Put out scent stations
Before night falls, put out scent stations, both on the ground and up high (draped over a fence post or deck rail or tree branch). High scent stations will help the smell carry on the wind.
Low and high scent stations should consist of:
- Wet rather than dry dog food or even better McDonald’s cheeseburgers torn into pieces minus onions and pickles–that’s my go-to
- Something that smells like home, like a dog bed placed on the ground or a blanket the pet sleeps on
- A spray of liquid smoke, often sold next to ketchup. I transfer it to a spray bottle carefully outside where I want the smell, not inside!
Other tips to find a missing pet
- If there are other dogs in the household or dog friends available, take them out and walk them around the area. Let them them bark and make noise.
- Rattle dry food in a dog bowl a few blocks in any given direction while walking and softly calling the dog’s name.
- If you are missing a cat, put out the litter box
- If you are missing a cat and there are other cats in the household, put one of them in a cat carrier and leave it outside for a little bit. Yes, you want it to get annoyed and start complaining; the noise may attract your cat.
- Get a poster ready to hang in the morning. See the section on posters.