why would you put fox terrier into your patterdales? fox terriers are no longer a working breed!!!what can they bring to the mix?? IMO if you are after proper workers then you are just about to waste the next 2 years rearing these pups. stick to workers from working stock in working breeds.its still hard to get them right but if you start adding non working blood then your just asking for trouble.
in there first year all i do is feed them and excercise them , thats it, they dont get out hunting untill i think they are ready or old enough to work.i used to in the past take pups out to watch digs etc but i found that i was too tempted to enter them too young if they were keen to go. i ruined 2 well bred pups by doing this and i will never do it again,so i leave them at home and let them be pups for their first year.
all my dogs are average size, the rough fell is 15 inch and so is the smooth black dog, the smooth is stronger than him. i do like a bigger dog tho, i have a few double bred pups that im hoping will be big, the sire is a strong tight 16 inch dog
the two pups in the right picture are real crackers, the young dog with the prick ears isnt much of a looker but who cars as long as he works mate, good luck with him/her hope it works out for ya
ok joe,the young bitch in my arms has been dug once so far and so has the young dog in the bottom pic, the dog in the top pic is very keen but his first time at quarry was in an earth at 2.2m, i didnt relise it was so deep and he came off after half an hour or so. but he is very keen searching holes so it only a matter of time before he meets the next one. he is well bred so i have big hopes for him. hopefully i will get him and the others a couple of handy digs over the next few months to get them going.
those are two fine russells, is the all white one a bitch? looks a strong compact terrier, a really like the dog in the top pic, proper looking russell