Between 18,000-32,000 years ago, humans domesticated wolves and created what we know today as the domestic dog. Since then, dogs have changed humans and have had a major impact on our daily lives. Our relationship with dogs is not only important but constantly evolves as we find new ways to coexist. A Life of Dogs is a podcast that explores these remarkable relationships that we have created with dogs. Our podcast is unique in that it is not designed as a “how to” or as a training resource. Our podcast shares canine and human interest stories and sheds light into some mesmerizing connections between humans and dogs. A Life of Dogs is released monthly and is made possible by support from Highland Canine Training, LLC.
https://alifeofdogs.com
episode 1: Battle for the Alley
Rats have been reported in New York City since the colonial times. Today, scientists believe that the rat population has grown to over 2 million in NYC. New York has been called the “Worst Rat City in the World” by some. Most of the city’s rat population consists of the the Norwegian rat or Brown rat. Some Brown rats can grow to become two pounds and 20 inches in length. Controlling this population of disease carrying rodents is a huge challenge, but we found a group of hunting enthusiasts that are up for the challenge.
Ryders Alley, NYC
Ryders Alley is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in NYC. The Alley is a rather short corridor that is lined with rat poison bait boxes. This particular alley gave rise to the Ryders Alley Trencherfed Society, also known as R.A.T.S.R.A.T.S began in the 1990’s and was founded by Richard Reynolds. With an interest in preserving the working abilities of the terrier breeds, this group of volunteers venture out most weekends to hunt Brown Rats, also known as Norway Rats. These rats are much larger than most people imagine. Weighing in at around two pounds and growing up to 11 inches long, these creatures wreak havoc on the inhabitants of NYC.
The group uses a variety of breeds, most from the Terrier Group. These feisty little dogs are tenacious in their pursuit of rats. Terriers are known for chasing and killing vermin, even underground. As such, the dogs are typically divided into two groups, push dogs and catch dogs. “Push dogs” often burrow through trash piles and garbage bins, primarily using their noses, in order to push the rats from their hiding spots. The “Catch dogs” are incredibly fast and chase after and catch the rats as they flee from the garbage. This team effort is what makes this group of dogs so successful.
Patterdale Terrier with a rat.
Richard Reynolds with a Jagdterrier
R.A.T.S has become internationally known for their work in NYC, New Jersey and other parts of the United States.