FAQ

Lost Pet Questions

Q. My pet is lost and I'm looking for a bloodhound or search dog that is trained to find lost pets. Can you help me?
A. In 1997, Missing Pet Partnership founder Kat Albrecht began using her police bloodhounds and cadaver dog (a Weimaraner) to track lost dogs, cats, reptiles, and other pets. Through Missing Pet Partnership Kat has since trained and certified several Missing Animal Response Technicians with trained search dogs (MAR Cat Detection dogs and MAR Trailing dogs) who offer lost pet services in various areas of the country. You can find a listing of these certified pet detectives on our Find A Pet Detective page.

Q. My pet has been missing for a month. Can a search dog still pick up a scent and help me find my lost pet?
A. It depends. If the lost pet is a cat, turtle, snake, or small animal that does not tend to travel too far and you have a specific area where the search dog can be used to conduct an "area search" then, yes, a search dog could potentially be helpful. That's because instead of attempting to track a scent trail that was deposited by the lost pet, the search dog would be searching for a "scent cone" or the cloud of scent that would be coming off of the animal where it is hidden. This is how MAR Cat Detection dogs are used, which is the same manner that bomb and drug detection dogs are used. MAR Cat Detection dogs are not specifically trained to follow a scent trail (which is likely only viable for up to two weeks, at best). Instead, they are trained to detect (not track) the scent of a cat. Our MAR Technician's have found cats that have been missing six weeks because they were not attempting to track (follow) the scent trail. MAR Cat Detection dogs are also crossed-trained in decomposition scent so that even if your cat is no longer alive, they can assist in the recovery and bring closure. If on the other hand the lost pet is a dog that has been missing for a month, the chances are that the scent trail (that your dog deposited when it left the escape point) is probably no longer there for a search dog to pick up. In fact, the oldest known scent trail that a search-and-rescue dog has tracked was 13 days old.

To learn more about how long a scent trail can survive, read an excerpt from MPP Founder Kat Albrecht's book DOG DETECTIVES on the topic of scent. Heat and direct sunlight will destroy scent and wind will disperse it. The best scenting conditions are cool, damp, even wet (rainy) areas with an abundance of vegetation. The worst scenting conditions are hot, dry areas that offer nothing moist for scent to cling to. For more information about the viability of a scent trail, visit the Warning page.

Keep in mind that just because the scent trail might be too old (for a search dog to track) does NOT mean that a pet detective can't help you retrieve your lost pet! A MAR Technician's search dog could be utilized if you have a potential recent sighting of your lost pet or the search dog is a detection dog. The MAR Technician can also help with shelter checks, Internet research, posting fluorescent posters, and developing leads weeks, sometimes months after your pet has disappeared. Although the passage of time does diminish the chances of a recovery, pet detectives have successfully recovered pets that were missing for several weeks, even months.

Pet Detective Training Questions

Q. What will I learn in the MAR Technician course?
A. The MAR Technician course teaches the basics regarding how and where to search for a lost pet. It is a 5 _ -day course and involves classroom training, dog training, and in some cases participation in a lost pet investigation. Upon completion of the seminar, graduates will be able to immediately start offering fee-based lost pet services like TAR (trap-and-reunite) services to recover displaced cats, shelter checks, neighborhood checks, flyer distribution services, and/or responding with a MAR search dog in an attempt to locate and recover a lost pet. Graduates have the option of using their training to volunteer (e.g. with animal rescue groups, shelters, etc.) or they can offer fee-based lost pet services. The training in this course includes CSI-like law enforcement-based techniques and technologies such as the application of search probability theory, deductive reasoning, strategic planning, Feline Behavioral Profiling, and the use of high-tech equipment like search cameras, amplified listening devices, and humane traps with baby monitors. MAR Technician's are trained and certified to use a combination of snappy snares, calming signals, and a "magnet dog" to attract and capture a panicked, stray (lost) dog.

Here is an example of nine different fee-based services that MAR Technicians have successfully offered:

Respond with a certified MAR Cat Detection dog trained to locate lost cats;
Offer trap-and-reunite (TAR) services to capture displaced cats;
Offer Feline Behavioral Profiling consultation services to recover lost cats;
Utilize high-tech detection and surveillance equipment to search for various lost pets;
Respond with a magnet dog and snappy snare to help recover a lost dog;
Respond with a MAR Trailing dog trained to track the scent trail of lost dogs;
Respond to assist with poster/flyer distribution in target search areas;
Respond to conduct a "neighborhood check" to interview neighbors and search for witnesses; and
Conduct "shelter check" services by checking the local shelters for a lost pet.

Q. What will I learn in the Lost Pet First Responder seminar?
A. The Lost Pet First Responder seminar is 20 hours (Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday) of training for volunteers and staff from shelters, rescue groups, TNR (trap-neuter-release) groups, and others who want to offer lost pet services through a nonprofit organization in their community. Graduates of this class can opt to participate in a national network of volunteers and/or offer volunteer counseling through Missing Pet Partnership. In addition, First Responder volunteers may be used to assist MAR Technicians who might not have time to offer labor and time intensive services like trap-and-reunite services. Topics covered in the Lost Pet First Responder course include analysis of lost pet behaviors, where lost pets go, field hazards, search dog applications, trap-and-reunite services, and the use of high-tech equipment.

Q. Will I be able to make this a full time business?
A. The American Pet Products Manufactures Association estimates that in 2007 there were approximately 88.3 million cats, 74.8 million dogs, 16 million birds, 13.4 million reptiles, and 24.3 million small animals owned by families across the United States. It also estimated that pet owners spent over $40 billion on their pets during that year. HomeAgain, a national microchip company, estimates that one out of three pets will become lost in its lifetime, and more than 10 million pets are lost or stolen every year. In spite of these numbers, the pet detective industry is only in its infancy. It is difficult to predict how much of a demand there will be for lost pet services, and much of this depends on how well the concept is promoted and accepted by the public, the population of your area, the fee that you charge, your level of availability and willingness to search at night, whether or not you become certified, and how effective you are at marketing your services on a local level.

Initially, you should probably only expect your MAR work to be a side business or to incorporate it as a new service offered by an existing pet-related business. If you make yourself available to search at night, to respond on short notice, and to travel outside of your area for searches into other counties or even to other states, you will increase your revenue. Private Investigators with established businesses will find it easy (and beneficial) to incorporate lost and stolen pet investigations into their current investigative services. Many professionals in the pet industry are planning to add MAR services to their existing pet sitting, dog training, and dog daycare businesses. We've even seen a few veterinarians interested in launching lost pet services through their practice and veterinary technicians who plan to "moonlight" as pet detectives to supplement their income.

Missing Pet Partnership has proven that search dogs and humans using law enforcement-based techniques can successfully locate lost pets. We expect that the need and demand for lost pet services will continue to grow. In addition, we expect that consumers will prefer to utilize credible, certified MAR Technicians who have proven through a testing process that they (and their search dogs) are qualified to search for lost pets.

Dog Training Questions

Q. What kind of dog training does MPP offer?
A. We help to train and certify Missing Animal Response (MAR) search dogs that are trained and certified to locate various lost pets. We train three types of MAR search dogs: MAR Cat Detection, MAR Trailing, and MAR Dual Purpose dogs. MAR Cat Detection dogs are trained to detect the scent of live and deceased cats and are used to search high probability search areas where missing cats are most likely to be found. MAR Trailing dogs are trained to discriminate the scent of a lost dog and follow the scent trail in order to establish a direction of travel and hopefully find the missing dog. MAR Dual Purpose dogs are dogs that love both cats and dogs and are trained both to detect the scent of cats and track the scent trail of lost dogs and other species. We occasionally offer MAR dog training clinics. We also maintain a list of MAR Technicians who have MAR dog training experience. To view this list and for more information on MAR dog training, visit our K9 Training page for more information.

Q. I want to train my dog to find lost pets. What breeds/types of dogs are best suited for this work? What particular qualities do you look for when selecting a dog to train?
A. The dogs best suited for MAR work are dogs that are fixated on one of two things: playing with cats or playing with other dogs. For MAR Cat Detection dogs, we look for dogs that absolutely pine for kitties and that give a physical response (tail wiggles, butt-wag, etc.) when they detect the scent of cats. For MAR Trailing dogs, we look for the "dog park" type of dogs that love to play with other dogs. When someone takes another dog and runs around a corner to hide from the dog we are evaluating, we want to see the potential trailing dog go crazy with excitement to chase after that other dog. And with MAR Dual Purpose dogs we look for dogs that get wiggly and excited about and also go crazy when another dog runs and hides around the corner. So generally, we don't care about the breed of dog. Many breeds, including mixed breeds, can be trained in MAR work. However, pug-nosed dogs (Pugs, Boxers, Pekinese, etc.) and dogs that are toy-sized (Chihuahuas, Teacup Poodles, etc.) or giant breeds (Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, St. Bernard's, etc.) are just not appropriate for MAR work due to their physical limitations. And dogs should be at least 6 months old and no older than 10 years old to enter a MAR training program. We recommend that you read MPP founder Kat Albrecht's book DOG DETECTIVES: TRAIN YOUR DOG TO FIND LOST PETS, available through most booksellers, Amazon.com, or at www.dogwise.com.

Q. Can you describe a specific training exercise that you teach dogs?
A. We use two different training methods: scent detection and scent discrimination trailing. With MAR Cat Detection dogs, we basically reinforce the natural "alert" (tail wiggling, butt-wags, etc.) by rewarding the dogs for responding to the scent of a cat. We use gregarious cats that are trained to crate quietly and that love to play with dogs. The initial training involves clicker training to teach the dog to alert on a crated cat. We eventually conceal these crates (in bushes) and once the dog gives a physical alert, runs back to its handler and jumps on them, and conducts a "re-find" by taking the handler back to the crated cat, they are rewarded. The reward for the dog is a combination of treats but in some cases, the dog gets to play with the cat (both cats and dogs are kept in harness and on leashes at all times). With MAR Trailing dogs, we use a modified method of scent discrimination trailing (used to train bloodhounds to follow the scent trail of criminals and missing people) only we substitute the scent article with scent from a "target dog" (a dog that is used to lay the scent trail) and the reward is to play with the dog at the end of the trail.

Q. How long does it take to train a MAR search dog?
A. On average, it will take four to six months to train a MAR Cat Detection dog, but training a MAR Trailing dog is a grueling, long process that can take as long as 18 months before a dog is proficient and ready for certification. We firmly believe that MAR search dogs and Technicians should be trained and certified. Within the search-and-rescue (SAR) community, only qualified and certified search dogs are allowed to search for missing people. Why would we want anything less for our pets?

NOTE: The scent discrimination trailing training method that we use to train MAR Trailing dogs to "track" the scent trail of lost dogs is very different from the AKC and Schutzhund tracking methods that are used to teach dogs to follow human footsteps. We incorporate training methods like teaching "aged trails, split trails, wagon wheels, and missing member" training techniques typically used to train police bloodhounds in scent discrimination work. The basis of the MAR Trailing dog training is to teach the dog to chase and play with another dog. Our focus is on the drive, enthusiasm, and determination that the dog presents (without becoming distracted) while working a scent trail. Unlike traditional tracking, we do not care whether the dog's nose is on the ground or how close the dog works to the actual "track." Training a MAR Trailing dog will require at least 18 months of intensive at-home training. Because training a dog in this type of work is extremely technical and time consuming, there will be fewer MAR Trailing dogs and thus greater demand for these services.

Miscellaneous Questions

Q. What exactly does Missing Pet Partnership do?
A. Missing Pet Partnership works to reunite lost pets with their families. We are working to achieve our goals through various means. First, we offer the most comprehensive website of lost pet recovery tips based on our cutting edge knowledge of lost pet behavior. Since 2001, our website has helped thousands of pet owners recover their lost pets as is evident in our Testimonials page. In 2007, Pet Hunters International, the first-ever pet detective academy, merged with Missing Pet Partnership and is now a MPP program. Our future plans include a collaboration with a university to conduct scientific studies into the behavioral patterns of lost dogs and cats. Such studies will enable us to more accurately predict the distances that lost pets travel under various circumstances. Finally, through both our volunteer Lost Pet First Responder Network and our Missing Animal Response Technician courses, we are working to develop community-based lost pet services by training individual pet detectives, as well as the staff and volunteers of animal shelters, humane societies, rescue groups, and animal welfare organizations.

Q. Why aren't animal shelter workers giving out the type of lost pet advice that you give out?
A. One major factor is a lack of education--for both pet owners and shelter workers. Animal shelters are in the business of housing and sheltering animals. Animal Control Officers are in the business of capturing stray dogs and cats that are visible or in a known location. Neither are in the business of responding to missing pet incidents. They are not trained in the science of searching for lost pets and, frankly, they just do not have the manpower to offer this service. Missing Pet Partnership hopes to change that by providing training and educational materials to shelter staff which can be passed on to pet owners who visit their shelter when searching for a lost pet. That is our mission. But funding is an issue and we can only achieve this mission through the support of volunteers and donors like you!

Q. I want to help. How can I volunteer for MPP?
A. Missing Pet Partnership is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization. Currently, we need assistance with grant writing, fundraising, event planning, marketing, and public relations. In addition, we're always looking for cash and in-kind donations of items that we can sell on eBay. For ideas on how you can support our mission and volunteer for MPP, visit our Support Us page.

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