What information should be on a lost dog poster?

A clear photo, the dog's name, the road and time they were last seen, your phone number, and any reward. Nothing else. Owners pile too much detail onto a poster — finders skim, they don't read.

Should I include the breed?

Only if it's instantly identifiable. 'Golden retriever' is fine; 'lurcher mix' isn't, because the finder may not know what that means. Stick to colour, size and any distinctive markings: 'tan and white, medium-sized, white tip on tail'.

Where should I put a lost dog poster?

Eye-level on lampposts within 1km of where the dog vanished. Local vets, parks, school gates, supermarket entrances. Skip telephone poles in residential streets — most people no longer look at them.

How big should the poster be?

A4 minimum, A3 if you can. The photo should fill at least the top half. Headline 'LOST DOG' in 200pt+ red. The phone number in 80pt+ black. Anything smaller than that doesn't read at walking pace.

Should I offer a reward?

If you can. £100 is enough to make a lukewarm finder call you instead of just hoping someone else does. State 'reward' rather than the amount on the poster — the actual amount is for the conversation.

Lost dog poster: what to write, what to leave out, and how to make one fast

A poster only works if a stranger walking past at 3mph can read it in two seconds. Here's the formula, what to skip, and a template you can recreate on your phone in under five minutes.

Last updated 30 April 2026 · by Dan Holland, Founder

The instinct when your dog goes missing is to write everything down. Their breed, their age, their funny tics, the names of their three favourite people. A poster does the opposite job: it has to deliver one fact (your dog is missing) and one action (call this number) before the reader walks past it.

The five-element formula

Stick to these five things. In this order.

Headline:“LOST DOG” in red, the biggest text on the page.
Photo:a clear shot of the dog's head and shoulders. Filling the top half of the page.
One short identifier:“Golden retriever, red collar, answers to Max.” Stop there.
Where + when:“Last seen Elm Road, near the church, Tuesday evening.”
Phone number: as big as the headline. The most important text on the poster.

What to skip

The dog's life story.“Loves to play fetch” doesn't help a finder catch them.
Multiple phone numbers.One number, one decision. Add a partner number only if you genuinely can't answer your own phone reliably.
Microchip ID numbers. Useless on a poster — they need a vet.
Email addresses. Nobody types an email after spotting a dog.
Multiple photos. One clear photo beats a collage every time.

Make it on your phone

You don't need design software:

Open Canva (free), Apple Pages, or Google Docs.
Set page size to A4 portrait.
Top: photo filling the top 50%. Use the cleanest one you have, head shot.
Below the photo: “LOST DOG” in 200pt red bold.
Beneath: name, breed, road, time, in 24-36pt black.
Bottom third: your phone number in 80pt+ black.
Optional: “REWARD” in red, smaller than the headline but still bold.
Print on the brightest paper you can find. Yellow is loudest, white is fine.

Where to put them

Lampposts and telegraph poles within 1 km of where the dog vanished.
The nearest park entrance and along the main paths.
Local vets — ask the receptionist nicely; they almost always say yes.
Pet shops, dog-friendly cafés.
School gates at pickup time. Parents see things on their walks.
Supermarket entrances, with permission from the manager.

Always ask before sticking anything to private property. Take the posters down once your dog is home — abandoned lost-pet posters dilute the next person's.

Use the social blast in parallel

A poster reaches the people who walk past it. A Facebook post in your local lost-and-found group reaches everyone in the postcode in an hour. Do both — but the poster is for the people who don't open Facebook.

If you have a Snifftag

When you mark your dog as lost in the Snifftag dashboard, we generate a print-ready A4 PDF poster automatically. It includes a clear photo, the dog's name, the road, your reward (if set), a QR code that anyone can scan to send their location, and a backup web address. The poster never includes your phone number — finders ping you through the app and you stay private. You can reprint it as many times as you like.

Frequently asked questions

What information should be on a lost dog poster?
A clear photo, the dog's name, the road and time they were last seen, your phone number, and any reward. Nothing else. Owners pile too much detail onto a poster — finders skim, they don't read.
Should I include the breed?
Only if it's instantly identifiable. 'Golden retriever' is fine; 'lurcher mix' isn't, because the finder may not know what that means. Stick to colour, size and any distinctive markings: 'tan and white, medium-sized, white tip on tail'.
Where should I put a lost dog poster?
Eye-level on lampposts within 1km of where the dog vanished. Local vets, parks, school gates, supermarket entrances. Skip telephone poles in residential streets — most people no longer look at them.
How big should the poster be?
A4 minimum, A3 if you can. The photo should fill at least the top half. Headline 'LOST DOG' in 200pt+ red. The phone number in 80pt+ black. Anything smaller than that doesn't read at walking pace.
Should I offer a reward?
If you can. £100 is enough to make a lukewarm finder call you instead of just hoping someone else does. State 'reward' rather than the amount on the poster — the actual amount is for the conversation.