Likelihood of getting your dog back after losing it?

[Toller_08]

My dogs always wear a collar and tags when away from home. I just feel safer that way. Dance is also microchipped, and all three of them are tattooed.

If Dance got lost, I don't think she'd approach people. There are a select few people that she will approach on her own terms for some unknown reason (complete strangers -- just something about them she likes I guess), but mostly she totally ignories strangers and if they approach her, she growls/barks if given half a chance and leaves. So I don't know that anyone would ever catch her should she run... unless they happened to be carrying food or a dog toy, in which case she might just show enough interest to get close enough.

If the Dobermans got lost, I'm not sure anyone would be comfortable catching them/returning them based on their size (and breed), but they're very friendly. Keira likes pretty much everybody, and Ripley thinks everyone is his new best friend. That said, they'd also try and enjoy their newfound freedom by running around like maniacs, so it might take a while for somebody to catch them (or they could be killed in the process if lost in the city near major roads). There's also a concern that if they were lost, the wrong person might find them and keep them.

None of my current dogs have ever gotten away from me though, fortunately. And I hope it never happens... I'd be such a mess.

 

[Bailey08]

I'm really not sure how B would get lost. He wouldn't leave me. He also really likes the people who would be walking him (including the people at daycare who walk him), so I can't imagine him leaving them either. He's not a door darter nor is he left outside unsupervised. He might get out sometime on a fluke -- like if there is a party and a non-dog person opens the door for him (actually happened once at my parents', and they don't have a fenced yard, but he just stayed around his people) -- but I can't imagine him going very far.

Anyway, he usually has a collar on, with tags with a LOT of contact information, though he doesn't wear them in the house and I do leave his collars pretty loose. He's also chipped. He'd probably approach a stranger or allow them to come up to him; he's not crazy friendly with strangers, but he's not shy.

He would not become feral. He has like zero prey instincts. (Just yesterday, it took him a good 15 minutes to notice a rabbit in the yard, and when he chased it, he ran off in the opposite direction from which it bolted. It was hilarious.) He does tend to bond to people who are "important" in his life, so he might be willing to be someone else's dog.

 

[Lossalfling]

Both my dogs wear collars with tags, and are microchipped. its city law that dogs and cats always have their city tags on and viasable, Since i live between two rural highways my biggest fear is them getting loose period. Both dogs are super friendly and would be approachable, Though I doubt many would try and get near pax. Since pax has never been allowed to run loose and is frightned easy I think he would just try and find a place to hide. Jack would run rampant and look for someone to scratch his ears.

 

[corgipower]

The corgis would go to whatever human had the most food to offer. If there's no food being offered, they'd go to whatever human was willing to have them.

Tyr would likely be catchable, but he might get his defenses up if approached in a threatening way.

Nyx is quite shy, likely wouldn't just walk up to random strangers but could probably be enticed with food/treats.

And whoever did catch mine would be offering a reward for me to come claim them.

Also, for those who don't think they could lose their dog:

I thought the same about Tyr. He is a total velcro dog with major separation anxiety issues. He cannot handle be more than a couple feet away from me without worrying. If I leave his line of sight he panics.

I let him out to potty off leash one day and he disappeared for two hours.

If he can run off, anyone can.

 

[Bigpoodleperson]

Riley would probably go to almost anyone who was nice and called him. He is very good with people. If i walk him in a collar without tags then it is somewhere on leash. If he is offleash then he has tags on. He is microchipped also. My biggest fear is not that he wouldnt be found, but that whoever found him wouldnt want to return him or find his owner! :yikes:

 

[CharlieDog]

Enzo would just find the nearest person and go home with them. Especially if they talk to her. She's a sucker for a kind word.

Ozzy would also probably go up to someone if they just called him. He's not THAT aloof. He would also be easily swayed by food.

They are both microchipped and they've both been fixed, so I don't have to worry about someone taking them to breed either of them. The pound would call me or my mom or my best friends dad since all our names and phone numbers are listed. The only thing I worry about is Ozzys microchip has migrated to his shoulder, and I haven't had Enzo's checked to see if it's moved yet this year either.

Ozzy wears a collar, but it doesn't have anything on it. Enzo wears her collar with all of her tags on most of the time. Sometimes they're both collarless though.

They aren't door darters, but Ozzy has a touch of the wanderlust in him. I can't imagine Enzo leaving unless she was enticed away, and at that point, the likelyhood of getting her back is very low.