05/12/2026
I've seen a lot of missing dog posts lately, and I thought it might help to share something that surprises a lot of people:
If a loose dog is running away from you, PLEASE don’t chase them.
Even friendly, loving, well-trained dogs can panic once they’re loose. Chasing, repeatedly calling their name, making eye contact, or rushing toward them often turns it into a game or increases their stress, which usually makes them run farther and faster.
Instead:
🐾Stay calm and make yourself as boring as possible. Any attention--yelling, chasing, bribing is rewarding at that point, giving them even less reason to want to stop the fun and go back to you.
🐾Turn your body slightly sideways instead of facing them head-on
🐾Avoid direct eye contact
🐾Sit or crouch down if it’s safe
🐾Toss treats away from you at first
🐾Let the dog make the choice to come closer
🐾A calm, quiet, “boring” person often feels much safer to a scared dog than someone loudly trying to get their attention.
And one more REALLY important thing:
If your dog doesn’t come the first or second time you call them, there’s zero chance they’re suddenly going to come the 800th time you yell their name.
At that point, you dog will either tune the sound out completely or become more excited and aroused by all the noise and energy. 'What gets rewarded gets repeated' and the more attention you give them, the less incentive they have to stop this new super fun game.
A reliable recall isn’t built during an emergency. It’s built at home, in tiny steps, under very low distractions first, and then slowly practiced around harder and harder distractions over time. Make coming to you the BEST thing in the world every single time.
No judgment at all. Panic makes humans do human things. But knowing what actually helps can genuinely save a dog’s life someday.
