# Missing LGD- time to give up?



## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

Two weeks ago we purchased a 3 year old male GP. It was on Saturday 11/30. Exactly one week later he got out of the goat pen and took off. I do not know how he got out, our other GP that is about 30 # lighter than him can not get out, but none the less he did. He is a true LGD and not at all socialized with people. I only touched him once and that was when we were putting him in the pen. He was in no way aggressive but very shy of people. I have ads all over facebook and craigslist about him being missing but we have heard nothing since the Monday after he left. I don't want to give up on him but it is really breaking my heart to keep up worrying about him. I have had a belly ache since learning he was gone last Saturday morning (I had to work very early so husband did the chores). How long can they go on their own without food or water (except what he may hunt up)? It has been very cold here and not thawing temp for about a week (the day before he took off was the first day it really turned cold). We are thinking he may have been in pursuit of a coyote or fox and lost his way, or maybe just decided to go back home. Who knows? I am so sad that I let this guy down (and also his former owners- they sold off their goats and he was upset without them- but evidently more sad to leave his territory). Thoughts?:shrug:


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Did you post at your local feed store and the vet? Let the local dog shelter know?


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

AWWWW, I am so sorry he is gone.

I am sorry I do not know how long I guess it depends on him.

i hope someone did not see him in with their livestock and think he was going to hurt them.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

I wouldn't give up  We had a barn cat take off and get lost in the woods, and we didn't see him for 2 or three weeks and he finally showed up.  Also, wolves survive in the winter, they lick ice and hunt what they can find. Of course, they loose weight, but they do it. I wouldn't be surprised if your LGD can hunt. I don't have much advice but I will pray he shows up! How sad


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

I can't offer you much in regard to how long you should keep your hope up - I found that you never really forget the lost ones - but years ago we had a rescue dog gone missing: dalmatian, tame but with experience about living on the streets and he was missing for one week in the middle of November. When he was finally found - a train ran him over - he was in excellent condition. So he must have found enough to eat and water, maybe raiding carbage cans, digging for mice, whatever.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I would go hand out flyers to neighbors. Put an ad in the local paper or papers. Contact the rescues and shelters in the area and give them photos of him with your contact info. 

Very sorry he took off. I hope you find him! :hug:


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

I have told the shelter, the sheriff in two counties, the bus drivers, the rural mail man, the ups man and about 3/4 of the high school kids I know to be on the lookout. We don't have a vet within 40 miles of the direction he is headed. I have driven for hours and hours looking for him. He was seen by two people heading back the direction he came from but it is a 3 hour car drive so I don't think he could actually find his way all they way back.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

He might. You will be surprised. I sure hope he finds his way home.


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

He was just not bonded to our farm or goats yet I guess. He had to have gone over our fence because it was just finished in mid november and I did not see anyplace he could have gone under, and no way through. :sad:


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

mlktrkdrvr said:


> I have told the shelter, the sheriff in two counties, the bus drivers, the rural mail man, the ups man and about 3/4 of the high school kids I know to be on the lookout. We don't have a vet within 40 miles of the direction he is headed. I have driven for hours and hours looking for him. He was seen by two people heading back the direction he came from but it is a 3 hour car drive so I don't think he could actually find his way all they way back.


Actually, yes he could. Dogs have found their way home longer distances than that.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

oh, i'm sorry!!! i wonder if he's heading back to "his" home? i hope he's found soon.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Have you let his previous owner know to be looking for him? He is most likely headed there and does have an excellent chance of getting there


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

Yes we have been in contact since Tuesday (his 4th day missing) she is just as upset and said if he does end up getting back there she will never make him leave again and will send my money back (it's not about the money to either of us). I just really hope that he gets somewhere and I don't have to worry about him for the next 10 years


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Don't count him out yet. They are amazing at finding their way home


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## Talron (Nov 17, 2013)

I have heard many times of a working dog being lost or running off and being found and taken in because they are so sought after. I had a ACD get lost, he was found and 'stolen' by a local farm. They had thrown his collar away (I assume) and he wasn't chipped so I had no proof of ownership. Never got him back. This recently happened to a friend of mine aswell.
Even being shy around people there's a chance someone found and is keeping him. Drive by any nearby places that keep livestock. He might be in with another herd or tied up somewhere.
I found my missing dog tied to a barn...


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

I hate to throw a monkey wrench into all this but he may have been stolen. I had a GS stolen that I finally got back almost two years later. It was amazing where she ended up and how I managed to find her.


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## luvmywaggintails (Nov 18, 2013)

I would bet that he is going 'back home'. It may take him a while but he will eventually get there if no one has him confined. Hoping that you either find him soon or learn that he found his way back to his former home.


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

NubianFan said:


> I hate to throw a monkey wrench into all this but he may have been stolen. I had a GS stolen that I finally got back almost two years later. It was amazing where she ended up and how I managed to find her.


He was seen along the highway 6 miles east of here on the Monday after he went missing. I was not told about it until Tuesday morning and went immediately out and talked to everyone that lives in the are and nobody has seen him since. There is a farm with sheep (although he has never been with sheep, only goats and calves, not sure if that would matter to them though) within a mile of where he was seen, but I talked to them and they said they had not seen him. 
So either they have not seen him and he is out with one of their herds, or they shot him thinking he was a predator, or he is there and they don't want him to leave OR he moved on. It seems to be the not knowing that always makes me the craziest. The owner of the sheep is not someone that I get along with very well, he has a lot of self serving ideas (our teen age daughters went to school together until he optioned his daughter out right before her senior year because the neighboring school has a better ball team). ANYHOW it is not someone that is going to let me just go poke around his place.


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

The thing is I just don't know how many more days I can devote all my mornings to driving around searching. I am not even sure of the direction he went after 5 pm Monday. I have been glued to my cell phone and this computer almost every other minute waiting and hoping for someone to tell me they have seen him again.


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

well likely you won't find him driving around searching. I know how you feel I rode my horse all over out property looking for my dogs body and when I did not find her I started calling the humane societies and vets, and pet stores looking for her and putting up notices. I was sure she had been stolen. I was right but I didn't find her til almost two years later and that was really by chance.


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

NubianFan- how did you find her?


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

I had given up on her and I had decided to get another GS but didn't want to go through puppy stage again so I was looking at GS rescues and there was her picture. I was sure it was her but I called my daughter over to see and she agreed it was her. So I called the facility she was at (she was listed on a rescue page but was actually at a humane society 4 towns away from me), about an hour and a half drive from my house. Anyway they still had her and asked if I was interested in adopting her I said " I think she is my dog" They said bring pictures and we'll see, we hope she is yours. Well long story short she was mine. She was stolen by people wanting to breed and sell german shepherd pups unregistered for a lower price and when they realized she was spayed they dumped her at a veterinary clinic in this town an hour and a half from me. The vet kept her for over a year because he knew she belonged to someone but didn't know who, he finally gave up and turned her over to the humane society. It was a kill shelter that kills them in 30 days. She had been there 60 days. She was so nice and such a good dog they didn't have the heart to kill her so they listed her on a GS rescue..... It could have ended very badly. All because someone was ignorant and greedy....


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

thanks for sharing that. It made me tear up. What an awful yet awesome story. Have you contacted Disney about the rights to it?


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

naaahhh Fame is something I would never want to be saddled with. Plus it is oddly personal to me, each time I tell it I expect people not to believe it, because it is so unbelievable, yet it is real.


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## luvmywaggintails (Nov 18, 2013)

Have you tried an ad on Craig's List under Lost?


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

luvmywaggintails said:


> Have you tried an ad on Craig's List under Lost?


Yes I put an ad on last week and going to put an ad in the newspaper this week. The county wide paper only comes out once a week and I missed it last week, although I don't think he is probably still around :sad:


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

BEAR HAS BEEN LOCATED! I do not have him at home yet- because he will not come within 6 feet of anyone. He is in with a group of calves about 4 miles south of here. Just showed up today. I didn't press him so he would not take off again, but offered some of his favorite cookies and will be back there in the morning to try again. So revealed to finally see him. Hope he stays put over night. :clap:


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

awesome!!!!!!







hope he stays put and you guys can get him home safe and sound!


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

Great news!!! see never give up.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

All right!!! Hope you can coax him in...


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## jodysuzanne (Dec 3, 2013)

Finally something I can speak on; dogs! Yes, never give up. He could survive longer than you think, dogs are so very resilient! I read a story the other day about a chihuahua mix that survived 4-5 months in freezing winter. Leaving treats helps keep them in a certain area, good thinking Hope you are able to get him back home!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

So good to hear he's been found! Now...to just get him caught!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Great news! What about letting the former owners know and have them call him?


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

I called the former owner and let her know that he has been located. She lives 3 hours away but if this goes on long enough I am sure she would come to help


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## DesertRose (Apr 12, 2013)

One idea for you to try.
Go talk to the owner of the calves. Ask if they can push the calves slowly toward a good, solid pen or inside a barn. He will follow the calves wherever they go AS long as he is not surrounded or scared in anyway.

I've had several rescued ASs and it will take time for him to adjust to his new life. That is why when I raised them I never tried to sell older dogs. It is very hard for them to get moved to other types of stock.

He will come around but it will take time. Any chance you could get a newborn calve and bottle raise it in a pen with the dog? 

One time a friend had two brothers and once they were adult guardians they were into it all the time. He finally called and asked me to take one of the males. Although he was only about 15 months old he was very bonded with all the young lambs he was in with. 

I only had goats and horses at the time so I just build a cattle panel fence with a lid in between the goats and the horses. My friend brought the dog to my house, I placed him in that pen and locked it up! I did not open that pen for about four days. I talked to him thru the fence every time I was in the barn doing chores or working the horses.

On the fourth day I opened it up, crawled in and sat there for about an hour talking to him . He finally came up and layed next to me. I petted his head and belly and just kept talking. I talked and talked, then crawled out and left the gate open. He just stayed right there and would NOT come out. I haltered one of the mares and led her out of the barn. 

Turned around and there he was, sitting on the ground watching me take HIS horse for a walk. I placed the mare back in her stall and he went back in the pen! Just as smooth as that.

He was a great dog and the father to three litters of my best pups. His son and daughter were two of the best guardians I have ever owned. My male is his grandson and also a very good guardian who nearly died of a broken heart when we sold all the horses before my husband died. He is fine now that he has 20 goats and an orphan filly to watch over.

Just takes time ... don't give up on him. 

His heart was broken when he lost his HERD. They are super dogs!

Good luck!


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I am so happy he was located. I am just waiting to hear that you have him HOME.


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

BEAR IS HOME!! I have him in a small pen that has 8 foot high chain link around all sides. Have two of my does in with him now and will keep at least 2 with him at all times- although it will be different ones because these two are milking right now. more and pictures later


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Wahoo! :stars: :fireworks:


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

YAY!!!!!!!!! so glad you found him and got him back!!!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Yippee!!! So glad you managed to catch him so quickly!!!


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## GoatieGranny (Jul 26, 2013)

Wonderful news!!! I'm so happy for you!!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

So glad you got him. I hope he will bond with your animals now.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

That is really good to hear! Good work! Hopefully now that he's secured, he'll start to settle in and get used to his new home.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

mlktrkdrvr said:


> BEAR IS HOME!! I have him in a small pen that has 8 foot high chain link around all sides. Have two of my does in with him now and will keep at least 2 with him at all times- although it will be different ones because these two are milking right now. more and pictures later


arty: :dance: :stars: I am so happy to hear that! Good job! :thumbup:


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## erica4481 (Mar 26, 2013)

That's great that you found him!!


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