A North Vancouver family is getting help from a local search and rescue group to find their beloved 18-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog, who went missing on a mountain trail in the care of pet-sitters.

For the last four days, Tracie Schandor has been scouring the rugged Baden Powell Trail in North Vancouver for any sign of their 18-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog, Hurley.

"We're absolutely shattered. This is like looking for a needle in a haystack," she said.

Tracie, her husband Darwin, and two children, aged 8 and 10, were spending March break in Maui last week when they got the phone call from their pet-sitter that no owner wants: the agency had lost their dog.

The $45 a day pet-sitting service, which Tracie doesn't want to name because they are aiding the search, said they were walking him off-leash on the Dream Weaver trail in North Vancouver when he "just ran away."

"They said he just took off, but he's never done anything like that before," she said.

Tracie said her family had used the agency in the past because it uses GPS tracking collars – but they didn't use the tracking device on this outing, saying her dog had always exhibited good behaviour on mountain hikes.

Tracie said she's disappointed.

"If you leave your child at a daycare, you expect to return to find them happy and there. A dog is no different. This is like a member of your family."

The Schandors aren't alone in their efforts to find Hurley.

In addition to the hordes of complete strangers who have taken to the mountainous terrain of the North Shore with leash in hand in an effort to find the puppy, local search and rescue is also pitching in.

A member of North Shore Rescue volunteered to go up in a helicopter, commissioned by the family, to scour the area by air. The member found dog tracks in the snow, a hopeful sign, as it was ruled out that the prints being made by other animals. They were unaccompanied, meaning the tracks weren't made by someone out walking their dog.

Crews also drove the family into a restricted area near the watershed so they could call Hurley's name in hopes he would hear the voices of his owners.

Posters are plastered at the entrance of every major trailhead and the family has now hired a private helicopter to survey the mountainous terrain.

A Facebook group has been set up to share information and any possible sightings. There are two postings of paw prints found at the top of Dream Weaver, and a picture of the area where barking was heard earlier today.

Tracie said she's trying to remain hopeful, even as hopes of finding their puppy decrease.

"When we have to walk home empty-handed every night and tell the kids their dog isn't home it's absolutely heartbreaking," she said.

There is a $1,000 reward for the return of Hurley. He is very friendly and, like most dogs, responds well to treats.

It has now been six days since he was last seen.