Have you ever lost your good boy or girl? Has it happened more than once? Do you wonder why that happens? Has your well-trained dog sometimes disappeared without explanation and you have not known where to begin searching? Fear not. In 9 out of 10 cases, your furry friend will find their way back to you. While the scientific community is not yet clear on how dogs actually navigate their way back home, it has been proven in a number of cases that dogs are able to easily track their way back. Some scientists are of the opinion that dogs navigate using the magnetic alignment of the Earth, much like migrating birds do. Others are of the opinion that dogs track either their own smell or some other familiar scent to find their way back home. Regardless, you should definitely put up flyers announcing a reward to find your dog instead of relying on it to come back. Sometimes your dog could be lost and not know what to do.
Why do dogs run away?
But first, let’s see why dogs actually disappear. There are a number of reasons for this, but primary among them being:
- Your dog was frightened
- Your dog was chasing something
- Your dog felt isolated
- Your dog was not secured properly
- Your dog needed the physical exertion
- Your dog has matured and needs to mate
Any of these reasons is enough for your furry friend to leave home.
How to prevent your dog from running away?
There are a number of ways to combat each of the points mentioned above, but we will provide you with just one method for the sake of brevity.
- If your dog was frightened, it was most likely because of a loud sound like thunder or firecrackers. It would be best to soundproof the room the dog is in and ensure that the sounds of firecrackers do not disturb him or her. Also, it would be great if you could sit with them and keep them calm during thunderstorms.
- If your dog disappeared while chasing something, there is close to nothing that can be done about it except go after the dog. Some people recommend that you do not run after the dog because that will make it a game for them and they will continue running. Instead, it is recommended that you practice the return home signal for the dog whenever you have time. This way, the dog will be more inclined to stop and return when you call out. But if the urge of the chase is too strong, the dog will still getaway.
- If the dog felt isolated, that could be because of boredom and loneliness. Ensure that your dog has the proper love and care that he or she requires.
- Ensure that you always secure your dog properly using a collar and leash. In the event that you are taking your dog for a walk in the park, ensure that you have secured the leash carefully.
- Always exercise your dog so that they do not feel the need to run and exert themselves. Regular walking should help.
- If your dog has escaped to mate, it would be best to spay or neuter him or her so that the hormones are drained. This can be done anytime as long as the dog is six months or older. But it would be wiser to wait for the dog to fully mature.
We sincerely hope that you do not have to chase after your dog again. There have been several instances when dogs have been lost when people were moving houses. In such cases, dogs have indeed found their way back home through their scent. But not all dogs can do this. Therefore, it would be wise to put up a number of flyers in order to get the attention of the public.
Dogs that have made their way back home
There are a number of famous dogs that have made their way back home after days of walking.
- Foremost among them is Tuff, a yellow Labrador. This dog was unchained by someone and then the dog got lost. But the dog traveled 18 miles to return home. The dog even swam across a river to reach home again.
- A Siberian Husky called Moon found her way back home over 77 miles after she bolted during a walk with her human.
- Bucky, a Black Labrador managed to find his way back home after hiking over 500 miles in order to reunite with his human.
While these tales warm the heart, it is important to ensure that your pet does not run away. While it is interesting that the pets got home after long travels, it is probably not the best idea to put them in a position to do that. Some people make use of GPS trackers in order to keep track of their dogs’ locations at all times. Such small measures would help avoid the heartbreak that comes with finding out that one’s pet disappeared.
