Even when approached or called by an owner/good Samaritan the dog is instinctively fearful and runs away from the “threat” often leading to the person chasing the dog. Each time something like this happens it increases the dog’s level of fear towards people. When this behavior is being exhibited the dog is said to be in survival or flight mode. The dog will do whatever it needs to do to escape the threat whether that be disappearing into the woods or frantically running into traffic. Unfortunately that is when they make poor choices.
Lost dogs, even the friendliest dog which has been missing for a period of time, will start using their natural instincts in order to survive. When dogs begin to use their natural instincts, their behavior towards humans changes and they become focused on three things; food/water, shelter and keeping themselves safe from perceived threats, which sadly can include his/her owner/good Samaritans.
Survival and flight mode are terms being used more and more by lost dog recovery specialists but the meaning of those terms is not clear to a lost dog owner or general public helping to find a lost dog.
So what can you do? Educate, educate, educate! Get the message out to the public verbally or on your flyer by describing the dog’s behavior in simple terms they can understand, such as, “Do not call, approach or chase the dog, he/she is extremely frightened and will run away from you.” Direct the person to instead call and report the sighting immediately.
Survival Mode in Dogs
Even if, for instance, your lost dog has been sighted in the course of your search, it’s important that you’re aware of the possibility that he might be in survival mode. Among other things, this could mean that there’s a good chance that he won’t recognize you right away. This is not uncommon, but given enough time, your pet will eventually come to his senses and remind you again.
So, what exactly is survival mode? When a domesticated dog gets lost and finds himself in unfamiliar territory, his baser instinct for survival kicks in. Dog behavior when lost would be guided by his survival instinct in his search for food, water, and shelter, and help him detect and protect himself from any potential threat. It’s like a dog would be turning feral in order for him to be able to fend for himself without human support.
When survival mode is on, however, a dog forgets his life as a domesticated pet. Lost dogs may enter survival mode instantly while for some, it may take weeks before it kicks in. So, what does this tell you? The sooner you start looking for your dog, the more likely that he hasn’t been in survival mode yet. In any case, knowledge of the possibility that he may not respond to your calls or even run when he sees you approach can be beneficial for your search efforts.
10. Don’t approach the pet!!! The goal is for the animal to approach you. This will likely take a great amount of restraint and patience but it is imperative to the success of recovering your pet.
6. Remember to be quiet and make next to no movement. You want to be like a ninja with food.
11. Set a trap if necessary. Here is a resource for humane animal traps.
3. If you have people to help you find your pet, have them bring a portable camping chair or blanket and stake out a spot near where the pet was last seen. Have everyone spread out and stake out different spots. If they don’t have a chair, they can sit on the ground. But sitting (or lying down) is imperative.
7. If you should see the animal, report it to the owner via text message if possible (its quieter and requires less movement than calling). Do NOT approach!!! If the animal approaches you and settles nearby, contact the owners.