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The other night we had to leave a dog on the mountain and i know it happens all the time but it was the first time for me. I wasn't real worried but I did begin to wonder how they make it being left out there in such cold. I know they are dogs but they arent wild animals in their own environment. At what temperature do you really start getting concerned about the dogs well being? What do they do when its that cold? What kind of warm places do they find and so forth? Do they usually tend to get back to where you dropped them and hang out there?

Just keep looking for your dog, it should be fine. My buddies lost theirs on Sunday and found them this friday with some negative temps around -15 or so at night and single digit highs during the day. Dogs came back to blankets and food on the road, read the post by inchtowntracking in this same forum down a couple posts. Good luck finding your dog(s), they should be fine!

We found the dog the next morning. The situation just made me curious and brought those quetions to mind. Dothey run around all night? Can they litteraly just sleep right on the snow under a tree? I wasnt too worried about the dog but i am curious in what situations it might be time to get concerned.

Of course this depends on the conditions. If the dog is wet, or very worn out or even injured, it won't be able to tolerate as much. Some people leave the dog box out so the dog has a comfortable place to hang out, but that depends on how isolated the spot is. I always worry about someone stealing even my jacket if I leave it right next to the road, so I put it out of sight from the road, or use a raggedy blanket I keep in the car for them. If you can leave some straw, that will help insulate them. Our dogs are though, though. I don't leave food because I think that attracts other animals--dog food will find a bear or huge coyotes anywhere near me.
I always worry nonstop until I get my dog back. But, if your dog has some sense, it will find a sheltered spot near where you dropped it, and emerge the second it hears your engine.

Here is what i was told when our dogs spent a couple of nights out in the cold. They will find some spot to lay down uaslly under a tree out of the snow but this depends on the terrain. Younger dogs will find a road and follow that out, older dogs will uaslly back track to where you drop them out at. We laid out blankets for a place for them to get warm and also so that they will stay in one spot till we get there. The guy i talked to said that if they was running hard and are an older dog they might just find a spot and hold up there and no matter how much calling they will not budge, he has been litteraly feet away calling and never found them even though the tracking system said they was right there. Hope that helps a little too with what was said earlier.

yeah i had a dog find a dry spot in the reeds of a lake once and not move no matter how much i called. He took off chasin a coon and then when it ditched him he realized he was 50 yards out in real thick reeds and freezin water. I had to go get him. Another time they were out in heavy snow and not too far from me but it was dark and my light was dead so i couldnt go after them. They finally came but i had to light em up with the collar. I thought it was crazy that they wouldnt come so I am glad to hear that it happens sometimes.

Also, some strains have more of a natural homing instinct bred into them and can find there way back faster.

Hank how have ya been? Glad you got your dog back. You been catchin anything yet???

just coons and house cats I lost my tracking equipment so i have only had the dogs on one lion track this year. i am sure it was a few days old though. There were tracks going the other way inside the same track and i really didnt even know which way to go. My dogs arent broke at all so they would get ahead of us and blow up over the hill and of course i crossed my fingers they were on the right thing but i think they chased deer all day. My friends dog stayed faithful to the track and we trailed it for hours but never got it jumped. Neither of our dogs have ever caught a lion but we're tryin! Findin plenty of tracks just need to get some tracking gear and get them on some more.

My buddies just got their dogs back the other day after 8 days on the mountain. Cold temps and a few snow storms. A little frost bite on the nipples but were glad to get them back home.

A few days before my other buddy lost his dog for 7 days. Had to take a horse in to retrieve him, he was still hunting lion and wasn't ready to come home yet.

Good luck, poser

I keep a small tarp in truck to make a small shelter for the lost dog, along with a blanket.
Around here, it's the wolves we worry about when a dog gets left over a night or two.

For many years my dad and i never had tracking collars. So we really relied on a dogs homing instinct. There is not a better feeling in the world when you drive up and a couple dogs are snuggled up on your coat. But man it sucks looking for dogs that dont have collars .