Let me start off by saying that I see a lot of things people post on the internet on how to go about trying to recover a lost dog and even though their intentions are good some of the things I read are just a waist of time and I will try to explain why

#5 Coyotes will bond with your dog

NOT TRUE Being located around the Pine Barrens we have conducted several searches that bring us into the Pine Barrens. I have heard this allot " The lost dog will bond with the coyotes" this is absolutely NOT TRUE. The fact of the matter is Coyotes will see a dog as a threat to them and try to kill them. The good thing is that even though there are coyote populations in the Pine Barrens they are few and far between and the chances of your dog being killed by coyotes are slim.

#6  My dog is Micro Chipped so if they get lost all the micro chip company has to do is locate the chip with GPS

NOT TRUE you will not believe how many people I have interviewed that believe a micro chip is a tracking device, I almost feel bad when I tell them that its not. Microchips are essential along with ID tags but its not a tracking device, its primary use is if your dog gets lost and someone finds them and takes them to a shelter they can be identified and returned.

#7  If my dog is stolen I can call the police and tell them who has my dog and they will get him back

NOT TRUE Most people think that because a dog is considered a possession by law that if someone steals your dog you can call the police and get them back, NOT TRUE. Again the old adage is true "Possession is 9 tenths of the law"  Even if you have all the documentation for your dog you will have to go to civil court to prove the dog is yours ( since your the one initiating the suite the burden of proof is on you and it may take months or even a year to get your court appearance ) and hope a Judge sees things in your favor.  The reason being unlike a bike that has a serial number or a car that has a VIN number the ONLY way to prove the dog is yours is by the serial number on a registered microchip so if your dog is micro chipped make sure the chip is registered and if your dog is not chipped then get them chipped ASAP its quick, painless for your pet and its in-expensive 

#8  A dog will hunt and kill small game to survive in the woods

NOT TRUE Even though dogs are derived from wolves, dogs are domesticated and will scrounge and scavenge for their food unlike their ancestors the Wolf, some will even eat a carcass of a dead animal like a deer but they DO NOT hunt and kill for food. A dog will kill another animal but they do this out of aggression and do not eat what they kill.

#9  Do Not Allow Family, Friends, or Volunteers to “Search”

 OMG this is SO FALSE!

   I recently came across a search page that stated: "Do Not Allow Family, Friends, or Volunteers to “Search” For Your Dog. Ask Them To Flyer instead" That is the furthest thing from what you want to do. If something is lost, NO MATTER WHAT, the only way to find it is to look or search for it. You want as many eyes looking for your lost pet as possible and the key is to let all your searchers and anyone you come in contact with know what to do and how to act. Have the searchers carry lost dog flyers with them to hand out but their primary function should be to look for the dog and not to create a commotion or scare an already frightened dog further away. Here are some basics:

#1 use COMMON SENSE!

#2 see Rule #1 (use COMMON SENSE!)

 #3 All searchers should remain calm and quiet and not be in groups larger then 2

#4 Have the owner or search leaders phone number programmed in your phone and ready to dial should you see the dog

#5 If you see the dog you are looking for DO NOT try to approach, call, make eye contact or draw attention to yourself.

#6 Try to follow the dog from a good distance and as soon as you can, call the owner with your location and the direction you are headed.

#7 If the dog shows that much fear that it will not even go to the owner then a trap is the only alternative but to set a trap you need to have at least 2 sightings around the same location. Click on this link to see How & When to use a Trap

#10  If you plan on using Search Dogs

If you have a situation where there are multiple dogs in your home and one of them escapes and you decide to use the help of a search or scent dog to locate your missing pet, do not, Do Not, I REPEAT, DO NOT bring your other dog out to help you search. It is unlikely you have a scent article in your home for the scent dog to use with just one of your dogs scent on it. The scent or search dog will follow the strongest scent and that will be the scent of your dog that is not lost. If you do not want the help of the search dog then, by all means, take out your companion dog to help you recover your lost pet but once you use the companion dog the search dog will not be able to pick up the scent they have to track. So think carefully the decision is yours to make

#11 Check who you hire

If you decide to hire a company to locate and trap your dog make sure you check them out thoroughly to make sure they know what they are doing.  This particular trapper thought it was a good idea to drag a dead deer into a trap enclosure to entice a lost dog into it, when the truth of the matter is all it will do is keep the dog away when it smells death.  Ask yourself, would you eat the food laid down with a dead animal lying on top of it?

#12  Traps & Search Dogs

Ask the search group you hire what they intend to do to find your dog. That one simple question can be the matter of life and death for your pet. When a group has to depend on traps & Search Dogs just means they lack the knowledge on how to search. 99.8% of the captures we do does not rely on search dogs and traps, just knowing what to do and where to look. There is a time and place for traps and search dogs and knowing when to use them is only learned through experience. What happens when the dogs turn up no scent and they don't know where to place the trap? it means that a day or two was wasted time where you lost dog is roaming around with the chance of succumbing to the weather or the environment.

If a trapper is charging you a daily fee and says thy are placing a trap BUT they are going to tie it open or leave it closed so the dog gets used to it, Its just a way for them to charge you for an extra day or two. If the trapper knows the dog is there its their obligation to you to catch that dog ASAP to keep it safe . I actually know of several so called trappers that use this method and call it conditioning but its scamming.

As more things come up I will post them on this page so check back every so often