Throwing a trap on the ground and hoping that your dog happens to jump in is like an outfielder closing his eyes and holding his ball glove open up in the air. Is there a chance that the ball will fall in it? Yes, I guess so. But there is a lot better chance of him catching the ball if he strategically uses all of his physical and mental powers to position himself to catch the ball. Remember, you have ONE chance to get this right. Make it count. A dog that has become scared of a humane trap will be very leery of going in again.
This is where “going slow will be faster than going fast”.
You already have your shy, lost dog coming to the feeding station. You are already seeing pictures of him eating on your trail camera. (if not, please go back and read those installments in the series) You have now added the trap to the “landscape” and it may take a few days for your dog to get accustomed to it. He will sense that something is different and strange. Your goal is to make that transition as easy as possible. Keep the feeding station at least 10 – 30 feet away from the trap at first. Use bungee cords or electrical ties to keep the trap open – so the door can’t come crashing down and scare him.
When you can see that the dog is comfortable in the trap, as this dog obviously is, then it is time to set the trap. For more information on safely trapping your lost dog visit our website for our trapping series: http://
Photo credit: Katie Campbell