Losing a dog at any age is a painful process. However, a young dog can make it even more stressful. Their lack of street smarts and fear of other animals is enough to make any owner frightened for their furry friend.
However, most lost dogs are reunited with their owners after a fun adventure! So, to find your lost puppy, you'll need to follow our three simple steps.
We've broken down each stage into easy-to-follow checklists to make finding your lost puppy as stress-free as possible!
Quick Navigation
Key takeaways
1. Check the house
2. Start searching outside
3. Spread the message
Why do puppies go missing?
FAQS
Final thoughts
1. Check the house
If you lost your puppy outside, skip to the next step
Puppies are bundles of cuteness full of energy. They are also incredibly curious. This means if you take your eye off them for a second, they can disappear on an adventure. You may swear they are not in the house, but their size means they can hide in nooks and crannies you may not even be aware of.
Move furniture
Furniture around the house makes for great hiding spots. A small puppy may curl up under a sofa, even behind a bookshelf, and fall asleep for hours. So, before you begin to panic, make sure you thoroughly check the whole house.
Use the following checklist to look for your lost puppy:
Move sofas so you can check underneath them
Take cushions off the sofa to check any nooks
Move cupboards and bookshelves away from walls
Move TV stands away from walls
Open doors to bedrooms and bathrooms
It's possible that while your curious little puppy has been exploring your house, they may have ventured into a room, bathroom, or even a wardrobe without you noticing.
This means that once they were inside, you may have closed the door, trapping them. Go through the house and open up every single door. Don't forget unlikely places like washing machines and dryers. You can never underestimate a young dog's curiosity!
2. Start searching outside
If you're confident your pup isn't in the house, then you'll need to start looking further afield. If they’ve run away from the house, it can feel very daunting. But remain calm and don't assume the worst. They are unlikely to have traveled too far.
Check the garden
The most likely place for your puppy to be exploring is the garden. There are hundreds of exciting new smells, sights, and sounds to be investigated, which can mean your puppy may wander off without realizing.
Use the following checklist to search your garden thoroughly:
In bushes and hedges
In outbuildings, like sheds and garages
Bins and bin storage
Under/on garden furniture
Check the local neighborhood
Once you've searched the immediate area around your house, you'll need to start looking for your puppy in the neighborhood.
Your puppy may have followed a scent all the way down the road and become a little lost. Make sure you check:
Local parks
Quiet streets
Under cars
Neighbors' gardens
Local shops
Abandoned buildings
Fields
Farms
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Top Tip: An ID tag on your dog's collar means people will be able to contact you if they find your puppy wandering alone.
3. Spread the message
It's essential you spread the message as you continue your search. The more people who know about your missing puppy, the better! You're more likely to find your little buddy with more hands on deck.
Use social media
Social media is an essential tool for finding lost pets. By joining local Facebook and WhatsApp groups, you can quickly share images, descriptions, and details with plenty of neighbors. They are also helpful for keeping an eye on reported sightings and building up an idea of where your puppy could be.
It's also a good idea to keep posting on your personal accounts. You likely have family and friends living nearby following you, so notifying them can help recruit more searchers.
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Expert Insight: In your posts, be sure to provide close-up images of memorable physical traits. This could be white socks, a white collar, or a shorter tail.
Start a PetRadar search
At PetRadar, we scale up your social media efforts. With just a few details from you, we can create sponsored posts that will pop up on your neighbors' Instagram and Facebook feeds. These will feature an image of your lost puppy with some information about where they were last seen.
You choose the radius of people you want to reach, and we'll do the rest. Alongside this, we also:
Provide you with a personal dashboard to keep an eye on your search
Offer support, guidance, and advice
List your lost pet on our website
Provide a free downloadable poster
Create missing dog posters
While social media can be very effective, it's still important to pin up physical missing dog posters in high footfall areas to reach more people. By signing up to PetRadar, you can easily download and print our expertly-designed poster. If you want to create your own alongside this, include the following:
Photos of specific physical traits, as well as a high-quality image of your whole puppy
Contact details
Descriptions of your puppy's personality (e.g., timid, shy, aggressive, adventurous)
Where they were last seen
Be sure always to ask permission if you want to pin up your flyer on private property. Some effective places to stick your poster are areas with high footfall, like:
Communal areas of apartment blocks
Parks
Shops
Community centers
Town halls
Notice boards
The more people who know about your missing puppy, the better! You're more likely to find your little buddy with more hands on deck.
Why do puppies go missing?
No matter how many hours of training your pup has gone through, they won't be able to fight their natural instincts.
This can include:
Hunting
Fear
Inquisitiveness
We see just how quickly our furry friends run when they spy a squirrel. This natural instinct can mean your puppy may run for miles and find themselves lost.
Similarly, fear and anxiety can have a similar effect. Loud bangs, like fireworks or construction work, may trigger your dog's fight-or-flight instinct. For many puppies, they are likely to go into flight, meaning their instincts will tell them to run away.
You can avoid this experience by keeping your pup on their lead while walking until they are fully adjusted to the outside world.
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Top Tip: Make sure your pup has a safe space within the house to hide if they are scared. This should help prevent them from escaping and running away.
FAQS
How far do dogs travel when lost?
Healthy, bigger dogs can travel between 2-5 miles (3-8km). However, smaller dogs may only travel around half a mile when lost.
What do dogs do when they are lost?
What dogs do when they are lost depends on their personality. Adventurous, friendly dogs are likely to find areas full of other dogs and people, like parks and shops. However, more timid, shy dogs will likely hide and wait until they feel safe to try and find their way home.
Can dogs find their way home?
Yes, dogs can find their way home. They have great homing abilities, so by using their sense of smell, hearing, and sight, they are able to understand and remember their surroundings.
Do runaway dogs come back?
Only 20% of lost dogs come back home on their own. However, this is because people are likely to take a dog to a local shelter or vet if they find them on their own. Over 90% of lost dogs are found alive, so you're very likely to find your runaway dog.
How long can a dog survive outside when lost?
A dog will be able to survive outside without food for 5 days and water for 3. If they can hunt and find a source of water, they will be able to survive for a while, but this does depend on the temperature.
How far will a lost dog run if scared?
A lost dog can run as far as 5 miles (8km) in a day if they are scared. However, smaller or older dogs are likely to only run for around half a mile to a mile.
Do puppies find their way home?
While dogs can find their way home, puppies may struggle. This is because they haven't practiced their homing abilities, meaning they won't find it as easy to understand and remember their location.
Can dogs smell their owners from miles away?
Yes, dogs can smell their owners from miles away. In perfect conditions, some dogs can pick up a scent from an incredible 12 miles (20km) away!
Final thoughts
If you still haven't found your dog, be sure to call all the local animal shelters and veterinarian practices to report your puppy missing. Provide them with a detailed description of your pup and, if you can, email them some photos.
In the meantime, be sure to start a PetRadar search. We can help you throughout the whole process, offering you expert and personal support and guidance to make sure you find your puppy again!
Written by
Lauren Jeffries
In this blog, I combine my two areas of expertise: pets and writing. I share my personal experiences alongside plenty of animal behavior research to help owners look after their pets. I have always lived with furry friends and am now a loving cat mum to two orange kitties.
