Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it helpful! –Kim
Unlikely Behavior?
March 9, 2012 by Cindi
This normally surprises people, but it's true: if your dog is lost, your pet will probably run AWAY from you when he or she sees you. Yes, you read that correctly. If lost, your dog, the animal you raised since birth, will bolt in the opposite direction from where you are.
Your dog will run from you instead of to you because your dog will be in survival mode, not because he or she doesn't love you. You see, after three or four days on the loose, a dog's priorities start to change. A dog will reorder what's important to the following sequence:

1. Predators (including you),
2. Shelter,
3. Water and
4. Food.

A dog, therefore, will do whatever is necessary to avoid predators while pursuing the remaining items on his or her list of priorities.
It's your pet's ability to shift mental gears into survival mode that increases the chances that your pet will be returned to you. This ability is also what makes it likely that your dog will view you and anyone else looking for him or her as a predator or a potential threat.
That is why it is critical for you and everyone else trying to find your dog to refrain from yelling during your search. It's great when enthusiastic people rally and join together to find a lost dog. But people, together as a group or alone, are terrifying to a lost pet...and the last thing a scared dog will be tempted to approach is a person, even if that person is the dog's loving owner.
That's also why it is critical for you to remember to LURE a lost dog to your side....
Five Things to Do if You Have Lost Your Dog

1. Immediately, put out food, water and your dog's bed or an article of your clothing at the location where your dog was last seen. There is a good chance that your dog may return. Don't use dry dog food. It doesn't have enough odor to attract the dog.
2. Get the word out by using flyers and signs (like yard sale signs) with a picture of your dog and your phone number. (Check your phone often!) Go door-to-door with your flyer in the neighborhood where your dog was last seen.
3. Contact your local animal shelters and animal control facilities, vet clinics and police departments to report your dog missing. Fax or email them a photo of your dog and your contact information.
4. Instruct everyone that is helping you to NOT call or chase your dog. This will prolong your search. If they see your dog, have them sit or lay down (no eye contact) and gently toss out tasty treats to lure your dog in.
5. Post your dog on the lost and found section of Craigslist and our Facebook page.

Source: Lost Dogs Illinois

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Also, see:

• Tips on How to Find a Lost Pet
• Finding a Lost Pet - Where to Start
• Make a Flyer Online
• Search for Your Dog thru Lost Pet USA
• Avoid Becoming a Lost Dog Statistic
• Lost Your Pet? Up to 85% Success Rate.