A dog expert has revealed why Nicola Bulley's springer spaniel ran back and forth when the mother went missing.

A huge search operation has been launched since the 45-year-old vanished from St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire two weeks ago.

Police are still working on the theory that Ms Bulley fell in the River Wyre, despite extensive searches of the water over the last week. 

She was walking her springer spaniel, Willow, at the time of her disappearance but the dog was found 'bone dry' when detectives appeared at the scene.

Canine behaviour expert Nina Bondarenko said Willow likely stayed near the bench where her leash and Ms Bulley's phone was found because the pet 'wasn't sure what to do' and so stayed near a 'familiar smell'.

She added: 'They're bred for hunt and retrieve, and they're bred to flush out game, so they have to be very amenable to being handled at a distance, they have to be responsive at a distance.

'They were never bred as guard dogs. Some of the bigger hunt and retrieve breeds were but these were never, they were always just jolly, intense little working dogs, flushing out game.'

Meanwhile, Ross McCarthy, another canine behaviour expert, told the Express: 'It all depends on the dog's association with water and their relationship with the owner and so on, as to whether they would jump in.

'Presumably this dog has been walked along the canal and water often and been discouraged from going in or naturally just avoided going in. 

'It would be a strange occurrence from the dog's perspective - but outside of Disney and in exceptional cases - dogs don't jump in to save owners.'

It comes as photographs yesterday emerged of Willow swimming in the River Wyre - after police suggested the mother may have gone into the water to help her pet when it ran into trouble.

Lancashire Police and private diving company Specialist Group International (SGI) have both conducted extensive searches along the river, but have so far found no trace of the mortgage adviser.

Police continue to work under the hypothesis that Ms Bulley slipped into the water, possibly while trying to help her dog, and drowned. But Willow was completely dry when her phone was found laid on a bench next to her roaming dog, close to the water's edge.

A picture has now been revealed showing Willow happily swimming in the same river - implying she would not have been concerned if he had entered the water.

It shows Willow lying in the water with a tennis ball in his mouth as he looks towards the camera, The Mirror reports.

The picture was taken on July 5, 2022, with the caption reading: 'A quick morning walk before a busy day ahead! Willow living her best life!'

It comes as police dive teams have now moved their search towards the sea after SGI abandoned their search of the river earlier this week.

It has also emerged that investigators could be trying to trace a 'tatty' red van parked near to where Ms Bulley vanished two weeks ago, after two witness reported it to police.