Our dogs can help find your dog.
It’s as simple as that.
We have an established network of volunteer handlers and dogs who are trained, assessed, and certified to track lost or missing dogs. LDTN covers regional teams across England and the Channel Islands, all with a wealth of experience and knowledge.
The LDTN was started by Claire Brown (NK9 Lost Dog Tracking in West Yorkshire). There is a huge need for fully trained and assessed dogs to assist in lost dog searching, but it is also a bespoke area and as such, a quite small community. This means that people don’t always know where to look to find a tracking team that can help.
The Lost Dog Tracking Network is designed to be an easy way to find the nearest team to you, should the worst happen and you lose your dog. The LDTN gives you confidence that the operational team dogs and handlers have been trained and assessed, and continue with their CPD throughout the year, and that there is a UK-wide, professional standard being upheld.
FAQs
What exactly does the LDTN do?
The Lost Dog Tracking Network utilises a large volunteer network of trained dogs and handler teams to scent track for lost dogs and reunite them with their owner(s).
When someone loses a dog, they can get in touch with a co-ordinator for the area where the dog was lost. The co-ordinator will open an Active Search with appropriate local volunteers.
You can find out more about what happens on our searches here.
Why use tracking dogs?
The two primary reasons to use tracking dogs is that dogs have phenomenal nosework capabilities, and time is critical in lost dog searches.
Put simply, our tracking dogs allow us to very quickly reduce a search area. They can “see” what we can’t; they can follow a trail, can identify where a dog has been, the direction they’re travelling, and sites that they might be revisiting. Tracking dogs also reduce impact of potential complications to a search area, and can search places or terrain that are inaccessible to humans.
There is extensive evidence for the success of tracking dogs in spheres such as human search and rescue. LDTN is applying those same skills to searching for lost dogs.
Does the LDTN work for free?
The Lost Dog Tracking Network is a volunteer run organisation. None of our teams charge for their work.
There are various ways you can support the network, including through donations.
Do you search for every single lost dog?
We do our best to help everyone who gets in touch with us. This may mean opening an Active Search with a local team, but it may also mean redirecting someone to more appropriate resources for their situation.
Not all dogs are lost in areas or in circumstances that are best suited for utilising our search teams. If we don’t think a Tracking team is the right option to find your pet, we’ll do our best to redirect you to the right resources instead.
We appreciate that everyone wants their beloved pet home. We will not waste your time, energy, or resources; if we aren’t the right team to help find your lost dog, we will tell you.
Can I take my dog to track a lost dog?
Please do not take un-trained or part-trained dogs on an active search.
Having untrained or part-trained dogs in a search area can cause more harm than good, both for the lost dog and for the Operational Tracking teams. Even with the best intentions, non-certified dogs and handlers in the search area can add impediments and complications to an active search, and can potentially put themselves and the lost dog at greater risk.
Many dogs can be trained to track lost dogs, including non-traditional breeds! We welcome anyone who wants to pursue training with their dog. However, it requires extensive training and dedication to become an Operational Team, for both dogs and handlers. We are proud of the LDTN’s high standards, not only for tracking dog skills, but for a human’s understanding, planning, and execution of an active search.
Please see here for further information about how to get involved.
I don’t have a dog. Can I get involved?
If you don’t have a dog, or don’t have a Operational tracking dog, you can still get involved in the Network. Our Tracking Teams are assisted by other volunteers; during an active search, that could be communicating with other teams, linking with other local facilities and organisations, managing online efforts, or simply providing a hot drink on a cold day (always appreciated when a team has been on the trail for several hours!).
Please see here for further information about how to get involved.
