[Collie1]

We set off walking at 6pm in A local country park ,full I woods rivers etc...
It started getting darker as we were out and we were about 15 mins from getting back to the car when a jogger ran towards our 6 month old border collie pup he was startled and ran but he has a great re call an we thought he was going to be a little bit further up the path.

We started calling him ... Nothing just the sound of leaves falling off trees
Where we were there are at least 4 possible ways he has gone but he would have heard us and responded after 30 mins it's pitch black he's gone I'm crying joggers have helped us search some running through the woods
My partner going one way me another

then nearly an hour it like 7.35 now my phone rang it was someone at the farm where I parked the car, Ben is here!!
He is running around your car barking round and round she said he won't let me get him but he won't leave ur car

I ran for my life thinking he might run off by the time I get there and sure enough there he was!

I've no idea how he found his way back in
The pitch black and not even a straight route fro
Where we were he had to run the length
Of the bridles and up a quiet road then to the farm!

I was so relieved, he's never ran off before but we said he's staying on the lead now for his nighttime walks he usually has flashing collar but we didn't expect to be out in the dark

We were amazed at how clever he must be to
Find his way back

 

[maxandskye]

OHhh my ! Your heart must have been in your mouth, but thankfully all ended well ... Phewwww.

Its amazing how clever animals can be.

 

[Milliepoochie]

Wow im glad theres a happy ending.

Bet you need a drink after that

Flashing collars are great also a good flashlight - My girl is a nightmare to see in the dark lol but with her nite dawg collar I feel secure in knowing where she is.

If your dog is young and liely to be spooked by disappearing light conditions id def use a long line or flexi for now

 

[newfiesmum]

I am so relieved for you and your dog. Dogs will follow the scent they made on the way there, which is how he found the car, but at the same time he wouldn't have done that had he been too panicked.

Very glad he is safe and sound.

 

[MollySmith]

Oh gosh has your heart rate slowed down yet?

So glad he made it back

 

[Collie1]

We couldn't believe it , it's totally out of character he usually stops and stands waiting for us.
A torch light is def a good idea, also Im goin to see if there is a flashing jacket like I have for my horse aswel as his collar

But I think a long line is going to be attached for a while again I wouldn't have given up looking for him no way,

In future if he is off lead during daytime is there a way of training a safe distance ahead of us?
He does and has has a long lead when he was younger but because he's been so good we took it off for him to run around he usually stops if he's ahead but this time he just ran

 

[Guest]

Gosh it's scary isn't it! I agree with Milliepoochie about the flashing collars - I put one on my girl whenever we're walking and the light's getting dim.

The one time when Kenzie went AWOL (chasing deer ) she eventually turned up exactly where she left from too.

 

[Gertrude]

Omg!

Its so frightening to think what could have happened.

Glad it all turned out well...... and what a clever puppy you have! xx

 

[Sezzastar]

So glad he was found, my heart was in my mouth too reading that!!

This happened the other day to me when my OH went to the back door to bring my 2 in and my youngest wasn't there, when he told me i was panicking until he went to check the garden and flipped up a loose wood fence panel and hey ho.. little Harley was behind there looking very sorry for himself!!
We fixed that wood panel straightaway, must have rotted. There were bits of weeds brought in too so he must have been going in and out then finally got stuck out!!

When my OH went round to fix the fence panel the neighbour said she had seen our dog running up and down the alleyway, well she could have come and told us as there is a main road right at the end of the alleyway and he could have had a serious accident. I wasn't happy but relieved we found him and he was such a good boy to not run off. Just goes to show he loves his home. I always joke that he would have gone if he had his ball in the garden as he wouldn't go without that thing!!! :laugh:

 

[gem88]

oh bless him and poor you. its bloody frightening when they vanish like that. im so glad you found him xx

 

[mollymo]

Very pleased you have pup back safe and sound

 

[terrierist]

oh my goodness, I am so relieved for you. My heart was in my mouth reading that,never mind yours!!!!

reminds me I will have to get a flashy collar for my black dog; its been 3 years since I lost my black lab and I'd forgotten the dark nights walking dilemma!!

 

[mummyschnauzer]

OH MY, my heart was in my mouth as I read your post, I thought that's it, you gonna say at the end he's gone, you must be so happy, and good boy, for being so young, he's good. I bet you must have hugged him so tight, watch him, there too precious to lose. Great ending, could have been so different.

 

[BessieDog]

I know exactly how you feel. We lost Bess too when she was much younger. So scary!

 

[Collie1]

I'm so pleased we have him back he's our best little friend and I swear I'm still sobbing now even after a bath and a big glass of wine, my partner is 'manning' it up now and won't talk about it he sat giving him tummy rubs as I type

We r very lucky to have him back and very grateful to the joggers and my friend for helping look and for phoning me

 

[Sled dog hotel]

So glad you found him, you must have been frantic with worry. Just shows how easy it is for them to get spooked.

 

[Dogless]

How terrifying; very pleased that all turned out well.

 

[Freddie and frank]

Oh god. How scary.
Glad he came back and all ended well.

 

[Vicki]

I know how horrible it feels to lose a dog and how wonderful it feels to get it back.

I once (a long time ago) lost a 4 months old puppy a night in January (and I live in Sweden, where it's about -15-20 C and about 45-60 cm of snow that time of year). She ran away after a skier on her last walk for the night, about nine-nine thirty. I looked for her about an hour, then went home to my parents and told them I lost the puppy. Since it was late I had to stay at home, while my parents went out looking for her. Around midnight they came home, without the puppy. They hade seen her tracks, but not her. We left a blanket outside the front door in case she'd find her way home, but I went to bed sure that I'd never see her again and cried myself to sleep. My dad looked outside at 5 in the morning and she wasn't there, but when he got up again at 6 to go to work she was there!

 

[Firedog]

One of my girls i always thought if she ever got out would be too stupid too find her way home.Well one day i wasn't feeling well my neighbour took her out with her dog up to the common.My girl kept looking back all the way to the common and my neighbour knew if she let her off she would be gone.When she got up the common she went to swap the leads in her hands and accidently dropped my girls lead and off she went.About twenty minutes after she left the house i opened the door and sat on the second step perfectly positioned in the middle was my little dog and she did one little bark as if too say "Look mum i am back".I was just so glad too see her as she had had too cross an exceptionally busy road too get home.That was the last time i under estimated her.
Glad you got your little dog back safely.