Finding Geno

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Finding Geno

Geno is a Cane Corso who went missing for 24 days in Pennsylvania.

We learned so much about recovering a lost dog and we had such great community support that we started this page to share what we learned and help Geno's fans stay in touch!

17/06/2021

Hello friends! I've seen some new followers pop up here recently, so I wanted to share a quick update: Geno and Rona are doing great (and staying put!), and this page will always be available as a resource for families with lost pets, but you won't be finding any new updates here from me due to some changes in my personal life. Feel free to message at any time for tips, advice or lost dog rescuer contact info.

❤ Michelle

31/12/2020

This is Geno's "melting-into-the-floor" face.

05/12/2020

Geno's ready to guard the house from any intruders...even if those intruders come in the form of a jolly old elf in a red suit!

28/11/2020

Tonight, Geno has been terrified of his shadow, my reflection, the sight of his human brother on the loft above our living room and, of course, Rona's baby shark attack. For a big tough dog, he's really just a baby! 🤣🤣🤣

22/11/2020

Here's a Geno-Rona size comparison update for you, friends. She's up to 30 lb and gaining almost a pound per day!

12/11/2020

My big tough babies are terrified of the vacuum cleaner. Possibly a sign we need to use it more often. 🤣🤣

07/11/2020

When you really want dad to share his steak...

31/10/2020

Geno-Rona size comparison update. She's growing!

16/10/2020

Geno's literally 8 times Rona's size, but he took her toy, and she's having none of it. This girl's got guts :).

11/10/2020

Puppy playtime for Geno and Rona!

11/10/2020

Here are a few photos of Rona's first few days with us. She is settling in nicely, and I think she and Geno are well on their way to being best friends! I'll be posting a video of their first real playtime tonight, too :).

09/10/2020

Geno would like to introduce you to his new baby sister, Rona! Like Geno, Rona is also a Cane Corso. Hopefully, she has less of a wandering spirit! Tons more pictures coming soon!

03/10/2020

Geno has a new toy, and he is using it to drag Kenny across the floor on his dog bed. You wish your Saturday nights were this exciting :).

26/09/2020

Happy Saturday! Geno is very busy chewing his new favorite bone. Hope you're having an equally enjoyable weekend :).

23/09/2020

Playtime! Still loving his Cabernet Slobbneron!

19/09/2020

Saturdays are for sleeping in.

11/09/2020

We had to say goodbye to Geno's canine sister, Rosie today. A sudden, severe problem with her back (one common in basset hounds) left her paralyzed and suffering, so we made the agonizing decision to let her go. Our hearts are broken. 💔💔

Geno is doing his part as the resident therapy dog, licking away tears and rushing over to nudge whoever seems saddest at any given moment.

As always, a big thanks to Dr. I and the terrific staff at Good Shepherd for taking such terrific care of our family.

09/09/2020

Geno hates manicures. This is his "he's torturing me, mom!" face.

05/09/2020

Deep in conversation.

02/09/2020

What shoe? I don't see a shoe.

26/08/2020

In honor of National Dog Day, Geno would like to know your favorite lost dog tips.

Here's one that was submitted by one of Geno's fans this week (Emily Susanne): Put your address, not just your phone number, on your dog's tags. It makes it much easier for a friendly stranger to return them if they stay close to home.

Thanks, Emily! What's your favorite lost dog tip, friends? Geno is ready to take notes:

24/08/2020

Here's Geno enjoying a hunk of firewood for a late-night chew. Have a good week, friends!

20/08/2020

Took Geno on an adventure to Fall Run Park tonight. I think the car ride was his favorite part :).

17/08/2020

I put Geno in time out yesterday because he wasn't playing nice with others. He pouted and turned away from me, but technically stayed put. Sometimes, he's just a really big toddler :).

Goodnight, friends! I will have more lost dog tips this week!

13/08/2020

Today's is a story our rescue team knows well. This is the story of Geno's first disappearance.

In March of 2019, Kenny and i took a much-needed long weekend away after one of my many work trips. It was just four days, and we left kids and dogs with my in-laws at first, then moved the kids to my parents on day 3.

Geno was only 10 months old, but already weighed in at 132 lbs.

The day the kids moved houses and left Geno and his canine siblings at my in-laws' house, he jumped over their fence to come search for his people.

To make a long story short, we did all the same things then as we did during his most recent disappearance: flyers, social media, worked with our awesome team, set feeding stations, traps, etc.

The big difference, however, was in what happened after we set the trap, 6 days after Geno disappeared.

We rigged it not to close, because we didn't kinow if he would fit in the large box trap. Our plan was to wait for him to find the food in the trap, and if he fit, after he left, we would set it for real with fresh food.

Geno found the trap around 3 a.m. He went right in and fit, so we just had to wait for him to leave.

Kenny had set his sweatshirt on top of the trap as a scent item. We watched on the remote cameras as Geno circled the trap after eating, smelled the sweatshirt, and then laid down.

Our whole team was watching as well, and they kept assuring us that he would leave and to be patient.

This particular camera sent us pictures every 10 minutes. We waited with baited breath for each new picture. 30 minutes passed. Then an hour. Then 90 minutes. Geno didn't move. He just laid there.

Kenny went to the trap, but stayed a distance away, afraid that the noise of his approaching steps would scare him.

We hit the 2-hour mark. As the 2:30 min mark neared, I called Geno's breeder (at 5 a.m., mind you). She reassured us that Geno was likely waiting for us -- this breed is crazily loyal -- and that we needed to get our butts to the trap! As I was on the phone with her, our team was messaging me with the same suggestion time -- it was time to move in.

Kenny inched up to the trap, quietly. When he was 10 feet away, Geno barked, then recognized Kenny and army crawled to him. He was rescued!

This story really shows the importance of scent items. Geno smelled Kenny's sweatshirt and then stayed for hours. During his most recent disappearance, he also spent a long time smelling scent items once he found the trap, and while he didn't stay, he did return to the spot every 2 hours. If you have a lost dog, put your stinkiest pair of dirty underwear to work -- it may bring your dog home!

12/08/2020

Lost dog tips 1-15: The summary post

I've received a number of messages from lost dog owners searching for tips in the last few days, so I've compiled tips 1-15 into a summary post, which I will pin to the top of my page. Feel free to share. I'll plan to do pinned summary posts every 15 posts or so to make it easy for lost dog owners to quickly scan through and find what they need. (Bonus picture of Geno is just for fun :)).

1. Get the word out: What makes a good flyer, how to post on social media and more (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.104617711326859/105756247879672/?type=3&theater)

2. Don’t chase a lost dog: Why you should never, ever, chase a lost dog and what to do instead (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.104617711326859/106374137817883/?type=3&theater)

3. Get a Team: We wouldn’t have found Geno without Team Geno. Here’s how to find your team. (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.104617711326859/107903870998243/?type=3&theater)

4. You need feeding stations: How to set up feeding stations before setting a trap for your dog (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/videos/1056131851451211/)

5. Map sightings of your lost dog: Find patterns and predict your dog’s next steps with a custom map (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.104617711326859/110243067430990/?type=3&theater)

6. Get the right trap: Learn about Missy traps for large dogs like Geno (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/videos/755294495303945/)

7. What happens after you bring your lost dog home? Bathing, vet appointments, sleep and food in the 24 hours after you rescue your pup (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.105836617871635/115071916948105/?type=3&theater)

8. Help your pet regain lost weight: What are Satin Balls and why are they awesome? (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.104617711326859/115694840219146/?type=3&theater)

9. Why we didn’t offer a reward: And why we don’t recommend it for most lost dogs. (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.104617711326859/116910990097531/?type=3&theater)

10. Stay Positive: Keep the faith and don’t give up! 90+% of lost dogs are found unharmed. (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.105836617871635/118269489961681/?type=3&theater)

11. A GPS tracker is not a magic fail-safe: GPS trackers can be good tools, but they are just one piece of the lost dog search puzzle. (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.104617711326859/123881892733774/?type=3&theater)

12. Make it easy for the person who finds your dog to return him or her: The importance of tags and microchips (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/videos/596399027739887/)

13. The early minutes count: Why the first few hours after your dog goes missing can be the most important. (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.105836617871635/129621642159799/?type=3&theater)

14. Drones or no drones: When drones can help…and when they can’t (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.105836617871635/130110978777532/?type=3&theater)

15. Think Like a Dog: Lost dogs don’t follow roads, travel at night and seek out water, food and shelter. Don’t think like a person when you search; think like a dog! (https://www.facebook.com/FindingGenoDeemer/photos/a.104617711326859/131561848632445/?type=3&theater)

11/08/2020

We were supposed to be away this week at the beach, but after Geno's grand adventure, we changed our plans. The kids and I spent a long weekend in Erie, while Kenny drove up for the day on Saturday, came home Saturday night and then met us about halfway through our drive home today so we could all go to a zoo together. I wish I could say we were overreacting by refusing to leave again, but we really weren't. As soon as Geno saw my suitcase on Saturday, he started to pant and whine, and when my in-laws stopped over to let our dogs out midday for a bathroom break, they said they were glad to have a leash for Geno, because he was still on edge. Tonight, he's thrilled to have all his humans back home! We will clearly need to do a good deal of training with him and a future pet-sitter for any future trips, but for now, we are so glad we made the call we did to stay local!

06/08/2020

to again! This was the day after his "gotcha" day. We were on vacation at Universal Studios, and it worked out that our long-planned vacation coincided with the day Geno was big enough to leave his mom! (And, once Geno saw how much fun vacation could be, he decided to try to join us on every vacation thereafter. 🤣🤣)

06/08/2020

Lost Dog Tip #15: Think like a dog

When searching for a lost dog, keep in mind that they don't think like people.

Lost dogs do not follow roads and housing plans (although they may follow trails in the woods -- dense woods can be tough for a dog to get through, especially a big dog).

Lost dogs will look for water, shelter and food.

Lost dogs will look for places to stay hidden.

Lost dogs may travel in a circle (many do), or return to the general area of their escape.

As you hear of sightings for your lost dog, look near sightings for potential water, shelter and food sources for your dog. As you get sightings, try to find patterns.

If your dog is spotted near a farm, ask the farmers if they have barn cats that are fed outside. That could be a food source. Spotted near a creek? Walk the creek bed for footprints. Seen in a housing development? Check retention ponds and drainage areas for paw prints.

In Geno's case, he was spotted drinking from multiple ponds, one of which was very close to our final trap location. In fact, we believe that one of the reasons he didn't move on from the last area in which he was spotted was the water source. The temperature for the last week of his adventure was in the mid-90s all week. He found water and stayed in the area so he could return each day.

Finally, as you put the pieces of the puzzle together, keep in mind that you may not be able to predict your dog's next step, but staying on top of sightings, checking out nearby food and water sources and leaving no stone unturned could lead you to recognize when he has settled enough to be trapped. This is really important, because when that happens, you can get your dog to return to a feeding station and bring him or her home!

04/08/2020

Happy Monday, friends! Remember when I shared the Cabernet "Slobbernon" that came in Geno's Bark Box? Well, my dog who destroys every single dog toy ever invented has decided that a good red is really worth savoring. It's his favorite toy, and not the least bit annoying with that squeaker. Nope, not at all. :)

03/08/2020

This pup reminds me of Geno, so I had to share! Missing today from Evans City. Last spotted between Evans City and Cranberry. If spotted, call the numbers in the flyer and do not chase!

02/08/2020

Lost Dog Tip #14: Drones or no drones?

If you are searching for a lost dog, should you use drones?

The short answer is sure, go for it. A drone, especially one flown by a certified drone pilot, can search up to a 5-mile area from above. And a large dog especially will be visible to a drone.

Here's the issue: lost dogs rarely hide in wide open fields. They seek shelter and hide in the woods or in other covered areas (under porches/sheds, for example). Those areas are tough to see with a regular drone.

If you are going to attempt a drone search, here are a few tips that we learned when we tried this with Geno:

1) Seek out certified drone pilots with high-quality drones. These guys and gals know not only how to fly their drone, but what to look for and how to effectively search an area in an organized way. We stumbled into one of these -- my parents' neighbor fit the bill, but from talking to him, we discovered that as with everything, there are Facebook groups for drone pilots in most major cities. Seek those out, or search for video production companies in your area -- they all have drone pilots, too.

2) Three pilots are better than 1. 10 are NOT better than 3. Bringing in a few drone pilots will help you cover a wider area, but you are still bringing more people into your search field, which could absolutely scare a dog in survival mode away. Plus, drones are not silent -- put 10 together in a field and it's a pretty loud (and possibly scary) noise to a dog. Plan carefully and ask one of your drone pilots to take the lead with planning the search to get the maximum coverage with minimum people.

3) If someone in your group has an infrared or heat-seeking drone, that can be even more helpful. These drones CAN effectively search the woods and may find heat signatures for various animals. We were actively pursuing this angle right before we found Geno, so I can't personally speak to its success, but it was recommended to me by a drone pilot, and I thought it made sense.

Our drone search turned up nothing, but it still gave us peace of mind to try. There were some days during Geno's adventure in which it just felt good to do anything, even if it was a long shot. I wouldn't bank on drones as an ultimate solution, but I wouldn't rule them out, either!

Photo from our drone search.

01/08/2020

Lost Dog Tip #13 The early minutes count

When your dog first goes missing, it is natural to want to wait a bit to see if your dog returns on his or her own. Many dogs do.

Here's the challemge: those early minutes are crucial. Wait too long to look and a dog on the run can be several miles away.

When Geno disappeared, we mobilized our team right away with the help of social media, and within an hour, we had posters up and neighbors looking...and early sightings! These gave us a lot of hope, especially when we didn't have any sightings for the next 4 days.

Your best bet is to engage your community as quickly as possible. Post to social media groups. Make a flyer, print 10 copies on your home printer, and get them up in your immediate neighborhood quickly. You can arrange to have more flyers printed later that day, but getting your street looking for your dog is an important early step.

In the first few minutes and hours after your dog goes missing, he or she may not be in survival mode and may come when called. Getting your dog back in this crucial early window can save a lot of time and stress later! So don't hesitate and assume your dog will wander back later -- start looking right away.

31/07/2020

Geno the Cane Corso would like to wish Pittsburgh's other favorite Geno a very Happy Birthday. Geno and his human family are VERY excited for the return of Pittsburgh Penguins hockey tomorrow! (Also, in case you were wondering, Cane Corso Geno wears a Men's Large. 😂😂).

31/07/2020

Lost Dog Tip #12: Make it easy for someone who finds your dog to return him to you

First, enjoy this adorable throwback video of Geno learning "sit" and "down" as a puppy. (He was only that little for about a month, but I took a LOT of photos and videos during that month, so i have posts for MONTHS to come).

Today's lost dog tip is about something you should do with any pet, before they go missing. Ideally, you should do it when your new pup looks like baby Geno in this video!

I'm talking about microchipping and tagging.

It sounds obvious, but making sure your dog is chipped and wearing a tag or identifying collar is a GREAT way to get him or her back in case of escape. It didn't help in our case, but it has helped for many, many dogs. Kenny and I have both returned dogs that wandered onto our property, thanks to the fact that they wore tags.

Most lost dogs make it back home quickly, but whether your dog is missing for an hour, a day or a month, you want to make sure that if he or she surrenders and walks up to someone, that someone can get him home even if they aren't on Facebook and never saw a flyer.

And finally, if you get a lost dog back after several weeks as we did with Geno, have your vet check that the microchip is still in place. When dogs lose a lot of weight, the chip can migrate. A vet can check for it quickly for your peace of mind.

29/07/2020

Ask Geno Anything! Do you have questions about lost dogs, found dogs, big dogs, dogs with soulful eyes, dogs who appear to talk or dogs who like to sleep sideways on a king-sized bed? Now's your chance to ask! Ask your questions in the comments, and Geno will get back to you just as soon as he wakes up from his post-breakfast nap!

28/07/2020

I've mentioned before that Kenny is Geno's favorite person in the whole world. Yesterday, Kenny had to be away for most of the day for the first time since Geno's ordeal. We survived, but Geno was definitely on edge for the first few hours, refusing to settle, barking at every squirrel, rabbit, and stray leaf and whining at me while I tried to take conference calls for my job. (He also tried to follow Kenny out the front door when he left!)

The kids and I didn't let Geno out of our sight all day and fortunately, he settled down by about mid-day and resumed his usual daily activity: sleeping on our bed.

It was a good reminder for us, though. Geno definitely still has separation anxiety when it comes to being away from his person, and that's something we have to be proactive to manage.

27/07/2020

Lost Dog Tip #11: A GPS tracker is not a magic fail-safe

I mentioned before that Geno had a GPS tracker on when he ran, and it didn't work. I've since gotten a few questions about that, so I thought it was worthy of its own post.

The GPS tracker we had was a Whistle tracker that worked with AT&T's cell network to provide location information. It didn't work for Geno, because when he disappeared, he went to an area with poor AT&T cell reception.

We honestly hadn't considered this as a possibility when we bought the tracker. We had tested it in the area around our house and the area around our pet-sitter's, and it HAD worked. We just didn't happen to go to the wooded ravine that Geno selected as the first stop on his journey.

In hindsight, this is a definite problem with trackers that use cell signal for location positioning. Dogs don't follow roads and neighborhoods when they disappear. They often try to stay hidden and may seek out the type of heavily wooded areas that were so attractive to Geno. Nothing drains a battery faster than searching for signal, so my personal recommendation is to keep in mind that Whistle trackers will work best in those areas with extremely strong AT&T signal AND those areas in which there are few wooded areas and more neighborhoods/housing plans. If you don't live there, think twice.

There are other GPS trackers out there that use different technology, and we are considering trying another brand for peace of mind, if nothing else, but one of the other things we learned from Geno's journey is that knowing where your dog is does not always equate to bringing him or her home. Thanks to sightings, we knew Geno's exact location on 30 different occasions. For a few of those, we were able to be in that area in just a few short minutes. Because he was on the move and trying to stay hidden, however, it didn't matter. Dogs can go places that people can't, and they can travel very quickly when they want to. Plus, a dog in survival mode may not recognize their owner from a distance, so getting close isn't enough.

GPS trackers can be a great tool in your arsenal for a dog that likes to roam, but be careful not to rely on them as fail-safe solutions. Finding a lost dog can be a tricky journey, and there is no one single solution that will bring your furry family member home!

26/07/2020

Meet Geno's canine siblings: Rosie, the 7-year-old basset hound and Leo, the 14-year-old puggle. Rosie loves to play with Geno, for about 2 solid minutes at a time, which is pretty much her limit. Leo is pretty ornery in his old age and currently spends his time plotting how to steal any food that Geno doesn't finish from his weight gain diet. He is, as they say, VERY food motivated :).

24/07/2020

Happy Friday, Friends! Geno is going to kick things off by destroying this dog toy and extracting the squeaker. 🤣🤣

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Geno’s Story: What you’ll find here

On Finding Geno, you’ll find two types of content: information about how to recover a lost dog based on our experience when Geno disappeared for 24 days in summer 2020, and adorable photos and stories about our favorite Cane Corso, Geno! All content provided here is written from the perspective of our experience as a dog family, and not as “experts” on lost dog trapping (although, if you are local to Mars, PA, we will gladly connect you with the AMAZING team of experts who helped us bring Geno home!).

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