What To Do If Your Dog Goes Missing — Lost Dog Tracking (Episode 212) from Canicross Conversations

Canicross Conversations

Michelle Mortimer and Louise Humphrey

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What To Do If Your Dog Goes Missing — Lost Dog Tracking (Episode 212)

48 minutes Posted Jun 19, 2026 at 6:00 am.

– How Jules got started From dog training and horses, to truffle-hunting dogs, to a "very naughty spaniel" who needed a job — Jules's route into lost dog tracking via Claire Brown, founder of the original West Yorkshire team.

– Southern Counties coverage Jules is based near Andover, covering Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, parts of Surrey, and sometimes as far as Oxford and Gloucestershire. The network now has 11 teams nationally, with the goal of nobody being more than an hour from a trained tracking dog.

– How the dogs actually track The difference between scent work (find this specific trained thing) and lost-dog tracking (match this scent, in a constantly changing environment). Jules compares it to medical detection dogs — same underlying skill, different application.

– The scent article problem Why a single scent item (collar, blanket, bed) is usually easy in a one-dog household — and genuinely difficult with multiple dogs, especially if they've all been on the same walk. Includes the story of a successful track using a Christmas coat that had been in storage for months.

– The first 48 hours Jules's team don't usually track immediately — most dogs return to the loss point on their own. Key advice: stay at the loss point, post once on social media (not repeatedly), register with DogLost and Drone SAR, and leave a worn item of clothing to draw the dog back in.

– Owner panic and dogs returning to the car Louise shares her own "anger to panic" experience, and Jules confirms it's extremely common for dogs to return to the loss point or the car — often while panicked owners are out searching elsewhere.

– How tracking dogs signal they're close A brilliant bit on individual dog "tells": Jules's collie freezes and stares from a distance, her spaniel switches from straight tracking to busy side-to-side hunting, and a team Labrador rears up to air-scent.

– Catching a dog once it's found Often it's simply sitting quietly and letting the dog calm down enough to recognise its owner's scent — sometimes taking 40 minutes to an hour. Includes the story of a dog found after 10 days, who later joined the team as a tracking dog himself.

– How lost dogs survive Water from streams and puddles, foraged fruit, and — for the hunting breeds — the odd self-caught pheasant or rabbit. Useful context for ground searchers working out where a dog might be.

– The harder stories Jules is honest that outcomes are roughly 50/50 between reunions and dogs found deceased, usually from road or rail incidents — and why giving owners closure matters just as much as a happy ending. Also covers how individual dogs are matched to searches based on temperament and likely outcome.

– "She's never done this before" Why owner honesty about recall and likely behaviour (hunting vs genuinely bolting in fear) changes the whole shape of a search — and why nobody should be embarrassed about a dog running off.

– What makes a good tracking dog Trainability and temperament over breed — the team includes spaniels, labradors, münsterländers, collies, an Australian shepherd, and even terriers. Training takes roughly a year to 18 months through a structured three-level course with annual CPD.

– Kit talk: harnesses and hi-vis Why standard canicross harnesses can choke a tracking dog (he

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Louise and Michelle are joined by Jules, Team Coordinator for the Lost Dogs Tracking Network, Southern Counties. Jules talks through how she went from dog training and truffle-hunting to coordinating a team of scent-tracking dogs across Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and beyond. It's a genuinely fascinating (and at times emotional) listen covering how tracking dogs work, what to do in the first crucial hours after losing a dog, and why a cheap fabric collar in a sandwich bag could be the difference between finding your dog quickly or not at all. Equal parts practical advice and brilliant dog stories.

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