Fireworks - LOST DOG thread now, not chat.

Padstow

I've trawled the internet in search of dog behaviour when they bolt through fear.
I think every behaviour issue is covered apart from this one.
Plenty on how to prevent it. Useful if someone creates a firework thread though.

Dogs obviously don't react rationally, or at least as we would, otherwise they'd dive back into their bed in their safe home, rather than running for miles into more loud bangs.

So picture a lost dog. He hears a familiar call, smells too, so is he thinking, "I'm near home?"

That got me thinking, and I may be totally wrong here, please say what you think.

The dog is in fields or moors, down by the river or wherever. He wants to return to where he left.

The familiar voice then calls out to him across a field, so he thinks he's home and becomes even more confused.

What I'm getting to is whether calling him should only be done from his home? I think it should.

The other thing is the new campaign asking whether R was taken?

I would rather ask every single person to check their shed or barn tonight.

aliasojo

Padstow wrote: »

That got me thinking, and I may be totally wrong here, please say what you think.

The dog is in fields or moors, down by the river or wherever. He wants to return to where he left.

The familiar voice then calls out to him across a field, so he thinks he's home and becomes even more confused.

What I'm getting to is whether calling him should only be done from his home? I think it should.

Completely disagree with your thinking.

Padstow

aliasojo wrote: »

Completely disagree with your thinking.

Am happy with that jo, but you don't say why?
I did say maybe I was totally off beam.

My only worry is, we may clog the lost Rory thread up.
Our aim is to support sazz to find the Rory boy.

Person_one

Padstow wrote: »

The familiar voice then calls out to him across a field, so he thinks he's home and becomes even more confused.

What I'm getting to is whether calling him should only be done from his home? I think it should.

We call to our dogs from places other than home all the time out on walks.

Home is where their owner is anyway, usually.

Its great to keep thinking up new ideas but I don't think this is the way to go.

aliasojo

Padstow wrote: »

Am happy with that jo, but you don't say why?
I did say maybe I was totally off beam.

My only worry is, we may clog the lost Rory thread up.
Our aim is to support sazz to find the Rory boy.

I'm sure a dog knows the difference between a strange place and it's home. I do not believe hearing a known voice would lead a dog to believe it was near home. Only that it was near a familiar sound, which if anything, would encourage it in that direction.

As for cluttering up the thread, we have a different opinion about that also.

zaksmum

I think your dog will respond to your voice wherever he is. Calling him only from home will only help if he's within earshot of home, which he isn't as the area's been searched from top to bottom.

Sally_A

Sazzy, I fill up everytime I read the updates on this thread, and can only imagine the heartbreak you are going through.

To hopefully give you some positive vibes - every stray animal seems to find it's way to my back door. If there are no signs of ID, or I do not recognise the dog I immediately call the warden, police station, and dogs home - and email pics, also putting a poster at the bottom of our garden. After a couple of days I will send the same to local vets and ask to come in for a microchip check. When I call the cats and dogs home, I know they are full up, so give as much info as I can, but say I will keep the dog - as the last thing I want is for the dog to be rehomed whilst the real owners are still searching.

One dog we had for a few days, despite my description being spot on other than getting the age wrong meant the police could not tie the two together - ho hum.

One cat (I don't even like cats!, and we had dogs giving him a hard time) stuck with us for around 10 days - I like to think it was lost, I don't like to think the owner maybe left it out whilst they went on summer holidays, and thought some mug (ie. me) would look after it until they got back and reported it missing.

I would constantly be in touch with the home/warden, and also post on found animals with pics - but because I have the capability of looking after a lost animal without putting them into a kennel environment, I tend to "foster" them in the hope that the home/vets/warden will find the owner.

A bit long winded, but just want to say, a lot of dog lovers would have taken him in, reported to as many relevant people as possible, but they don't always match them up. I sincerely hope that is what has happened in this instance.

sazzybum

Again- thanks everyone for your ideas, thoughts and good wishes.

I'm on the phone to the wardens, SSPCA, kennels and police every day. They've all got his picture-especially as black lab was a bit ambiguous for Ruars. Think there's abit of collie in him somewhere-especially with the curly tail.

I don't think Munlochy are deliberately avoiding me as such- and I know they do a sterling job, but it wouldn't hurt to return a call sometimes. I've managed to talk to the owner ONCE since this whole thing began, and her mother once who said 'oh she's busy, if you phoned her, she'll know' then hung up. I went up there but he wasn't there. The woman there wasn't very pleasant.

Ross (the youngest who's in Dubai) called tonight-again, and just said that he doesn't think he'll see him again, which broke my heart. Didn't know what to say to him.

It's started sleeting here now, and it's so windy! Ruars hates the wind-the noise of gates banging etc made him shiver. Silly thought I know- but I wanted to share with you..if it's really windy-would a scent travel farther? You know, our scents that we've left around..Bruces scent when he's pee-ed in every possible woodland round here? These kind of thoughts go round my head all the time.

Padstow

aliasojo wrote: »

I'm sure a dog knows the difference between a strange place and it's home. I do not believe hearing a known voice would lead a dog to believe it was near home. Only that it was near a familiar sound, which if anything, would encourage it in that direction.

As for cluttering up the thread, we have a different opinion about that also.

Fair enough everyone. As for cluttering up the thread, I wouldn't wish that, as all I want to see is Rory back home.

zaksmum

Padstow wrote: »

Fair enough everyone. As for cluttering up the thread, I wouldn't wish that, as all I want to see is Rory back home.

There's no way you're cluttering up the thread Padstow! You've been brilliant with some very useful suggestions aimed at bringing Ruaridh home.