Bad news, try and figure out which way he’s likely to go, and follow that first.
What I mean is, when you took him for walks did you go left or right?
I’ve done many dog searches, you have to start somewhere.
Honestly Mick it's been over five years since he set a paw off the property. We walk around our field or up and down the driveway. We touched base with a few neighbours before it got to late last night. Drove around in vehicles, on quad, and on foot for ours. The kid, wife, and I. No sign of him.
I even took the other big guy Thunder and walked him on a lead up and down and all over all our local roads, easily farther than either dog would've ever previously chosen to walk. These dogs are lazy. You make to many loops of the field and they just bow out and go lie on the porch.
Also you could hear that there was no commotion(s) in the neighbourhood last night. No neighbour dogs barking or anything.
As I said if he isn't at the pound when I ring them at nine I'm going door to door working my way further and further out.
I do fear a bit that someone scooped him up maybe. It would've had to have been crazy timing. But it's as if he disappeared
Both my big guys are thoroughly and well trained on the home command. Despite never leaving the property from out in the field or anywhere I can simply point and say 'home' and both dogs head straight for the porch or the kennel. Tank is also the better listener of the two because thunder is mostly deaf now.
If anyone had simply hollered at him to 'go home' he'd know what that means. It's why I train that way. Just in case.
He's either at the pound, been captured by a well meaning neighbour who somehow didn't notice/hear my kid, wife, or I last night, stolen by a scumbag, or dropped dead somewhere where I haven't found him yet. I don't think he has been hit by a vehicle. For one he'd cause some damage and for two I've searched all the local roadways quite thoroughly.