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westcoastcdn19 t1_j7rqqom wrote

Smart girl! glad she is safe

1,287

epsilona01 OP t1_j7rt2te wrote

The photo of her ringing the doorbell is priceless

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1d10 t1_j7ubt5p wrote

I'm thinking she wasn't happy with the new family.

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GaseousGiant t1_j84ux05 wrote

OMG that would be tragic…If it happens again, they’ll know.

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Thagyr t1_j7t5a7k wrote

Dogs have amazing senses of direction. We left our family dog at our aunts on the other side of town once before we left on a trip. Aunt called into our drive to say she escaped. Dad takes the second car and heads back to help search only to find her sitting at home on the front porch like nothing had happened.

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OversharedSecret t1_j7ujl3g wrote

My mom always tells a story of how when she was a kid, my grandparents and her moved to a new home and after a few hours at the new house they realized the dog had escaped. They got a call a while later from their ex-neighbor to tell them the dog was right outside the old house. It had somehow memorized the way back while being taken by car to the new place.

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toxicatedscientist t1_j7vbdvn wrote

Dogs can smell direction. No really, they smell in stereo with enough fidelity to determine age of scent. So just like our ears can hear which side is louder to get direction, they can tell which way is the newer/older smell and get direction of travel

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1palmier t1_j7vf3ah wrote

This is the best ELI5 about dogs ability to smell, I’ve been wondering how it works lately. My dog will pick up a scent and I can see the direction based on the prints in the snow but there’s no way he’s reading that but he’s always right…

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misconfigbackspace t1_j7vkm1c wrote

That long snout is a time capsule in constant use, capturing places and scents frame by frame whiff by whiff.

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Writer10 t1_j7v1kke wrote

Cats too. My family moved from Michigan to Florida. Somewhere in Ohio, cat jumped out of the car at a rest stop. A year later during a visit with friends, they said she was living under our old house. Sure enough, there she was.

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Bigolecattitties t1_j7xobxf wrote

I went on vacation to the beach with my beagle. My husband left the tent early in the morning and drove several miles down the beach to fish. My husband let him runoff and he found my tent in the campground all those miles away in a completely foreign area to him. I just remembered waking up to a bunch of missed calls and texts from my husband saying please don’t be mad but he lost the dog and the dog has somehow let himself into the tent and is sitting next to me. He ran away from his previous owners who abused him, so it warmed my heart to know he was running back to his mother(me).

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raeflower t1_j7uq5rc wrote

I suddenly want to watch homeward bound again

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Ricolabonbon t1_j7v86r4 wrote

It's bred into them. If you send your dog off to track, catch and retrieve a wounded animal, it needs to find its way back to you.

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Ignonym t1_j7y298r wrote

Wolves didn't have MapQuest--they had to get around somehow.

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Wolffir t1_j7tsk8b wrote

That was probably a decent shelter if she went back there to get help.

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Raoul_Duke9 t1_j7uoy6t wrote

I was gonna say. That is the dog equivalent of a customer calling the boss to give props.

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solojones1138 t1_j7sxm0z wrote

It was only a mile away, but my dad lost my dog on a walk after another dog charged them and my dog bolted.

I was so worried. Ran outside their house... Only to see my dog running down the sidewalk, almost to my parents' house. She had even stayed on the sidewalk as she ran home!

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bebe_bird t1_j7u3im3 wrote

Oh, I am positive my dog knows the way home from our walks. You wanna know how? Every time we turn back towards the house, she refuses to move and I have to pick her up, put her on the right path, and then she'll start walking again. But it's only when we turn to go home - she's willing to keep walking any other direction...

(I do wonder how long it'd take her to decide to come back if she got out. She's only gotten out once, and we noticed the gate was open 60-120 seconds later, and she was just taking herself along our normal walking route!)

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OlyScott t1_j7uhdv6 wrote

Do you live in a very bad place? Why does your dog avoid going there?

−28

FullyRisenPhoenix t1_j7ui0in wrote

That’s an odd take. All of my dogs over the years didn’t like for the walkies to end. As soon as they saw the leash they’d go wild, knowing they’re heading out for a walk. Then as soon as we’d start heading back they would hesitate or, like this person posted, simply refuse to move. Dogs just love walks, and a lot of them would prefer to just walk forever.

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as_i_wander t1_j7un3ov wrote

Have you ever owned a dog? It's what they do, they never want the walk to end unless it's inclement weather then all of a sudden they're hauling ass to get home.

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bebe_bird t1_j7wii4e wrote

Mine still wants to walk in bad weather. The only difference is that she'll actually turn down the street to come back home without a fight, but she's still ready to keep going if I let her.

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bebe_bird t1_j7wim2d wrote

As these folks have said, she just doesn't want the walk to end. She's a scent hound and loves all the smells!

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Halogen12 t1_j7rxp8z wrote

Wow, she looks so much like my dear doggo boy who passed away in December. He was a shepherd/husky cross with floppy ears, just like her! So glad she got home safely. I love her face, brings back happy memories of my boy!

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shiftyskellyton t1_j7s3l95 wrote

I'm so sorry about your dog.

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Mundane-Ad-3142 t1_j7sppuq wrote

Might I suggest posting a positive message when someone talks about a dead family member instead of the very morbid expression "I'm sorry for your loss"

"I'm sure you created many loving memories with your boy that can be cherished forever".

−137

Music_City_Madman t1_j7swgq0 wrote

Might I suggest not policing what expressions of sympathy people choose?

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Mundane-Ad-3142 t1_j7sxvvz wrote

With your very crude logic, might I suggest for you to not police people who are policing people?

See how you have become the very thing you are asking me not to be? Quite ironic.

As for your question, no, I don't think so. Well, I don't agree with your implication that I am 'policing'. As you can see by the very first few words of my original post, I simply said "suggest".

If you feel that is 'policing', then I guess we also disagree there.

Thanks for the laughter m8

−120

its_never2_late t1_j7supsv wrote

I think either is fine

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Mundane-Ad-3142 t1_j7sy9j7 wrote

From my own personal experience, I find "so sorry for your loss" is much more of a downer to read when dealing with a loss of a loved one than the one I suggested (there are a million ways to acknowledge someone's pain with a positive message rather than a flat, depressing one).

Also, as I said to another person who commented on my post, it is merely a suggestion. It's my opinion and I'm trying to share it respectfully.

−69

SirJebus t1_j7u2wa9 wrote

>It's my opinion and I'm trying to share it respectfully.

You are failing

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rhodopensis t1_j7u6yzz wrote

More like you are failing to take it in a positive light.

−10

kellasong t1_j7ul8bz wrote

Counterpoint, I would rather someone say a genuine ‘im sorry for your loss’ more than anything else. I actually think if someone responded to me in a positive way like you suggested, it would hurt me. I don’t want to be positive about death, I want to experience the sadness and go through it, not try to walk on the sunny side. That’s not how I prefer to grieve. I would accept the sentiment regardless, but I think you prescribing your preferred sentiments to everyone is incorrect and pretty audacious.

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therjcaffeine t1_j7ux2ce wrote

I suppose that’s what you say to people who have lost a loved human, such as “I’m sure you created many loving memories with your father that can be cherished forever”

Great idea homie

/s

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gearnut t1_j7tdxr6 wrote

If there is a heaven I am sure he is getting belly rubs while being allowed to run away with links of sausages!

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tartan_nikes t1_j7suusc wrote

My dog looks like this too! I have no idea what breed other than a shepherd mix. I've seen other dogs but half the size that are shepherd/hound mix. My guy is like 60 lbs. Thanks for sharing!

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ryuga_knight t1_j7thwte wrote

May he Rest In Peace, and have a wonderful afterlife.

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Zacho666 t1_j7tqkco wrote

Hello? Yes, I'd like to report myself as missing

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VanillaCookieMonster t1_j7t9i25 wrote

Did anyone consider that she wanted to stay at the shelter? She went "home".

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Jiktten t1_j7tlben wrote

Yeah, I really hope she just got lost/confused rather than intentionally leaving her new family, only to now be returned to them.

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ChileWillow007 t1_j7uc344 wrote

I know how fucked up this is, but all I could think of was that victim of Dahmer's who sought help and was returned to him by the police..

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gonejellyfishin77 t1_j7trhnx wrote

Exactly. If dogs truly love you unconditionally then why are they always running away?

−37

BernieMP t1_j7u7bn3 wrote

They like wandering around, exploring and sniffing their surroundings, so they are exited to do so when they get the chance

Then they just get lost, stolen/taken in by people, or sadly hit by a car

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chintakoro t1_j7uqo63 wrote

being boxed in a house is not ideal for a dog. they want out. but that doesn’t mean they hate their owners – just that houses are not natural environments for them. also, dogs love the company of other dogs. i guess ideally for them, you’d be running around in the wild with them making new doggie friends!

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castpearls t1_j7tih65 wrote

That’s what went through my head, especially with the smiling photo.

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gonejellyfishin77 t1_j7trmd4 wrote

Dogs can't smile. Please don't anthropomorphize.

−29

MyDucksAreCute t1_j7tx3d5 wrote

Dogs can 100% smile.

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rhodopensis t1_j7u6vgw wrote

The expression that we call “smiling” is for them a different expression. Teeth bared can be fear, aggression, mouth open from panting after a long walk, etc. Anthropomorphizing animals leads to bad misinterpretations of situations.

−17

Johnyryal3 t1_j7udlmo wrote

No, its them mimicking our smiling at them. Dogs have evolved to mimic our facial expressions. Plenty of studies on it.

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chintakoro t1_j7uq5gh wrote

Dogs don’t smile because they’re happy. They smile because they know it makes US happy. And I think that’s still quite precious.

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MyDucksAreCute t1_j7v3njq wrote

No.

Dogs make a lot of facial expressions. They can certainly bare their teeth out of fear or aggression. That's much different from a dog wagging its tail and grinning when its owner comes home and is ready to play. Dogs can have a sense of humor, and they can grieve as well.

We don't want to anthropomorphize animals too much, but we also don't want to strip them down to robots and pretend they don't have emotions. They certainly do.

I have spent over a decade working with animals.

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rhodopensis t1_j7x1itv wrote

I never said that they were robots nor that they lacked emotion. Many do believe that. But not me. You are putting a lot of words into my mouth with that comment.

0

Butt_Putnam t1_j7utxx0 wrote

Except they can and they do... It simply isn't an analogous 1:1 representation of what a human smile means. It's not anthropomorphising to say that a smiling dog is happy, but it is if you suggest that it can only mean happiness. Dogs will smile when they're calm, content, and happy, but they will also smile when they're being submissive or scared, it has to be taken into context with the rest of the body language being displayed and the circumstance.

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Butt_Putnam t1_j7ur24h wrote

I mean maybe... But also worth considering is that she knew the place, was close to it, and it smelled like dog. I have a husky who's too smart for his own good, and if I'm being honest probably gets spoiled a little too much. He has a good life, is what I'm saying. He also goes into full sled-dog sprinting mode trying to pull us down the sidewalk when we walk past a nearby groomer/doggy daycare spot we've boarded him in the past. He hates getting groomed, he just loves other dogs and he knows there's a ton of them there he gets to interact with. He seeks it out so often on his walks that if he ever went missing I would definitely think to check there.

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gonejellyfishin77 t1_j7trk63 wrote

Shhhh you're ruining the false narrative of greed that shelters are horrible places that animals need to be "rescued" from!!

−37

295DVRKSS t1_j7smwq7 wrote

Dog read news of her being lost on social media and returned to the shelter. The best girl

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Bruzote t1_j7syvpt wrote

She may have smelled her way back. While amazing to us, for them it might be not more amazing than us heading back to a tall building we see in the distance.

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kermitdafrog21 t1_j7uosn9 wrote

If I’m ever hiking in a new place, I let my dog pee as much as he wants. I can always whip out a map if I need it, but it’s easier to just let him sniff his way back if I get lost and letting him mark seems to help his sense of direction lol

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Bruzote t1_j87ist6 wrote

I think I will try that method myself the next time I go with my wife into some large department store like Macy's. ;-)

Oh, good God. My own joke just gave me a flashback of an incident that actually was in a Macy's. There was scattered poop all over the floor near the entrance. It was probably from some child. Regardless, it was soooo nasty. Despite the announcement I heard about a need for a cleanup (right before I encountered the mess), no employees were standing around to warn shoppers! Some people were walking along not looking down and knocking the stuff around. Ugh!

1

Mrspygmypiggy t1_j7tlmn1 wrote

I would take my dog on walks for miles up the hills and forests but sometimes she wasn’t up for it and the moment I took my eyes off her she took herself home. I called my dad in tears saying the dog had ran away, he ran out the house to help me look for her only to find her sitting at our door waiting to be let in. She then took herself to bed and slept.

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teej360 t1_j7te1ss wrote

Brilliant doggo! She must've thought, this is the place where my family came and got me from before they took me away, so if I return to that place, they'll come back again!

I mean, she wasn't wrong. 🥰

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ryuga_knight t1_j7ti5ni wrote

My thinking was more; “I forgot the way to my new home, but I remember to the way to my old place, I’ll go there and wait for my family.”

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Substantial_Motor_87 t1_j7tx8a8 wrote

She’s like “nah, that family isn’t going to work out. Im back”

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shitposts_over_9000 t1_j7ui2ux wrote

Hello people helping dogs find new people? The last group was terrible, I would like to try again.

3

IAmNotMyName t1_j7tjb0z wrote

"Help, I was dognapped! I barely escaped!" --Bailey

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CharlieFibrosis t1_j7uhepj wrote

We had a German Shepherd/Husky mix we adopted back around early 2013. One day when me and my brothers were getting ready for school; she slipped between my knee and the door frame and trotted off. We tried to stop her, but her being aloof with humans and we had only had her for a month at that point, she still didn’t fully trust us/didn’t like the idea of being trapped (probably some trauma in how she was captured before SPCA got to her and got her into the adoption center) and off she goes.

We looked for her for about 10 mins and I felt majorly guilty on losing her. My mom was talking to a neighbor to try and get some eyes if they spot her and all. As she’s speaking to him, our dog comes trotting down the street on the sidewalk, pretty much just took herself on a walk around the block as she had gotten use to the walks my brothers had taken her on and probably picked up on the smell of Pop Tarts that they’d snack on while walking her.

That dog got out a few times after and while she went on some wild adventures (slipped out one time, got to a busy road, was almost captured by a couple who spotted her, she ran back home, only to then have the couple ask if they could check for a dog that got in our backyard (us thinking it was an entirely separate dog and she was just chilling in one of her spots) and find out that she was the dog they were following which confused us as to when she got out) she somehow found her way back home all the times with no issues.

Hard to say as to if I want another dog ahead (she was put down after a string of bad seizures by an unknown cause) but I will have sentimental memories for such an aloof, neurotic, but sometimes smart dog and the fact she always made it back home; a trait I hope a future dog in my lifetime will possess as well if they ever get out

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Synth_Ham t1_j7u188e wrote

"People" magazine huh?

3

HemiJon08 t1_j7urcis wrote

My parents had a dog that they surrendered to animal shelter many years ago. The shelter was closed for a few hours, but they had a drop off outside cage that they put him in and left. The shelter was 14 miles away and he had never left the house property before this time. 4 days later he was back at our house.

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ItsMeFergie t1_j7vawmz wrote

If they didn’t keep the dog after that… throws glove at your feet we’re dueling.

1

HemiJon08 t1_j7vd8et wrote

Yeah. He spent the rest of his life there after that. Dad couldn’t bear to take him back to the Shelter seeing as how much effort he put into getting back home.

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ItsMeFergie t1_j7vhaft wrote

🥹 that was the closure I needed and my day is less shit. Thank you internet stranger

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sreek4r t1_j7tftbo wrote

I’d adopt her right away. What a smart girl.

2

slightlyassholic t1_j7ut8qk wrote

"Well that was fun. I guess it's time to go home, now... Wait. I was supposed to stay there?"

2

commandrix t1_j7vqapk wrote

That dog is so clever. Probably reasoned that the place where she used to stay until she found a family might be able to help her again.

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1

barnivere t1_j7tzjsn wrote

"Help! I forgot where my new home was"

1

Jlx_27 t1_j7u61fw wrote

Smart pupper, Very cute too!

1

ashtobro t1_j7uqlrr wrote

Can't find new home? Go to old home!

1

aimeed72 t1_j7vlwf8 wrote

Plot twist: Bailey was running away and they returned her to her bad home. (I’m sure that’s totally not the case, it just occurred to me as a storyline)

1

Bhimtu t1_j8113d4 wrote

Hey, she's a smart dog with a good sniffer!

1

GaseousGiant t1_j84uqby wrote

That is one serious feather in the cap of that shelter.

1