The accidental dog-napper
Tips to find your lost dog, with and without your neighbors
See Faith. Go for a walk. This was a routine I’d been following for nine straight years. I didn’t live with my parents by this time, but it was a given that when Faith laid eyes on me, I went straight for the leash before I bothered to take my coat off or sit down. When I showed up at my parents’ house one day and no one was there but her, I grabbed the leash and off we went. I left a message on their answering machine to let them know we were gone.
About 30 minutes later, we strolled up the block to find my father standing outside with the most terrified expression on his face. My eyes widened, waiting for him to tell me some really bad news. Instead he zoomed in on Faith and said, “I thought she ran away.” I busted out laughing but tried to stop when I saw he was so serious and so sad. Poor Dad.
“Didn’t you see the answering machine light blinking?” I asked him.
He shook his head no, reaching out to pet Faith. I explained that I left a message because I didn’t feel like looking for post-it notes. Even though I did what I was supposed to do, from that point on, I was nicknamed a “dog-napper” by anyone who would listen to my father tell the story of how he came home to a dog-less house.
And considering Faith was a pretty big German Shepherd, in his imagination, she’d put up quite a fight before she was taken. Although I’m still tickled by the story, it was proof that dog owners have a hard time thinking rationally when they’re convinced of the worst possible outcome. I can’t say I blame him, considering he didn’t even know I was coming over. My memory is foggy about why I was initially there, but it wasn’t uncommon for me to come over to hang out with Faith first and my parents second. My grandfather even complained about me ditching him for a restaurant date because I wanted to go to my parents’ house to feed the dog.
While clearly this was one of my father’s worst nightmares that didn’t happen, not every dog owner is as fortunate. But before you go off the rails and think someone has taken your dog, remember to do these six things to try to get a handle on where your dog may be first.
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Talk to your neighbors to see if/when they last saw your dog. I was on my daily walk with a Cockapoo when I saw an Alaskan Husky running full speed toward us. I groaned, knowing this Cockapoo pretty much hated all other dogs. She also hated to be picked up, so I knew she’d be mouthy if I grabbed her. I remembered that tip about not running from dogs, so I stood statue-still and eyed the Cockapoo for any sudden movements. The Alaskan Husky paused near us, tip-toeing by. I glanced past the Husky’s ears (pro tip: don’t look a strange dog in the eyes or it’s seen as a threat), and that dog continued running past me and toward a park behind us. I immediately texted the owner a description of the dog, in hopes that she knew the runaway. Dog owners may be surprised at just how many people will reach out to neighbors if they see a stray. Ask everybody and post signs immediately.
Don’t ignore the obvious hiding spots. As frustrating as it was, my Labrador Retriever mix was notorious for squeezing his body through a side gangway in the backyard. No matter the amount of bricks, fencing, wood and poles were put up, this 50-plus pound dog transitioned into a mouse and would squeeze his way through — only to sit loose on our unfenced front porch. He’d just sit there, hanging out and people watching. So if I came in through the backyard and didn’t see him there or the basement, I was about 95 percent certain I knew where he was. I’d usually hear his collar tags shaking as he greeted me with a “hello” from the wrong side of the fence.
Recommended Read: “Always pet proof your home and fence ~ Don’t let Animal Control take your dog away because it’s not built for control”
Get your 10,000 steps in by repeating your usual walk path. Yes, you should definitely visit shelters and post signs at neighboring stores, as the Humane Society of the United States advises. But don’t forget to actually walk the path that you usually do with your dog. There’s nothing wrong with driving to neighborhood businesses and stores, but your dog remembers where (s)he has marked. If your dog is still in the area — and unless it’s unsafe to do so — chances are it will happen again.