Did Your Dog Run Away Or Are They Just Hiding?

When you can't find your dog, it's easy to get scared and assume the worst. The instinct is to believe that they ran away from home, but there's a chance they may just be hiding somewhere in your home. Before you lose track of your dog again, it's important to know when your dog might hide and where it might go when it does.

Are You Sure They Ran Away And Aren't Just Hiding?

Dogs are typically pretty territorial and enjoy their own turf, but they sometimes get the urge to run away. There are several reasons for this. Sometimes, they're simply bored and want to do something fun. Other times, they may have done something bad and are afraid of getting punished.

Before assuming that your dog ran away, you need to ask yourself a few simple questions. There's a good chance that they are simply hiding somewhere in your home or in the yard.

Were There Any Loud Noises Recently?

When your dog does something that they shouldn't, it's easy to give in to the impulse to yell at them. This is especially true because so many people believe that "scaring" your dog away from something will make them avoid it. Screaming is bad for your dog, as it will make them fear you, not the negative action associated with the screaming.

So ask yourself if you had any kind of fight with your dog before they disappeared. Or maybe you were watching a favorite sport and yelled when your team scored. It's even possible your dog may have heard loud laughing and reacted negatively to it.

It's even possible that something fell in your home or a thunderstorm happened a few hours ago. Canines are often easily frightened by these kinds of loud noises and seek out shelter in the home or even run outside to hide.

Where Might They Be Hiding?

Take a look under all the beds in your home and under couches where they might have squeezed. If you can't find them, go outside and check under cars, in the garage, or anywhere else the dog might be hiding. Talk to your neighbors and ask them if they saw your dog running around the yard and, if so, where they went if they left it.

If you can't find them nearby in your yard, it is important to go looking through your neighborhood. While most dogs can be trained to avoid cars, they might run into traffic when panicked. Time is of the essence here. There's also the chance that the pound might pick them up, or someone might claim them as their own dog.

Thankfully, dogs are territorial and are likely to stick around in the general area near your home. As a result, you're likely to find them fairly quickly even if they ran away. If you can't find them quickly, you need to start a serious search.

For more information, contact Animal Lost and Found or a similar organization.