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Any experience with lost dogs?

hogpatrol

hogpatrol

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Let me preface this post that if it is not relevant or too far off topic , will the Forum Boss please delete it.

Am involved with a lost dog operation, lab mix, been gone since the 20th of December, spotted him on my game camera January 4, not looking too good, ribs showing, real thin. Two year old, he was with a load of dogs brought up from Texas to a no kill shelter here in DE and subsequently adopted. Bolted one day after being well taken care of by new owners. Local rescue group set up a trap and put out food. Took a couple days but he went in the trap and it tripped before he was all the way in and spooked and backed out. Has been coming every day & night. It's been five days, won't go in, even with chicken, ham, bacon, etc. He does nibble on some old horse feed and deer pellet mix on the ground I put out for wild critters before this started but won't go in to the trap to get fresh stuff. Weather has turned real cold here so don't know how much longer he can survive. Anyone that has had one of their dogs run off for a long period of time and got him back, please pm me with any suggestions. As weak as he looks, I thought about running him down but I may run out of steam before him. The normal methods that this rescue operation uses aren't working. Last sighting, 2:00 a.m. today 1/11. TIA, Hog
 
When we lost our coonhounds, we would lay the owners coat there. Usually the next morning the dog was laying there. Now these were dogs that didn't run off and kmew the smell of the owner. Maybe try to keep feeding him and hope you can get close or win him over. At least it will keep him alive. Matt
 
Being a coonhunter all my life I have extensive knowledge and experience with lost dogs and also just dogs in general. I have seen and even lived this exact same scenario too many times. I know this is not what you want to hear, but the cold hard fact is this...some dogs, and it sounds like this is one of them, are born shy and skittish and that is how they stay until they are put out of their misery.
I have tried, I have witnessed first and second hand others try and in 57 years of my life I have never seen not one time anyone, myself included this same story have a happy ending. It sounds like this dog is severely shy, was born shy and scared of people and make no mistake, he will always be shy and scared of people. Even if you catch him and nurse him back to health he will bolt and stay gone as soon as he gets a chance.
If a dog is so skittish that he would chose to starve and live out in the cold woods by himself over getting fed and a warm place to sleep....seriously, how good of a pet and what do you really think you are going to accomplish with him???? It is very likely that prior to your involvement someone else came to a conclusion regarding this dog and there is a high probability that he ended up on the "kill truck" for this very same reason.
There's a reason Lassie didn't end up at the pound and Secretariat didn't end up at the sausage factory.

Edit: don't get me wrong...a little caution towards strangers is a good thing, especially desirable in a coon dog. Many get stolen because they will run right up to anyone. But his dog has been on his own for 21 days and the closest you get to him is with a trail camera!!!
 
dwall's post was perfect spot on if you can get a daytime sighting. Anther option is to see if you could put some sleepy time meds of sorts into the food piles you know he has been hitting up. Maybe knock him out after eating ?
Seeing as how your opening statement is that he was rescued from Texas, I would say not only does he not know anyone near you by scent but even his general surroundings are different including his internal compass. To him he is just lost ,confused and can trust no one.
 
As much as I love dogs it’s hard to imagine a happy ending to this story.

I found my current dog as stray. She was severely underweight and carried scars from obvious abuse, yet she longed for human companionship. Once she bonded with my wife and I, she made it clear that we were the only humans that she wanted in her life. She is very skittish and untrusting of strangers.
 
Hogpatrol, this dog is a hard case, as he wants to be wild. If you do catch him, he will have to be penned up or put on a chain, neither a good thing. I doubt that he had his balls removed before adopted, he should have...now look at the results.

We raised German Short Hair bird dogs growing up, some were good, some no DAM good, and it is expensive to try and keep them all.

The Lab Mix you refer to left a good home, good food, love....something very wrong with this picture, he still has his balls more than likely. Some dogs love to run wild, chase deer, hunt for other dogs in heat. If you catch the dog and take it back to the same family, it will run off again unless caged or chained, and they may not be set up to keep up a dog in this way. Now, the dog is running off again. If you do catch him, contact the owner and if he still has his balls, try and get them to agree to meet you at the vet's office to have those nabs removed.

It maybe prudent to let nature take it's course, since you have gone the whole 9 yards in trying to save him. It is not uncommon for dogs like this to start running with packs of coyotes, they interbreed and become a whole lot smarter....called Coy Dogs. In '06, I killed a coyote that weighed 63 lbs, and The Fish and Game said that it was a Coy Dog, mix with coyote.

I have 3 dogs, a cat, and two horses, and it can be heart breaking to know that you can't save that animal. As you put out dog food, you maybe attracting coyotes to your area. As the coyotes move in, there goes your next years fawn crop.

Best wishes!

Ps. For people that have raised "working dogs", msinc's post is Hard Core TRUTH!
 
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I got some recent info on this dog. He was taken from a hoarder, evidently not fed or kept well. Hasn't been back today, last night was 25F with 20 & 30 mile an hour winds, not much better today but still windy. I hear you guys on the runners. Considering his background and being caught, this probably wouldn't be the first time he takes off. No coyotes to speak of here in northern Delaware but they are around. Trying to stay positive but with no fat or meat on him and the cold, have to be realistic. Thanks for the replies.
 
Put food out for him every day. Water too if none around. Leave your scent close to the food. In a short period of time, he will start to identify you with the food. Soon you will be able to stay in the vicinity. Most important though, feed him so he will have a chance to survive the cold and the exposure. Some dogs are runners, it is true. If that is the case though, it is no different than with a child - you have to protect them from themselves. First step is to keep him alive.
 
Don't know the size of the trap, but you might be able to put some hay bales around the trap to disguise it and a tarp over it too. Keep feeding him. Maybe put a can of cat food in the trap as it seems like it is a bit more odiferous than dog food. If its like a hav-a-hart trap, then close off one end, disguise the trap and put the food at the back of the trap and maybe a bit of weight on the one door left open to help close it quickly. Put something under the front of trigger so the dog has to step on the back of the trigger to get the door to close.
 
hogpatrol said:
Let me preface this post that if it is not relevant or too far off topic , will the Forum Boss please delete it.

Am involved with a lost dog operation, lab mix, been gone since the 20th of December, spotted him on my game camera January 4, not looking too good, ribs showing, real thin. Two year old, he was with a load of dogs brought up from Texas to a no kill shelter here in DE and subsequently adopted. Bolted one day after being well taken care of by new owners. Local rescue group set up a trap and put out food. Took a couple days but he went in the trap and it tripped before he was all the way in and spooked and backed out. Has been coming every day & night. It's been five days, won't go in, even with chicken, ham, bacon, etc. He does nibble on some old horse feed and deer pellet mix on the ground I put out for wild critters before this started but won't go in to the trap to get fresh stuff. Weather has turned real cold here so don't know how much longer he can survive. Anyone that has had one of their dogs run off for a long period of time and got him back, please pm me with any suggestions. As weak as he looks, I thought about running him down but I may run out of steam before him. The normal methods that this rescue operation uses aren't working. Last sighting, 2:00 a.m. today 1/11. TIA, Hog
Click to expand...
You might try to put out dog food & water every day, same spot. No chicken, bacon & stuff cause now he associates that with the trap. This hopefully will create a pattern you can build on slowly. Hopefully the weather won't be too bad. Keep your camera out so you can monitor patterns.
 
Just Dave is right. The dog doesn’t want to be around people but if you need to catch him a foothold is the way to go. Not sure of the trapping regulations there but a 2 coiled, wide faced or rubber jawed foothold would be my choice. Check very often during freezing weather to prevent any frostbite to the foot.
 
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