Got tips to make a dog trap?

I was gonna post this in Pets Forum but since this doesn't pertain to a "pet" was hoping to get some ideas here.

We've had a new dog move into the neighborhood. He's jumped out of he pen several times and now the owners cant catch him, and the dog won't go back home. He lives in the woods, basically terrorizes us and the surrounding neighbors. He's even been up on our deck to get to the cat and the catfood. He's skittish and runs away, won't come to me, and looks just scary enuff that I think if I could grab him by the collar he may easily freak out and bite me in retaliation. He's got a head like a Rottweiler and a body just smaller than that breed.

I have Havahart traps but certainly nothing that big.

Surely there must be some type of ingenious idea out there. Anyone remember anything from old "jungle movies"? Maybe build a large pen to lure him into that would have a trigger to shut the gate somehow. (I think he is most active at nite.)

Sounds like someone (maybe you, Shoe)should disguise themselves as a T bone steak or hamburger meat and sit in a cage holding the trigger to shut the door when you are both cosily settled in. Sorry, best I could do!!!!!!!!!! No need to thank me, however!

Poor thing, I wonder what those folks did to him to make him like that. I'd call animal control to come. If they can't get him on the spot, they'll trap him.

HAH!...what a site THAT would be! I believe at the sound of that gate crashing shut me and that dog BOTH would be running circles in that cage!

Ah-hmmm...any more suggestions! ;>)

You mean you actually need me to think of another solution????????? This is quite a strain on the old brain, you know!
All joking aside, the animal control folks might be the best answer if you have such a unit in your area. Also, some vets can shoot them with tranqualizer guns to enable them to be captured. We have a friend in Texas with a Great Pyraneese (sp?) sheep dog that he has to tranquilize to medically treat him since the dog has never been tamed as a pet but is a working protector of the sheep.

What about a box trap? You and Alex could lie in wait, rope in hand, as he scouted out the big blob of peanut butter. Like the chihuahua says, though, "I theeenk I need a beeeger box"!

Couldn't animal control use some sort of tranquilizer dart? Or what about you...Are those legal to buy? You could be like Marlyn Perkins, LOL...

Shoe~ How about a little larger version of a rabbit box?

Remington makes foolproof traps.

Soooooo, are you calling Shoe a fool? ;) Ack!!

There is a spray that is made that will repel pets. It works primarily for dogs and cats. It's supposed to be used in flower beds, if a cat is scratching furniture, etc. It smells like wet cement. I'm wondering if you know the area of your property the dog enters, maybe you could spray that area. I'm afraid if you used it on your deck, it would affect your own pets. The only other thing I can think of is using something like a pepper spray if the dog comes around when you can spray him. Or even ammonia spray, something that the scent would scare him and hopefully he would never come back. Dogs running loose can be a real pain the neck. Good Luck!

Wow...good suggestions, thanks. I've thought about a lot of these...especially the rabbit trap, Ivey! I guess I'd have to build a mighty big one for this size of dog, but the trigger/drop-down door could be incorporated.
GW, I sure wish I could get some tranquilizer darts...that would be the way to go! As for being a fool...hehehe, "you can't fool an old fool"!

Vic...it would be great to have one of those paint guns fully loaded, eh? Shoot at the dog, painting the dog in the process, "flavor" the paint with some kind of stink...he'd be so humiliated he would't WANT to show his face around here!

Yeah! Put cat scent on him. ;)

Hmmm...fresh outta cat scent. Have plenty of human urine tho. That would make him want to re-mark his territory, and he'd spend his days aiming at himself, eh?

In all seriousness...,

You should contact a public agency such as animal control for help.

There are a few reasons for this:

Potential injury to yourself in restraining the dog.

Potential injury to the dog in you restraining him.

Current legal theory holds that if the dog is injured by you, even in the process of diminishing a public nusiance, you could be found to have financial responsibility, as the dog is the property of another party.

It's a terrible shame that this animal has been poorly treated and so behaves in this way. I actually feel quite sorry for the pooch (and you for your inconveniance).

Adam.

get a large dog crate,one of the wire show cages.get a doggie door the correct size for the dog.Attach the doggie door to the door portion of the dog crate.Adjust the doggie door to only open in(so he can go in and not come out.)

Then just put food(or garbage,they love the smell of garbage...LOL)inside,place the crate in a area he is known to frequent.

It is sad that a dog is like that ,but it is not always the owners that make a dog the way he is,sometimes its in the breeding ,and the owners maybe confused as to how to handle a dog like that(I'm not saying they are not at fault)They should have gotten some training........

Hey, a one-way doggie door...What a GREAT idea!

Shoe...Usually Animal Control will loan you a large cage....you bait it and when it captures the said animal....call animal control...they will pick it up...unless you are in Lakeland, Fl and it captures a wild animal....such as a racoon or opposum...then it's your baby to dispose of as they only pick up domestic animals. Go figure!! Jo

I agree CC. That is the type of trap I was thinking of making somehow. I also agree that it could or could NOT be the owners fault...dogs are certainly individuals and each has their own way about them.
Also I hear what you say Adam. It is true about the legal ramifications. There was a case somewhere nearby some time back when someone shot a trespassing dog and was then sued for it. Apparently unless the dog is in the act of inflicting bodily harm you cannot just shoot them and get away with it. (Altho I'm sure many will shoot and not say anything about it.)

If I can come up w/a good trap I will. If not, I'll call the animal cops next wk. However, I also know how that system works, too. They catch the dog, notify the owners, they come down and bail their dog out, go home, and again the dog escapes. Hopefully after paying the fine a couple times they will make sure the dog is fully contained so it won't get out over and over.

Thumbs upon your idea CC, I like it.

Horseshoe: It sounds logical that poor breeding could cause the sorts of behavioral problems you are talking about. I have never had a dog and don't know anything about them first hand.

Even accidental injury to the animal in the act of restraining it could open you to financial penalty. Forget KILLING it ~~~ that might be a criminal offense in your state, IT IS IN NY STATE.

CC's trap idea sounds pretty cool and safe to me.

Good luck solving what sounds like a really terrible nusiance.

Adam.

I like CC's trap. Also think animal control may tell you how and what to do. Our Extension Office furnishes traps for racoons , possum, etc. don't know if they have any bigger traps, but could probably tell you where you might get help, before he kills your cat or bites someone. Good luck!.

hmmm Thinking along the Jungle idea....what about the way they show catching a lion. Dig a hugh hole and cover it with thin limbs and leaves, then place the food in the middle of it so he will fall into the hole when he goes after the food.
OR how about how they do on Giligan's Island when they are trapping a lion or usually Giligan winds up in it LOL But a hugh net or tarp that is spread out on the ground tie all the corners with a rope, then throw the rope over a tree limb....then sit by and wait for him to get your bait....then once he's on the tarp....pull it up off the ground!! Now as what you are suppose to do with him after catching him in eaither one of these traps...I don't have a clue! Just being silly I guess! LOL

Mollybee...I like your ideas! What a sense of adventure! I can just see me sitting there, waiting patiently, holding my rope, and when I see it's the proper time, yank it up hard and trapping that dog in a net! Just like pullin' in a huge catfish and hangin on for dear life! Then just tie the rope/net off to a nearby tree and go get the owner, or the county dog people. What great fun, eh?

I'll work w/ALL these suggestions, folks. Will let you know what I decide. Many many thanks!

Good Luck Shoeman!

In the now far distant past, I worked for a huge kennel (with many semi-tame dogs) and when one of the dogs got out of its kennel we baited the kennel or another one with food that smelled really good and waited at a distance and when the dog wandered in we pulled a rope which shut the gate and trapped the dog. Sometimes it would take a few feedings of the goodies for the dog to get to staying in there long enough to trap but eventually it worked on all of the dogs. Cat food usually smells really good to a dog as does fried chicken (without the bones, of course). Just be sure that the kennel that you are trying to trap the dog in is strong and maybe covered if this dog is an escape artist. Good Luck.

Ponditis, what a great idea. I am putting this info. in my computer pet file for future reference just in case I ever need it. One never knows when such tidbits of knowledge will come in handy.

Well Shoe, if I wanted to make a dog trap the first thing I'd do is figure out what it is I wanted him to trap....

Seriously though, have you spoken with the owners? They may have some ideas about what they can do about the animal. We had a dog we took out of a shelter once that was all sweet until he got loose and then he went wild and started chasing and terrorizing the countryside. We finally had to have the animal shot because he was attacking farm animals and killed several calves. The local SPCA had traps but none were large enough and the county sheriffs office tried hunting him with darts but he avoided them and they couldn't spend enough man hours to track him down.

Well, good news so far, I think. But first to answer Zany's question...Yep, we talked to the owners last week. That is how we found out he was jumping their fence, and how he wasn't coming back home to them (even tho he was in the same neighborhood, and usually in the woods across the street from them). They said "he is a nice dog" but yet he wouldn't come when called, and was very skittish around others.
And now!...this morning while my DW was out running she noticed the dog was back at the neighbors house, was not in his pen but was tied to a cable. Yay! So, I guess either someone else caught him (like the animal people?) or they were able to coax him home.
I think I'll go up and visit sometime and offer them some extra fence I have, to make their dog pen higher so the dog can't jump out. I hate to see a dog chained, would rather it be in a pen w/more freedom of movement.

Wish us all luck folks. Who knows, this Houdini dog may also learn to work wonders with collars and chains!

or....learn to dig out. We built a 6 ft. high fence and then we had to bury heavy duty wire on the ground all around our entire back yard. Not a cheap thing but it buffaloed her. The things that we will do for our beloved pets is unbelievable.

I surely identify with that digging out, Elena. We have to build a new pen for our dogs this spring and bury fence underground too as our one older dog has decided that she needs to dig out of anything we have put her in lately. She is 8 years old and has just now gotten scared of guns and things that go bump in the night and will dig out faster than a speeding bullet. You can't stop a 120 dog who has her mind made up either. LOL I love this dog so much that she will just get a new pen though. :)

Glad they have the animal under control again and think your offer of extra fencing is a very neighborly thing to do. If they have to keep the animal chained I hope they at least put up a cable run for it. That way the animal can move about more and if the cable is the right length it will not get tangled up so easily.

But the important thing is that a potentialy dangerous situation for all has been remedied with the dog being under control again.

Shoe, if you do get tranquilizers, don't take them. A cup of chamomile tea and a hot bath can do wonders.

Hi Ponditis, I really think I have a screw loose in my brain somewhere. My yard is my pride and joy and my dogs are ruining it. My 11 year old begal mix is the digger. She can dig faster than a speeding bullet. Now the dog that we picked up at the rest stop Labor Day (a Maremma sheepdog)is ruining all my shrubs, etc. We are putting chicken wire around everything and I have no idea what he will decide to demolish when we get everything circled. He just chews off the branches of everything including the roses with awful briars. It sort of destroys the lovely effects in the yard when everything has a fence around it. We live on 3/4 of an acre so the dog has lots of running space but he is about a year old and would go nuts caged in. Guess the dog wins!!!!!Now when folks come to see my LOVELY yard I can show them the really tiny front yard!

We're hoping to fence in our yard come spring, and we'll be going with chain link for cost reasons. I think we might make a concrete footer all along the fenceline, for Emma loves to dig and I can see her weaseling her way out of the yard!

Elena, The maremma is really bored with the life he has is what this sounds like. SOmetimes obedience training can help for these matters as it gives the dog a job to do rather than the seek out and destry mission. Also trying to put the dog feces into EVERY hole that the dog digs discourages some dogs but by no means does it work for every dog. Make time to play a lot with this dog as it needs a lot more attention. The maremma was bred to live with the sheep and guard them from predators so it has a real job that takes a lot of energy as its territory is large around a large band of sheep. These sheep guardian dogs can have a real mind of their own. You just may get lucky and it will grow out of this with time. Good luck.

Kimberly, Be sure to use the bottom and top rails on the chain link and put in those footers fairly deep so that if and when Emma tries to dig out the concrete stops her. Stay vigilent about filling her holes back up and you may have success with her. Good luck.

Thanks Ponditis,
You are "right on" with your analyais of the situation. We have done loads of internet research on the breed. He is barely more than a year old and full of energy. We have a fenced in yard but it is a wooden fence that he only has a few places to peep out. We have placed a huge wooden picnic table on the patio so he can see over the fence to know what he is guarding us against. That looks terrible too. I have bought lots of toys and he ignores them all. He likes natural stuff. He gets in the compost and drags out anything he can find. Yesterday he found two nice big turnips that he was throwing around. We have a stack of limbs of all sizes on the opposite side of the yard from his favorite area. Those are for him to drag over to his favorite place (out in the open yard so he can see everything going on in the yard). He loves to toss around cold drink containers until he smushes them flat. I always have those laying in his favorite area and on and on. Our beagel plays with him a lot but she gets tired much sooner than he does and wants to sleep more than he does. We are having him altered in a couple of weeks. My 17 year old granddaughter who lives directly behind us comes and gets him and takes him with her to socialize him. He gets to ride all over the place and visit with lots of folks. He even gets to go to pet stores. LOL! She takes him over to her house to be with her in the den when she studies at night. We are in the yard a lot of the time but not enough to keep him company all the time. He is such a big dog that I haven't started bringing him in my house as I am just not equipped for that right now. When the other dog dies I will be forced to do that I know. Hubby is 71 and I am 66 and we have no plans to get another dog when she dies. Of course we didn't plan on getting her or the Maremma either. LOL One never knows what one will do until faced with a situation that requires one to pull up the old bootstraps and give it a try. The maremma is indeed an independant thinking dog and that is something we do understand. I wish I had a farm and some sheep for him, but that is not a possibility. He is just going to have to learn to live with what we can do for him. I am willing to sacrifice my yard for him but not my life. LOL! We still don't know if he was dumped or if he wandered away from a farm. He is an escape artist so he could likely have wandered off. We could never find out anything in that area and he wasn't marked in any way with an identification. Wherever he came from, he wasn't safe where we found him. This is better than being a stray and it is also better than living with someone who doesn't understand his independant nature.

Good for you for at least trying to live with this dog, Elena. A lot of people would have given up on him by now. I love my Pyrenees dogs but sometimes they can really be problem children too. I am sure that he is loving and wonderful when he really is the center of attention but this digging can be the straw that broke the former owners backs. Good luck with him.

Thanks Ponditis,
My daughter-in-laws' father and uncle raise Pyrenees dogs in Texas. They have them guarding the sheep and also they breed them to sell to other sheep farmers. He is one of the people we talked to when we first got our dog. From what I can read the maremma and the pyrenees are slightly related as of many, many moons ago. I think they must have a lot of the same tendencies toward guarding and wanting control of the household and the yard. Our little begal mix dog is the alpha dog though. She has him entirely in control and he in turn wants to control us. I had never experienced that before but am learning. He is low man on the totem pole but doesn't quite know that yet. Ha! He tries to cut her off when we are petting them and tries to herd us around the yard. When we don't herd well, he falls down right in front of us on his back to be petted. He is smart but we hopefully are smarter. LOL!

He is a wonderful guard dog and we are glad of that as we have had some rapes in our immediate area and I was always afraid to go into my back yard at night until we got him. Our other dog is always concerned with chasing squirrels and critters and isn't a lot of benefit in that catagory. LOL Even if my back yard gets to looking like Omaha Beach, it is nice having a guard dog. Send me your email address and I will send you pictures if you have the ability to open attachments. I feel pretty sure we have him identified properly but you might give me your opinion after seeing him.

The only problem we haven't been able to solve to our satisfaction is his ferociously growling at us when we want him to do something he doesn't want to do. (He may have been dumped for that very reason. Someone who didn't understand the breed might have handled the situation badly and made him worse.) He doesn't want anyone near his food bowl when he is eating and he growls at us if we try to take his collar and lead him anywhere if he doesn't want to go. He has never tried this with my granddaughter as he seems to consider her his personal person. He won't even let us close enough to pet him if she is with him. He will growl quite seriously if we try to pet him if she has him beside her. She keeps him muzzled when she takes him anywhere just in case he gets possessive of her and tries to bite someone. (He hasn't even growled at anyone yet.)He doesn't object to her putting the muzzle on him or actually to anything she does. She's had to grab his collar twice to keep him from charging one of us when we tried to pet him, which was scary for us all. We always fuss at him but he has been the winner because we have been afraid of him. I am considering getting a shock collar to try to train him not to growl. Do you have any ideas on that? If some workman needed to come into the yard for some reason, we are wondering if we would have any luck getting him to let us put his leash on and lead him to our basement to our dog cage area. We are forced now to not let anyone come into the back yard. I really hate to pen him up on a regular basis since he needs the exercise and the freedom to roam the whole yard. (We may have to build an escape proof pen for him even though I hate the idea of him being penned. Maybe later we will have the courage to put his muzzle on him and then let family members in the yard. We just aren't sure now what he will allow us to do. I think that if we have treats handy we can persuade him if there is no one else around to get his interest but we aren't even sure of that. As I said, as long as he is doing what he wants to do he is a sweetie pie but he can't be counted on to always be that way if it goes against what he wants. Any ideas you have will be appreciated. And no...we haven't even considered getting rid of him. We figure that with time we can work it all out. I don't think anyone else would try as hard as we will and I certainly won't consider putting him to sleep.

Oh well...so much for that! That dang dog is once again on the loose! Sure lasted long, eh? Weezin, pass me my tranquilizers. (Or did you recommend tea?) ô¿ô

Sorry I sabatoged the thread Horseshoe. Hope they get him back in the pen soon.

Ah, Shoe, here's a cup of chamomile tea laced with a tranquilizer! I've got a nice tub of lavender bathwater waiting for you, and aroma therapy candles to mellow you out. There is a fuzzy warm bathrobe hanging on the bathroom door. If all that doesn't work, I've left our Sheridan air rifle by the door... give it a try! Just remember, don't pump it up past the 'get out of here without a flesh wound level'!