Lost dog: what to do in the first few hours

I know it's the hardest advice to follow, but try to steady yourself for a moment. Panic is exactly what makes you walk straight past your dog sitting round the first corner. Most animals don't go far from where they slipped off, especially in that first hour. Search the nearest yards, the bushes, the stairwells, and the places where you two usually walk.

Call your dog in that calm, familiar voice, the one you use at dinner time. A frightened animal sometimes won't come to a shout, because it sounds strange and threatening. Take something that smells of home, or a favourite treat. Rustle the bag whose sound your dog knows by heart.

If your dog was wearing a QR and NFC tag, you've got a real head start. The moment someone finds him and taps a phone to the tag, they see his profile and ring you straight away. So keep your phone on you, charged, with the sound on. Don't slip it onto silent “to concentrate on the search”, because that's the very phone your dog comes home through.

Sign in to your account and mark your dog as missing. The finder then sees a clear notice that your pet is being looked for and that you're waiting to hear. You can add where he went missing and whether he needs medication. That genuinely changes what the person holding him does. Instead of dithering, they just call.

If you don't have a tag yet, take this as a bitter lesson and set one up the moment your dog is back. A few minutes on your account now can save you days of anguish another time.

Ring round the nearest shelters and vet practices. Those are the first places people take animals they've found. Give the breed, colour, sex and any distinguishing marks, a scar say, or an odd patch on the coat. Ask them to note your number and call back if someone brings in a similar dog.

Post in your local online groups: neighbourhood pages, community groups, the lost-pet groups for your area. Add a clear, recent photo, the place and time your dog went missing, and a contact number. People are quick to share posts like that, and one share in a big group can work wonders.

Don't give up after dark. Plenty of dogs come back near home in the evening or towards dawn, when things go quiet. Leave something that smells of you by the door, and check the area at different times.

Don't chase your dog while shouting. To a frightened animal you look like a threat, and he bolts even further, sometimes straight into traffic. Instead of running, crouch down, speak softly, and let him come to you.

Don't lose heart if the phone stays silent through the first hours. Dogs do turn up after a day or two, once someone finally spots the tag and rings. Stick to the plan, work through the places one by one, and don't give up hope too soon.