A lost dog may not return home on its own. For dogs that often move around the house and do not go too far, it is possible to find their way home by themselves. They can rely on their sensitive sense of smell to find their way home through the urine and other smells they usually leave behind. Some dogs have been kept at home for a long time and are not familiar with the roads outside. They are also likely to be picked up by others, making it difficult for them to go home on their own.

Methods to find a lost dog:

1. Search near home and in places where dogs often go. Dogs usually go to places they are familiar with. The owner should call the dog's name loudly. If the dog does not go far, it will respond to the owner.

2. Place an item that you or your dog likes where the dog is lost. For a dog, the owner's items have a familiar smell. If it smells the owner's items, it may stay next to the items and wait for the owner.

3. View monitoring. Retrieving surrounding surveillance videos is the most effective and direct way to understand the dog's movements, and will provide effective clues for the search.

4. Post dog hunting tips or publish information on the Internet. You can distribute flyers near the lost dog, and you can also send it to WeChat Moments, social software, Weibo, etc. as soon as possible to unite dog friends to find it.

5. Go to a nearby pet store. After the dog is lost, it may be taken in by a roadside shop owner or pet shop owner, so you can ask.