What took so long? Dogs are well known for their ability to backtrack to a beloved home — or person. Most animal behavior experts attribute their navigating ability largely to a hypersensitive sense of smell.
The team then studied the dogs' return journeys to their owners—and it might be no surprise to learn that many dogs used their powerful noses to navigate, with almost 60 percent of them following their outbound route by tracing their own scent.
How far dogs can smell depends on many things, such as the wind and the type of scent. Under perfect conditions, they have been reported to smell objects or people as far as 20km away.
Dogs are able to hone in on one specific smell (a familiar person, animal, pee marked tree) and follow it for long distances. They rely on overlapping circles of familiar scents to find their way back home, much like we can rely on cell phone pings on towers to find specific locations.
Statistics indicate that most lost pets are recovered within 30 days. But the time varies greatly depending on whether it is a cat or a dog.
Lost Pet Research & Recovery indicates that 93% of lost dogs are found alive, and 20% of them return home on their own.
Big strong dogs, especially young ones, can run 5 miles or more. Small dogs may be able to go half a mile at most. Most dogs are recovered well within a two-mile circle of their home, especially because they normally will never run for an extended length in a straight line no matter how strong or fast they are.
Dogs will find comfort in wooded areas and in most cases may gravitate near water during their journey. Next, you must immediately put out smelly, wet canned dog food or something with gravy. This type of food carries the most smell and will help lure the dog back home or back to your location.
Dogs don't really think that way— research shows, in fact, that they have very little direct recall. Instead, dogs have associative memory. Dogs remember people, places, and experiences based on associations they have with them.
Many dogs, even dogs that normally are not fearful at home, become terrified when they become lost. While some dogs will ultimately calm down and then approach people, other dogs will continue to run from everyone, including their owners! One of the worst things that you can do is CALL a stray, loose, or panicked dog.
It's not unusual for dogs to grieve the loss of a person they've bonded with who is no longer present. While they might not understand the full extent of human absence, dogs do understand the emotional feeling of missing someone who's no longer a part of their daily lives.
Not only do dogs recognize and remember their humans' scents, but they also get more excited about a whiff of "their" humans than about anything else.
The good news is, when a pet runs away, they seldom go very far – which makes it more likely to reunite with them. According to a 2012 study, 59% of lost cats and 20% of lost dogs return home on their own after being lost. But there are always additional steps you can take to help ensure a happy reunion.
They're very good at picking up on subtle cues like reading body language, changes in the environment, and listening to sounds. And not just your own signals, but maybe the sound of a neighbor's car that starts up a few minutes before you arrive home.
If a dog is scared or shy, Kathy Pobloskie of Lost Dogs of America says that you can often find them on hiking trails, slightly off the beaten path (they may have sore feet from running), and they will often hide in areas like: Houses that back onto wooded areas or parks. Tall grass or marshy areas. Cemeteries.
It is very likely your dog can remember things that have happened in the past and especially events that happened recently, like where they left their ball outside yesterday. So in short, your dog can probably remember certain things from the day before!
Patricia McConnell, PHD, Certified Animal Behaviorist and author of several books related to dog behavior, believes that dogs remember their previous owners, however they don't remember in the same capacity as people do.
Memory Span
"Dogs forget an event within two minutes," reported National Geographic, citing a 2014 study performed on various animals from rats to bees. Other animals have long-term memories, such as dolphins, but dogs don't seem to have a long-term memory that lasts much beyond those two minutes.
DON'T: Chase a dog that's scared or lost
Never run or chase after a dog—doing so will only make them want to move away from you more, and can make them more nervous. Remain calm and move slowly.
The most important rule to understand when the lost dog you are looking for is sighted, is not to chase. By chasing the dog – even a dog you know – you scare it away from familiar ground. A lost dog is in flight mode – if they don't respond and come to your voice, chasing the dog will only make matters worse.
A small and active dog can travel for between 5 and 6 hours a day, which equals between 12.5 and 15 miles a day. Larger dogs may be able to walk further, but older and small dogs likely can walk less.
If your dog has been gone for more than a day or two you will want to get them in to see a vet as quickly as possible to make sure they haven't suffered any ill effects while out on their own.
His quest becomes very basic: food/water, safety, and shelter. Some dogs go into survival mode almost immediately when separated from their owner. Some do not go into survival mode for a week or more. It depends on the dog, his past experiences, his breed, and the circumstances surrounding him being lost.