name is Beau and I adopted him from a shelter in Kentucky - he's not likely to cross the Ohio to go back. This dog was severaly abused before I adopted him - he was shot in the face. I really don' t think anyone picked him up because he is missing a huge part of his jaw and most of his teeth. He's just not a pretty dog that people would want - but I want him home. I worry because I have spoiled him the last 6 months I've had him - will he be able to find food??

I live in the outskirts of a town with 7,000 people. I have notified the dog catcher, sherriff's dept., both vets, and the local rescue group. I'm also going to send out an email to everyone I know in our county and ask they keep an eye out for him.

I live in the outskirts of a town with 7,000 people. I have notified the dog catcher, sherriff's dept., both vets, and the local rescue group. I'm also going to send out an email to everyone I know in our county and ask they keep an eye out for him.

I live in the outskirts of a town with 7,000 people. I have notified the dog catcher, sherriff's dept., both vets, and the local rescue group. I'm also going to send out an email to everyone I know in our county and ask they keep an eye out for him.

Answer 1

He could be anywhere. I know that's not alot of help, but between cars, trains, trucks, and just running and walking, he could be 1 mile away or he could be 25 miles away.

Contact rescue groups and shelters.

Watch ALL sections of Petfinder.com

Talk to your mailman and UPS driver - they drive around so much that they may see your dog somewhere

Call local vets and fax them your flyer.

On your flyer, have a LARGE CLEAR picture and your phone # in LARGE BOLD NUMBERS. Large enough so that someone sitting in a car can write it down. Add a description below that. The photo and phone # are the most important thing.

I hope you find him. : )

More hints: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/finding_a_lost_pet.html

Answer 2

This depends on how long he was at the location where you were. Dogs and cats rely on their sense of smell to recall where they live. If he had enough time to get a sense of "home" he will know to come back. Put something outside he is familiar with like a favorite toy or a piece of clothing and he may smell it and come back. Leave food and water out too. Dogs have a sense of smell that is 10,000 times stronger than humans. Dogs have been known to travel hundreds of miles and show up at their original home weeks, months or years later. He may head for where your normal place of residence is. Ask a vet for advice. He or she should be happy to help. Check the local animal shelters and rescue organisations as someone may have found him, particularly as animals frequently lose their tags and collars when they go astray.
My cat mouse got out of my car once and came back to the same spot after 24 hours and I had no home to go back to as I was homeless, but he still came back. Ask your neighbors and local merchants, (also you might see if churches or synagogues in the area could let you put up a flyer) if anyone has seen him and you might talk to the police or sherriff and see if they can keep an eye out for him. Sometimes local radio stations or tv stations will put out something on the air depending if you live in a small town or not. Most people have animals and love them and know what is like to lose their pet and their friend and are more than willing to help.

Answer 3

Here are some tips:

Put a piece of your unwashed clothing outside, the animal knows your smell and the wind will carry your scent and the animal can follow it back home. Also you can show a picture to your mail man, he/she is out traveling your area and can let you know if he/she has spotted the animal hanging out up the street. You might also want to try and ask neighbors, perhaps the animal got stuck in a neighbors garage or basement. Good Luck...

***I would also KEEP calling the local shelters, they might not always have enough staff to cross check lost & found reports daily. So by you calling in to see if they have gotten in any animals (with the description you give them) it would be easier for them to do that,

Answer 4

I read the other posts & they all have good ideas. I just thought I'd offer some hope...
One night, a few weeks ago, my sheltie didn't return from a "pit stop." We drove all over,calling her name, but she was gone. We live on a busy road & were afraid someone had grabbed her. We're also on the edge of deep woods which are fillrd with coyotes.
Heart-sick, we looked for 2 days, & put up a poster nearby at a popular right up the street. Within a day, we got calls & found her less than 2 miles away, cavorting with a new doggie friend she'd made.
Filthy, full of burrs & exhausted, she slept for over 18 hours.
She's no longer allowed outside unescorted, but she seems OK with that.
Good luck finding your lab. They do return -we're proof.

Answer 5

Most dogs can travel 10 miles in a hour.. which means you should be looking outside your county as well.

Contact all your States and nearby states ACO's and shelters, place up flyers ( you did good job!) and let your neighbors know to be on the look out when you are not at home.

Most dogs have been found to return but are scared for whatever reason. I recommend placing a kennel outside of your home with some food in it.. see if he seeks shelter in it.

Good luck.. I know this is hard....

Answer 6

When I was young we got an adult Sheltie that was very timid. She had gotten out of her kennel at some point and a few days later a gentleman heard our announcement on the radio about the missing dog and called us. We lived in the country so there wasn't a lot of neighbors. As the crow flies we figure she traveled around 10 miles. The odd thing is when the Sheltie got out my mom told her Rott to "find her" and the Rott kinda wandered around the buildings then headed out on the gravel road. Mom figured her Rott didn't know/understand what was going on, but after we found out where the Sheltie had gone, we think the Rott actually WAS tracking her!

Answer 7

If he is an inside dog, you may want to put some of his toys out or one of his blankets, bc if he trying to find home, this may help if he is still in the area.
Have you checked with your local law enforcement group? They may be able to be on the lookout for him. Sounds as though, he has a distinct look.

Good luck in finding your pup. I know how precious they are. I have 2 myself.

Add: Your doing all the right things. I hope things work out for you.

Add2: Yes, keep checking with the shelters....go there and look yourself if you can and look for your precious pup.

Good luck.

Answer 8

Dogs could travel miles, between states, all over.
I would go on craigslist and post on any states/cities that are close to you, also look for postings of someone who may have found him and trying to resell.
Go to all local vets and in surrounding cities, give a description of your dog so that if any get turned in.
Also notify all animal control agencies and local spca's to keep an eye out for your dog

Answer 9

Dogs can travel great lengths. They have a natural instinct to survive because they descend for wolves. It sounds like your giving effort to find your dog. I would keep checking your area and reaching out to local store in the area. I've seen where people also offer a reward for their dog. Sometimes doing that get results due to people being enticed by money.

Answer 10

how far away the dog is and whether he comes back all depends on how you treat him, if you fed him everyday and didn't yell at or hit him, he should be close and he will probably be back within the week, a month or more if he was a hunting dog! i would not over do it on the gas tank, call his name and keep your eyes open when your outside have all your friends watch for him too. i would also leave the porch lights on, and a bowl of food outside for him when he comes back. if you wake up and the food is gone, walk around call his name, maybe he's hiding from the cold!!!