I would most definitely, even if it is with more than a touch of trepidation Good advice as well staying in the spot, I remember my trainer with my Italian Spinone telling me that as his recall was just a little shaky (that's the dog, not the trainer ). Have to say I felt a complete idiot at times just standing in the park near the lake waiting for my delinquent dog to return
Oban has not disappeared for that long but I too have noticed he goes back to the spot I last saw him. I'm on a lost dogs FB group in my area. Advice is to place some clothing at the spot you saw your dog or where you parked your car. If you have to leave. You need to put some kind of note with the items or else someone will take them. If you ever lose your dog for a significant amount of time see if there is a lost pets/dogs group near you. Or not near you, some of them will go a long way to help you and will drive miles to go out and help you search. And they help spread the word and give tips on how to draw up posters and where are good places to put them. Hope you never need them.
Is that a bit of a theme Helen? Or is that quite unusual? If it is a bit of a theme, it might be an idea to take the lead on and off many times during a walk with big rewards each time. You've been doing so well, but sometimes it can be easy to fall into the habit of letting these kinds of strategies, and reward frequencies, slip.
I really feel for you, Helen...and your OH. I know that feeling in the pit of your stomach! I'll bet Charlie got a good scare. Mine has wandered a few times....running away from me and I panic but I can still see him. Your OH couldn't see him or find him.....you poor things! I can certainly imagine how shaken up you both were. Still, good Charlie knew to come home even though he had to cross an "A" road (I don't know what this is....imagine a highway??). No matter what....a road is a road and there is usually traffic on a road. He made it home. Also imagine the hugs he got!!!
I'm so glad that Charlie made it home safely. What a scary couple of hours for you all. I hope your hearts find their normal position soon.
What a dreadful fright for you both. I can't imagine how long the two hours must have felt. I lost Coco a few months back on a foggy moor - he just took off (turned out there were sheep which I didn't know about and couldn't see!). It only took 15 minutes to find him, I eventually heard him in a gully, barking and the sheep bleating - it felt like an eternity. I would go with the others, let him off & recall him often with bonus rewards.
@Yvonne - yes, an A road is a major highway, the only type of road busier is a motorway (freeway). So dog plus A-road is a really baaaad combination....
@editor Pippa this is unusual for Charlie now, David is so good at popping him back on lead at regular intervals during his walks and rewards him with food and a really good all over body scratch which Charlie loves We regularly change his treats and jackpot treats too. David told me that Charlie did a similar thing some months ago for about an hour, again in gale force winds and very heavy rain. I think he gets scared in these weather conditions and maybe just runs around in a bit of a state judging by his behaviour when he gets home, he is very quiet and just sits in his basket. We try so hard to keep on top of things. I have suggested to David that if he ever does this again to just stay put and wait it out and the advise about the item of clothing is a really good. Thank you so much everyone it's been a very emotional day one way or another. xxx
@Yvonne our village has the A343 run through it which is road that is used more during peak times so it's not anything like a highway but scary enough for us
Oh dear, very scary. I'm glad Charlie got home safely. Our first lab (and her sister, owned by a friend) would occasionally dash off together following a scent, before we had mobile phones. We used to wait for ages, in a rising state of panic, until they eventually decided to return. It's very tempting to go and search, so one of us would wait while the other searched, calling the dogs. They always returned to the spot where they had left us, though. It was a real effort to praise them for coming back, although we were so relieved to see them.
Thanks everyone. The new rule here is to absolutely stay put and stop spreading your own scent around the woods which must be confusing for Charlie and no off lead in those weather conditions which I firmly believe spooked him, of course I really hope he doesn't do this again We took the advise of letting him off lead and trusting him which so far is paying off even getting lots of C&T off lead for non-cued "look at me" at the bottom of the woods, so far so good! he has been staying closer to David for Charlie that is. Who knows maybe we will have a new velcro Charlie, yeah right!! xx
