Guidelines to Trapping Dogs Under Houses in New Orleans
Trapping Dogs Under Houses in New Orleans.
-Rachel McKay Laskowski
These are just guidelines and notes about my experiences. Every situation is different, so be patience and flexible.
Supplies: Five person team recommended. Minimum of Two Ketch poles. Orange construction fence, very useful. Cans of wet dog and cat food. Gloves, for crawling under houses. Long sleeve shirts and jeans. Flashlights. Leashes. Crates. A small digging tool is useful.
Team Members:
Everyone should have everyone team members cell phone numbers programmed in their phones.
One person should be designated team leader. This person will be the ultimate decision maker when choices need to be made, and sometimes made quickly. You will need at least two people who are willing to crawl and slither through dirt, mud, bones, dog poop, go through small claustrophobic areas, who can use a Ketch pole, who are not afraid of growling barking dogs, and are willing to get bruised up. The smaller the person the better.
Team members should also be able to run some distances, and be able to climb over fences with some speed. Not every person has to be so physically fit. A good map reader, and note taker/paper work person who is good with details is needed. Team members need to be patience. Some time will be spent outside of the house while others are underneath. Some dogs take over a half an hour to remove, and someone always need to keep an ear under the house to see what the people underneath the house may need, or need to communicate to those outside.
1. FINDING THE DOGS - Check out local school yards and large open spaces in the early morning and late afternoon/early evening. Ask neighbors where they have seen dogs.
2. FOLLOW, don’t chase, the dog/dogs back to their favorite house/den. Three cars and people hopping out on proceeding on foot when the dogs go where cars can’t go, make it possible to track a dog. (Cell phones come in very handy to you’re your missing teammates, and telling your teammates where the dogs went.) You will find that the dog may circle a large multi-block area many times until he ducks under somewhere. They tend not go outside of a territory. You may also find both male and females mark their territory as they are being followed.
3. THE DEN - They may duck under a house and immediately duck out again, and you may not be able to contain them now, but they are likely to come back to that house. Write down the address and make a mark on your map. Name the house or area, so it is easy to discuss it with your teammates. “Let’s go back to the flag house.” Or “Let’s go to the PT Cruiser school.” Chances are you will find them napping there in the middle of the day, or early in the morning of the next day. You may find more than one dog. Many times we found at least two, commonly three, and sometimes more. If you can not contain the dog the first time you may want to block of a few of the entrances and exits, but leave some open with a quick way to enclose them next time you are around. When entering a home, or enclosing the area underneath a home, ALWAYS close doors, or keep the area you have contained closed, until you have confirmed there are no more animals.
4. CONTAINING - If you find a dog or dogs under a house resting, or if you have followed one to a den, one person should keep and eye on the dog at all times. Try to always hop out of the car with a flashlight, leash, and can of food. You don’t want to waste time blocking off the house when the dog has already slipped out somewhere. All people should immediately close off any exit that is easy to close off. One person should be at the back of the house, one at the left side, one person at the right side, on person at the front. CALMLY begin to gather debris and block off the house. Don’t start blocking off the house until everyone is there in position. You don’t want to startle the dog and have him run out before you are done. If you have an orange construction fence spread it along the longest length of open space and add debris to hold down the bottom and top of it. If you have a number of dogs under one house and one or two get away, don’t worry. Concentrate on the one that is there. The others will most likely be back tomorrow.
5. EXTRA SECURE - The area where the dog ducked in should be extra secure. Any area that shows wear that the dog has been frequently entering and exiting should be extra secure. They dogs will and can push the debris over. Remember dogs can climb fences! Half of them will!
6. FOOD LURE - When the house is secure, if the dog seems friendly and not too scared try luring them out with food. Toss them a taste of the food. Place the Ketch pole around the food on the ground. Let the dog get a taste. Lift the pole slowly when they are feasting.
7. POLE UNDERNEATH - If food is not an option, when the house is secure, one or two people should go in with Ketch poles to catch the dog. Two other people should be watching the back and one side, and the front and one side. The third person will need to listen to the people underneath and relay information, and be a runner for items forgotten and needed. Before people go under communicate with the other team members what you are calling each side of the house. The front and back are usually obvious, but what you are calling the left and the right sides can be confusing. I recommended calling the left and right side of the house, by the name of the person that side. If the space is small and low the smaller person may be able to do it alone. If the space is open and the dog and people have more room to maneuver, two people will be needed. Plan a corner to corner the dog toward. Add extra debris and have a person stationed there ready to catch the dog if he breaks out. If the dog cannot be cornered, and it continues to bypass the people under the house, consider allowing the dog out from underneath the house into and area that you have blocked off and trap and pole the dog outside of the house. When two people are under the house, each person should be near the dog when it is cornered. Usually one person can nudge the dog into the other person Ketch pole with ease. The smarter dogs will press their heads to the ceiling making it difficult to get the Ketch pole over their heads. Sometimes you may need to dig under a beam to get under the house. Usually the houses have more room once you are underneath, but you may still need to dig under beams and pipes.
8. ON THE POLE - When you have the dog on the pole, some will walk out, others will have to be “dragged”. Keep the pole at the top of their neck, so as not to break their throat. If that is not possible, keep the pole to the side of their neck. I also suggest the second person be behind the dog to nudge him from the behind. Sometimes you may need to move each paw for the dog to get them out. Most are too scared to be interest in food at this point. Sometimes the second Ketch pole will be needed outside of the house, and you will have to double pole them to get them out.
9. CRATE - Once the dog is on the pole securely, one of the outside people should get a crate, and have it ready for the dog to put in immediately when they exit. If there are more dogs, go back under. Feed and water the dog. Do not give the dog too much water or they will throw up. Don’t forget to write down the address where the dog came from.
10. CELEBRATE & CROSS TRAIN - Celebrate and don’t forget to drink water yourself! Give yourself and your team a break in the middle of the day. Take a nap, have some lunch. Also diversify. Each person who is willing and capable should have a chance to go under to catch the dog. As volunteers come and go everyone should know how to do everything so they can teach those coming in.
Special Notes about Puppies:
Ever hear the expression, “like herding puppies!” Try it under a house! If you can, grab them by the scruff. To get them out from underneath the house, I found it useful to grab one front leg and have them hobble out, if you don’t have room to carry them. Try carrying a seven week old puppy out with only a foot of room under the house, with pipes in the way! A second person is very useful to pass the puppy to in difficult areas!
If they are bigger and grumpy, get a net or sheet or blanket to capture them. Interesting enough, in the two litters we caught the males were the last ones to be captures. They immediately fled to the farthest corner most difficult corner to get to.
-Rachel McKay Laskowski
These are just guidelines and notes about my experiences. Every situation is different, so be patience and flexible.
Supplies: Five person team recommended. Minimum of Two Ketch poles. Orange construction fence, very useful. Cans of wet dog and cat food. Gloves, for crawling under houses. Long sleeve shirts and jeans. Flashlights. Leashes. Crates. A small digging tool is useful.
Team Members:
Everyone should have everyone team members cell phone numbers programmed in their phones.
One person should be designated team leader. This person will be the ultimate decision maker when choices need to be made, and sometimes made quickly. You will need at least two people who are willing to crawl and slither through dirt, mud, bones, dog poop, go through small claustrophobic areas, who can use a Ketch pole, who are not afraid of growling barking dogs, and are willing to get bruised up. The smaller the person the better.
Team members should also be able to run some distances, and be able to climb over fences with some speed. Not every person has to be so physically fit. A good map reader, and note taker/paper work person who is good with details is needed. Team members need to be patience. Some time will be spent outside of the house while others are underneath. Some dogs take over a half an hour to remove, and someone always need to keep an ear under the house to see what the people underneath the house may need, or need to communicate to those outside.
1. FINDING THE DOGS - Check out local school yards and large open spaces in the early morning and late afternoon/early evening. Ask neighbors where they have seen dogs.
2. FOLLOW, don’t chase, the dog/dogs back to their favorite house/den. Three cars and people hopping out on proceeding on foot when the dogs go where cars can’t go, make it possible to track a dog. (Cell phones come in very handy to you’re your missing teammates, and telling your teammates where the dogs went.) You will find that the dog may circle a large multi-block area many times until he ducks under somewhere. They tend not go outside of a territory. You may also find both male and females mark their territory as they are being followed.
3. THE DEN - They may duck under a house and immediately duck out again, and you may not be able to contain them now, but they are likely to come back to that house. Write down the address and make a mark on your map. Name the house or area, so it is easy to discuss it with your teammates. “Let’s go back to the flag house.” Or “Let’s go to the PT Cruiser school.” Chances are you will find them napping there in the middle of the day, or early in the morning of the next day. You may find more than one dog. Many times we found at least two, commonly three, and sometimes more. If you can not contain the dog the first time you may want to block of a few of the entrances and exits, but leave some open with a quick way to enclose them next time you are around. When entering a home, or enclosing the area underneath a home, ALWAYS close doors, or keep the area you have contained closed, until you have confirmed there are no more animals.
4. CONTAINING - If you find a dog or dogs under a house resting, or if you have followed one to a den, one person should keep and eye on the dog at all times. Try to always hop out of the car with a flashlight, leash, and can of food. You don’t want to waste time blocking off the house when the dog has already slipped out somewhere. All people should immediately close off any exit that is easy to close off. One person should be at the back of the house, one at the left side, one person at the right side, on person at the front. CALMLY begin to gather debris and block off the house. Don’t start blocking off the house until everyone is there in position. You don’t want to startle the dog and have him run out before you are done. If you have an orange construction fence spread it along the longest length of open space and add debris to hold down the bottom and top of it. If you have a number of dogs under one house and one or two get away, don’t worry. Concentrate on the one that is there. The others will most likely be back tomorrow.
5. EXTRA SECURE - The area where the dog ducked in should be extra secure. Any area that shows wear that the dog has been frequently entering and exiting should be extra secure. They dogs will and can push the debris over. Remember dogs can climb fences! Half of them will!
6. FOOD LURE - When the house is secure, if the dog seems friendly and not too scared try luring them out with food. Toss them a taste of the food. Place the Ketch pole around the food on the ground. Let the dog get a taste. Lift the pole slowly when they are feasting.
7. POLE UNDERNEATH - If food is not an option, when the house is secure, one or two people should go in with Ketch poles to catch the dog. Two other people should be watching the back and one side, and the front and one side. The third person will need to listen to the people underneath and relay information, and be a runner for items forgotten and needed. Before people go under communicate with the other team members what you are calling each side of the house. The front and back are usually obvious, but what you are calling the left and the right sides can be confusing. I recommended calling the left and right side of the house, by the name of the person that side. If the space is small and low the smaller person may be able to do it alone. If the space is open and the dog and people have more room to maneuver, two people will be needed. Plan a corner to corner the dog toward. Add extra debris and have a person stationed there ready to catch the dog if he breaks out. If the dog cannot be cornered, and it continues to bypass the people under the house, consider allowing the dog out from underneath the house into and area that you have blocked off and trap and pole the dog outside of the house. When two people are under the house, each person should be near the dog when it is cornered. Usually one person can nudge the dog into the other person Ketch pole with ease. The smarter dogs will press their heads to the ceiling making it difficult to get the Ketch pole over their heads. Sometimes you may need to dig under a beam to get under the house. Usually the houses have more room once you are underneath, but you may still need to dig under beams and pipes.
8. ON THE POLE - When you have the dog on the pole, some will walk out, others will have to be “dragged”. Keep the pole at the top of their neck, so as not to break their throat. If that is not possible, keep the pole to the side of their neck. I also suggest the second person be behind the dog to nudge him from the behind. Sometimes you may need to move each paw for the dog to get them out. Most are too scared to be interest in food at this point. Sometimes the second Ketch pole will be needed outside of the house, and you will have to double pole them to get them out.
9. CRATE - Once the dog is on the pole securely, one of the outside people should get a crate, and have it ready for the dog to put in immediately when they exit. If there are more dogs, go back under. Feed and water the dog. Do not give the dog too much water or they will throw up. Don’t forget to write down the address where the dog came from.
10. CELEBRATE & CROSS TRAIN - Celebrate and don’t forget to drink water yourself! Give yourself and your team a break in the middle of the day. Take a nap, have some lunch. Also diversify. Each person who is willing and capable should have a chance to go under to catch the dog. As volunteers come and go everyone should know how to do everything so they can teach those coming in.
Special Notes about Puppies:
Ever hear the expression, “like herding puppies!” Try it under a house! If you can, grab them by the scruff. To get them out from underneath the house, I found it useful to grab one front leg and have them hobble out, if you don’t have room to carry them. Try carrying a seven week old puppy out with only a foot of room under the house, with pipes in the way! A second person is very useful to pass the puppy to in difficult areas!
If they are bigger and grumpy, get a net or sheet or blanket to capture them. Interesting enough, in the two litters we caught the males were the last ones to be captures. They immediately fled to the farthest corner most difficult corner to get to.
posted by Rachel H. McKay | 8:26 AM
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