How to Find a Lost Dog at Night?

Has your pet gone missing? The chances of finding a lost dog after 24 hours are surely higher, which is why you should waste no time in beginning the search. This means you may have to make an effort to keep searching even after the sun has gone down. PawMaw.com offers some great advice on how to find your lost dog or cat, including using our platform to report your lost pet and create flyers to aid your search. Now that you’re in this sticky situation, you’d naturally be worried if your pet gets lost or runs away, and not even the dark can stop you from trying to search for your missing furry friend. So, how to find a lost dog at night?

1.       Plan your search route.

Get an actual map and mark a target search radius around your home or the last place where your dog was seen before he got lost. How big that radius is would be determined by your dog’s fitness, temperament, and personality. Determine all the possible places your dog might have gone to. Are there parks nearby that might have attracted him? Are there commercial centers or restaurants that might have piqued his interest? If your lost pet is a cat, you need to note all possible hiding places, including trees, under porches, bushes, and parked cars. Narrowing down your search this way would allow you to make the search more efficient.

2.       Mobilize a search team.

Once you’ve completed the initial steps of creating fliers, alerting nearby vets and shelters, posting ads on lost pet sites, reporting your lost pet to PawMaw.com, and narrowing down the proximity to search, you can start mobilizing a search party. To search faster within a shorter period of time, enlist the help of family and concerned friends in combing the neighborhood. Make calls to people who are familiar with your pet, as he is more likely to respond to a familiar voice or scent. Brief your search party on priority areas and divide your search to cover more ground.  

3.       Bring a flashlight.

If you’re doing a search during the night, you and everyone involved in the search must bring a flashlight. Dogs, when alone, feel a natural instinct to return home and they tend to be more active during dusk and dawn. Cats, on the other hand, will stay in hiding places during the day and move around more to search for a new hiding place or in search of food at night. So, it’s not entirely a bad idea to do your search in the late hours. Bringing a strong flashlight is how you find a lost dog at night. You can illuminate a much larger area and search for your pet in all possible hiding places.

4.       Leave out food and his favorite things.

Dogs and cats react to familiar scents. How to find a lost dog in the woods? Try leaving some food, water, and treats, as well as favorite items like toys and blankets where your pet was last seen before he went missing. Your pet may be able to find his way back to you by following the scent trail.

5.       Keep checking the place where he was last seen.

If your pet went missing away from home, such as in the woods or a car park, do the same and check every day at different times, including at night. Dogs will keep coming back to where there’s water and food. In the morning, see if the food you left has been touched. If it is, there’s a chance that it’s your dog coming back to that very spot.

6.       Let other dogs (or cats) help.

Never underestimate the bond between dogs from the same “pack.” There have been testimonies from pet owners whose missing pets have been found with the aid of another family dog. If you take your other dogs in your search, your missing dog will definitely recognize the familiar scent and bark of a dog that he’s spent a lot of days at home with.

Another option would be to seek help from pet detectives who will help find your lost pet using trained bloodhounds. Search online to see if you have pet detectives in your location.

If your lost pet is a cat and you’re willing to try anything to get him back, there’s a unique method for finding lost cats that many pet owners in Japan have found surprisingly effective. It involves talking to stray cats you meet on the way about your lost pet and asking them for help. It might seem like an odd thing to do, but from the number of people attesting to its effectiveness, it might be worth trying.

7.       Don’t chase your dog.

In the event that you or someone in your search party spots your missing dog, be prepared for the possibility that he will be in a distressed or anxious state. While it’s possible that he’ll be running gladly back into your loving arms, there’s also a chance that he would run away fast upon sight of a human being, even if it’s you. If this happens, remember not to chase the dog, as it will just scare him more and make him run faster. Just call his name calmly and wait for him to come to you. Keep leaving food and his personal things on the spot where he was found until he feels comfortable in your presence.

Here are some more ideas how to find your lost dog at night 

Chances of finding a lost dog after 24 hours indeed get lower, which is why it might be necessary to search for your dog until night, especially on the first day he has gone missing. Doing your search when it’s nighttime may actually be a good idea since it’s quieter and your pet will be able to better hear your calls. Lost dogs and cats are also more likely to move around in the late evening or early morning hours. With careful planning and the help of other people (and animals), you’ll have a better chance of finding your pet soon. If you don’t find him on the first night, don’t give up. And remember to follow these important steps to finding a lost pet. Don’t forget to alert the PawMaw.com community so you can have more pet owners from your location on the lookout. All it takes is uploading your pet’s photo, description, and contact details. Report your lost pet immediately.