What do you do when you loose your dog?

[578SLE]

Thank God this hasn't happened to me, but I am curious about the do's and don'ts if or when you loose your dog while hunting in big country. While running my "medium" range GSP ("medium," in comparison to all the horse back FT guys with 1000 yard dogs), there have been times when she has been out of sight for as long as an honest 15-20 minutes. For me, that is a LONG time to wait for the dog when I am wondering where she is and have blown the "here" whistle several times and she hasn't shown up. Usually she is very good about checking in, orienting herself, and staying to the front so this hasn't been a real problem. But in the few times where this has happened and I have had to wait for her, I have felt that the dog was so far outin front (250 yards +) in low but dense cover, that I felt she honestly needed time to run back, reorient herself to the sound of my whistle or "yipping," and find me. When I finally do see her bust out of cover say 150 yards out in front, she is always moving at full speed and comes all the way in to me in a dead run with the gas at full throttle. When she finally makes it in, I stop her, pet her up, praise her, and then recast her and off she goes with just as much enthusiasm as when she came in (Remember, I gave her a "here" command). She is pretty good at adjusting to cover, so this really only happens once in a while in big open country, and to be fair she is on the small side for a GSP and disappears quickly in cover if I don't keep a close eye on her.

So far, so good, but the thought has always crossed my mind "what happens the day she doesn't come in?" "What do I do?" "What is the best thing to do?" For those of you with seriously big running dogs, what do you do if you think you have lost your dog?

PS: The need for a Garmin weighs heavily on my mind in these situations.

[gonehuntin']

How do you know when your dog is gone for that lone that it isn't on point? That's why I went to an Astro this year. I don't like big running dogs. I like watching my dogs work and I want them within two hundred yards.

If they do get lost: Always have your cell phone # on their collar so anyone can call you right away that finds it. I found a bear dog a few years ago and called the owner to pick it up. Leave a piece of clothng at the place you park your truck. The dog will backtrack himself and you and usually end up at the truck. Have some food and water there. Watch for other hunters trucks and wait for them. Many times a dog will find someone else in the woods and follow them out. Never quit looking.

[jkoehler]

This very thing happened to me last fall hunting pheasant. Walking fingers in standing corn and turned to go out with dog in front and in a second he disappeared in the corn. Called and called, made it back to truck and waited 20 min. then went back out to look for him. Shot my gun several times hoping he would hear that and come running back. Crappy thing was it was so windy the corn stocks were making so much noise. Finallly after about 45 min. he came running back like nothing ever happened. Purchased a collar with a locator on it that can be turned on and off from my reciever. Like the idea of posting number on collar!!

[wems2371]

I haven't lost a dog yet, but gonehuntin's suggestions are all good one's I would follow. I went out the other day in Cedars and switchgrass, and temporarily lost site here and there. Knowing there were lots of good things to chase, like coyotes, deer, and turkey--it made me a little nervous. I kept my eyes peeled on the garmin however, and kept my mouth shut (for the most part ). I also have a riveted on collar nameplate with my info.

On a side note, as gonehuntin mentioned, I picked up a dog about an hour into my run on Sunday. It scared the heck out of me when it busted through some cover. The red coonhound proceeded to follow us intermittently for the next hour, busting in here and there. He had a collar tag with owner name, phone #, and a local city. I am the only person alive, who doesn't have a cell phone. But carrying a camera, I took a picture of the tag, so I could call when I got home (15 minutes away). When I got to the parking lot, he was still with us, and I didn't know what to do. I don't use a crate for travel, he wouldn't get in the back of the truck, I was unsure of putting him up front in tight quarters with me and my gsp, and I didn't know if it would be right to tie him to the fence and leave in search of a phone. I felt bad leaving him, as he seemed to be a healthy friendly dog, and then he proceeded to tug at my heartstrings even more as he followed my truck down the gravel road. So I decided to hit up the neighborhood for a phone, and eventually found a gentleman who said "Red" is the resident loose dog and would find his way home a mile down the road.

On yet another side note :roll: , I know the garmins are a chunk of change, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with the older DC20 model. That's what I'm using for a 2nd season, with an aftermarket antenna whip, I picked up for an additional $20. It can be gotten for 1/2 to 2/3 the price of the newer version DC30, and garmin serviced mine when I had an issue, with no questions asked about it's origins. Check out ebay, craigslist, etc.

[BigShooter]

When one of my brothers hit the Dakotas with a "first time on the praires big running young female dog" the dog went over the hill and didn't come back. He went to the local bars & posted up flyers with the description, his name & number. After he got back to MN. he received a call a day or so later and returned to ND to retrieve his dog. Later he gave my other brother and I puppies from this dam along with brass plates containing our address & phone number to rivet on our collars. The first thing my "first time on the praires big running young female dog" did at 5 1/2 mos. was run a half mile & disappear over the first hill. I just waited and a few minutes later she came back over the hill. Whew !!

I've had a Tri-Tronics multi-dog set up with beeper locators for some time. Last year I bought a Garmin Astro because I'd rather hunt quietly if possible. Good "here" & e-collar training, brass collar name plates & an Astro makes for a pretty nice security blanket.

[RayGubernat]

Wems -

I have had big running dogs my whole life, so the question of losing them has always been there. The way i was introduced to bird hunting was to cut the dogs loose and then follow along until they went on point. If the dog went out of sight and didn't pop back out in five minutes or so, you went toward where you last saw the dog and stated lookng for the dog on point. I guess I was in my twenties before I realized that most folks out there wanted to see their dogs most all the time.

The good news is that in over forty years of playing with borderline lunatic pointers...I ain't lost one permanently...yet. The closest I came to losing one was when the dog decided to hunt for someone else and he took her home. The fellow's mom, saw the number on the collar and made him call. The worst was when a dog took off after deer(it happened to two separate dogs of mine). They were both gone overnight, but both came back to the area we parked at and were laying on my coat when I got there the next morning.

Great suggestions already. My suggestions are first...to trash break you dog. This way if it goes out of sight, you know it will be there standing a bird when you get there...or it will find its way back around to you. Another thing I do is carry, in my game pouch, a rolled up, 10-12 length of 1/4 rope with a snap tied on it. It takes up less room than a pack of cigatettes. I carry it mostly if I have to do some impromptu training in the field or have to leash my dog to cross a road or something, but I have used one to collect and lead out several stray dogs over the years. It is cheap enough to give away and I can make another up in moments. I also usually carry another such lead under the front seat of my truck.

When I first bought a beeper collar I was at my wits end with a particular dog. Once I strapped the collar on her, I realized that she was never all that far away from me but that she was either working birds or pointing them while I was hollering my head off for her, a couple or three hundred yards away. She was not "lost". She knew right where I was. I was the one who did not know where she was or what she was doing. I was the one with the problem.

I cannot help you with that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when your dog goes over the hill. I still get that sinking feeling occasionally. The only thing that helps is when I get my fat butt up and over that heck...and there is the dog...standing there ... high and tight...waiting for me. I then remember that if the dog never goes over the hill, I cannot know the amazing feeling that I get when I find that dog stacked up and waiting...just for me.

RayG

[Nebraska]

Good info here. I've lost my GSP for short periods and that "pit in the stomach" feeling is one of the worst feelings a guy can get!!!

The cell # on the collar makes sense but I would not have thought to put food/water down where the truck was parked so thank you for that tip.

One thing I wouldn't do is put my dog's name on her collar as it might encourage someone to keep her..... :roll:

[BigShooter]

If you're going to leave food and water - like Ray said, be sure to leave a piece of your clothing there as well.

[Sharon]

It's not popular in the gun dog crowd but after an experience I had, I believe in microchips. A guy found my dog and wouldn't give her back. He said I couldn't prove she was mine. All my dogs have chips now.

[RayGubernat]

Forgot something...

First line of my collar tag reads:

REWARD/ NEEDS MEDS

If someone calls and asks what meds or how much is the reward, tell them nothing substantive and arrange a meeting immediately in a public place. Get the phone # and copy it down for reference.

RayG

[Mike50]

Read some but not all post here. I printed out some posters with each dogs picture on then should I ever need them. Along with contact info. Their both chipped and have collars with PH # on them. It would be my worst day if I ever gave up looking for either of them.

[Sharon]

If you don't want to worry about losing your dog get a beagle. They get "lost' every week and you're leaving your coat for them and finding them on the coat in the morning. You stop worrying.

[BigShooter]

What do you do when you "lose" your dog?

Depends upon whether I lost the dog on purpose or not!

Poll:

1. Cry
2. Start looking for a new & better one
3. Pull another dog out of the truck and "just keep livin' "
4. Pull out the cell phone to tell everyone in your circle of friends
5. Have a beverage of your choice
6. Sleep in the truck that night
7. Call it a day & come back in the morning

[Buford Boone]

Another vote for the Garmin. I almost lost my dog once. We were on a walk in the woods and she must have gotten after something. I called and she didn't respond. I didn't have a whistle with me and it was a very windy day so I doubt she could have heard me more than 100 yards away. I checked the Garmin and she kept getting farther and farther away (did you know that it changes from yards to miles at some point?).

It was late in the day and sundown was about 30 min away. Knowing that I had to act quickly, I began to run thru the woods, watching the Garmin to determine which direction to turn.

Long story short, the distance between us finally began to diminish and I got her back pretty quick. I don't think I would have found her that night without the Garmin.

The Garmin also has the advantage of not subjecting her to very loud noise from a beeper right behind her ears.

Other than the Garmin, I have her microchipped and id tags on all collars with my name and phone numbers.

Though the Garmin is not cheap, I'd buy another one in a minute. It paid for itself that day.

[578SLE]

Thanks for all the great advice. I have the brass tag riveted to my dog's collar "without" her name and the words "REWARD" "CALL COLLECT" and my cell phone number and my house number on it. I have heard of the clothing trick, but was not sure if it actually worked. Sounds like it does sometimes. The food and water also sound good.

Question: Is it better to go back to the truck say after an hour of waiting and calling or is it better to wait in the last location you had contact with the dog as long as possible and only go back to the truck as a last resort? My dog is not one to really run off unless chasing a rabbit or something and I think the times that she has been gone were due exactly to that: rabbits --especially Jackrabbits.

The more I think about it, the Garmin seems like cheap insurance compared to all the training, time, and money we put in our dogs.

[twofeathers]

If you don't want to worry about losing your dog get a beagle. They get "lost' every week and you're leaving your coat for them and finding them on the coat in the morning. You stop worrying.

I used to run beagles A LOT. We sometimes would bring 6-8 dogs and almost every time one or more would "take off". Great info on here already. Never put dogs name on collar. My tags read, reward, house phone, cell phone. Also leaving an article of clothing as well as food and water works great. We also put up a sign once above the food and water and clothing that read " Took my kids pet hunting, he got lost please help" and phone number.

[gonehuntin']

Always look where you parked the truck. The dogs will always backtrack you to the truck. That's their most dangerous time; they'll be on a road. Forget about the spot you lost them. They'll come back there, but then immediately hit your track and follow it out.

[RayGubernat]

Just to be clear -

I have never put food down for a lost dog. I wouId not for a few reasons. I will put down water if there is none in the area, but I want the sucker anchored to my coat. I also do not want another dog, or racoon, fox, coyote or whatever hanging around.

It might well get a treat when I get there but it will get fed when I get it home.

RayG

[gonehuntin']

I never worry much about the food Ray. I don't want the dog straying from that area because it's hungry. I don't lose many dogs though.

[ESetterLove]

Why shouldn't you put the dogs name on the collar? I have both the dog's and our last name on ours. Is that a bad thing?

One thing that I added to the brass plate recently was the breed. I did it because more than a few times people think our Setter's are brits.. :roll: and when I look through the lost and found from time to time I see quite a few purebreds that are id wrong in the found section. Not everyone knows what breed they have found.

If you do lose your dog in rural farm country, the first place you need to get word out is the local elevator, the local convenience store and grocery store. Also the local motel's and law enforcement. If you lose your dog in Dakota country you would be surprised at the response you might get and how many will be on the lookout for your dog. I always try to take a recent picture of my dogs as well making a point to get a close up of unique markings just in case.

[twofeathers]

[quote="ESetterLove"]Why shouldn't you put the dogs name on the collar? I have both the dog's and our last name on ours. Is that a bad thing?


Say someone finds your dog, if they know its name and it comes when called you may not get your dog back. There are lots of nice people out there but just as many dishonest ones. Putting reward, or needs meds, helps keep dishonest people a little more honest.

[ezzy333]

Why shouldn't you put the dogs name on the collar? I have both the dog's and our last name on ours. Is that a bad thing?


Say someone finds your dog, if they know its name and it comes when called you may not get your dog back. There are lots of nice people out there but just as many dishonest ones. Putting reward, or needs meds, helps keep dishonest people a little more honest.

I pay no attention to the need meds thing anymore since every lost dog needs them. I think most people realize that is just a ploy that has been greatly over used and consequently has little value even for the dog that might need them. Plus I don't think that would be a determining factor on calling the owner. Honest people will call and the very few that would keep your dog would ignore it. Dogs name on the tag would be pretty much unimportant since you couldn't read it till you have caught the dog. I suggest going with your name address and cell phone preferably since they can call before you get home. And leave the hunting vest along with some water at least if you have to leave.

Everyone needs to realize that the dog is seldom lost, they know where you are, but you don't know where it is and it will show back up at some point and can and will track you down or back to the truck.

Ezzy

[ESetterLove]

I was thinking about the name on the tag and wonder if it really makes a difference if someone is intent on keeping your dog. I don't know what everyone else does but we seldom call the dog by name in the field. He probably thinks his name is Here, Heel and Hunt em up from what I can tell. If I just say his name he gives me a dumb look. If I say Here, he knows what he should be doing. Just a thought. I guess in the end I want the honest person to have as much information as possible.

Is it common for hunting dogs to get taken in other areas of the country?

[ymepointer]

Well, I have lost a dog or two in my time and have only had one that would not come back on her own....My experience has been that my dogs if they get lost usually come back to the truck by the next morn, so I will leave a kennel crate with my sweaty t-shirt from that days hunt in the crate. 9 out of 10 times my dog was curled up in the crate the next morn. I also have my telephone number and the word "REWARD" on my collars and I have never had one stolen. Most people just want to help find that pup it's home and claim that reward. It is very nerve racking to loose one for any length of time. I lost one for 12 days once in the Owhees while chukar hunting the last weekend of the season. Thought she had been eaten by coyotes but a farmer in vale called as soon as she crawled up on his porch.

[Shadow]

don't panic and go running all over the country looking- stay where you are as long as possible- spend the night- might be on point and not really lost- agree with leaving water and some hunting item and go looking- one would think a phone call so your boss knows what's up-

mine won't come off point- so untill I had the Garmin I had to go look-
if you've got a big runner who holds point and you don't have the Garmin or other tracker- you've most likely got one on point somewhere- think on how far yours normally ranges and spend alot of time arround where you last were- nothing wrong with using another pointer to find yours- quite exciting to have another dog find yours holding point

[naperdog]

How big of a reward would most of you pay?

[Shadow]

how much is your dog worth to you

[kerplunk105]

After just loosing my dog about two weeks ago, I read everything in this post. Sadly, I did everything and still didnt get her back, but thats not the point of my post...

When I lost her:
She had a collar on with her name, my cell # and home #. The thing with any type of collar is it can always get taken off, pulled off, etc. She was found with her collar on though. To me, the issue with microchips is that many different companies are making them. I think it would be wise to call around your local shelters and see what brand/company reader they have. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that a company A's reader can read company B's chip? The great thing about chips is if someone steals your dog, you can prove its yours!

I spent 3 hours looking for her in the area she was last seen. After about an hour into looking, I called our local police (of the area in which she was lost). That night, I put her blanket, (from her crate), at the spot where she was lost. The next morning after hearing nothing, I called all of the police around us, (I did within a 30ish mile radius). I printed up flyers and had them out that morning as well, (the flyers had a picture of her, my contact information and information about her as well as that a reward was being offered). I also called our two local SPCA's that morning. In the afternoon, I found every online lost pet posting service and posted up ads and put an ad on craigslist, (all of those were free).

Our vet did an autopsy on her body. She was hit by a car within 24 hours of us finding her. I guess he could tell somehow how the body was? She was lost from Thursday 5pm and we found her Sunday around 6pm. So, someone must have seen her and either not been able to catch her or just didnt care.

Some things I learned from this experience: I need to be 10x more aware of my surroundings and where the dog may be able to go and/or following animals or scent. I also am def investing in a GPS collar on my next dog. Always make sure to have a very clear picture of your dog-I had one for flyers, but I know some people may not.

Hard, but well learned lesson.

[Sharon]

how much is your dog worth to you

Your heart can't make all the decisions.
When I lost a dog a couple months ago, I figured out what the budget could handle too.

[Shadow]

geese Kerplunk- very sad story-

Sharon- what we want is to be called- you get the call and then can decide on what you'll pay- seems reasonable

short story-
some years ago I lost track of a female of mine- went looking after leaving something and picking up the others Britt's

saw a vehicle parked 1/4 mile away with three hunters walking up to it- stopped- they had my Britt on a rope-
Hi- see my dog came up to you- thanks for holding her

one guy said how much you going to pay us- not a good scene- "that's my dog you're stealing, you let her loose or be ready to use that gun"
fella said "I was just joking, she's a good hunter, we shot four quail over her"

[muddycreek]

I tend to cuss

So far I've been lucky and they have always circle back when they were tired and I've said about everything in the book. Just ask my 5 yr old. "Momma, daddy said a kajillion bad words"

[578SLE]

Elizabeth (Kerplunk) -- I am so sorry to hear about your dog. In Spanish there is a saying for a situation like this in which we say "qué pena" --which best translated, says "what sadness you must be suffering." Thank you sharing your story with us --which is unfortunately much too common. Willie Hunter over on SSB lost his dog they same way. Hopefully your story will help us all be more careful with our dogs.

With warm regards,

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