If it wants to it will

[MISTY 11]

Maybe things depend alot on the size of the tubes.

I have seen some dogs that looked like pure staffs, and a wheaten cross that must have been 30lb. Where these guys would have fit is anyones guess...

But we each keep a dog for a certain reason, so its all down to the dogs owner.

Some of those dogs would struggle to get to ground for sure ,and as you say its all down to the owner ,i believe some with such dogs suffer from a condition known as Hamsterous willious ,o otherwise known as hung like a hamster ,and the big dog is only an extension of there penis .

What a load of rubbish!

Maybe its the land you hunt but small dogs/bitches dont work here.

Horses for courses fella , ,oh small dogs/bitches do work there

[david2363 42]

The bigger terrier obviously has it's limitations as an out and out earth dog, I know that first hand from my 18" Bedlington dog - 18" and 27lb - about one and a half inches from being spannable. If there is a fox at home, he trys as hard as any terrier to reach it, but with limited success.

Seems to get further in the quarries etc. But I always live in fear of him getting stuck or in a cave in in normal earths.

My conclusion is that a medium size but powerful terrier is the smart choice.

 

[owl1 13]

got a little black bitch that says otherwise mustard lol

[bolty 45]

well don has you now if it cant get to hit it cant work it so size does matter . but its always handy to have more than tool in the box

[hedz31 1,308]

its all a load of crap its not the size of the tool that counts but how you use it or most definatley horses for courses you can have the gamest lump of a dog in the world if it cant get it simply cant get and smacks of lack of experiance if a terrier man would put a lump in an unsuaitable earth i often wonder whn you see these great lumps all scarred up being paraded round by lads if the dog is a grafter or has just been put to ground in an unsuitable earth and taken far to much uneeded flak due to its size hindering it, ive also dug to a few of these so called if it wants to it will to find the fox a good 3 and 4 feet still up a tube not because the terrier wasnt game enough but because it simply couldnt get this does happen with all sizes of terrier and cant be helped but surely you can avoid this as best you can by useing a suitably sized terrier in the first place

regards hedz

[sounder79 80]

If it's too big...it's too big. End of.

 

There are some situations where a dog will push through (light soils), but on the other hand the fox will be digging on itself in those situations and it needs a special dog to follow it tirelessly.

 

I had one last year in an old rabbit burrow with sandy soil. The fox was digging on faster than my bitch (who is very small BTW). We only managed to get it by sinking a second hole in front of the fox (with a bit of guestimation).

 

Some of the dogs bred these days are far too big, not in height (as a leggy dog will fit places you wouldnt believe), but in girth.

 

Up this end, a big dog is alright for parading the streets and shows (lol) but when it comes to actual graft, it is almost useless.

 

It aint the size of the dog, its the size of its heart. Thats what alot of the happy go luckys forget when they go breeding there staff x patts and their pigs on leashes.

 

Just my opinion.

 

FTB

your spot on there ftb leggy dogs will fit places you wouldnt believe

[genuine 81]

IMO if a terrier is too big it's too big and will be limited to where you can put him whether he has all the determination in the world or not.

I'd rather keep a smaller type, they work just as well in most situations and you can't make the excuse that they can't get to their quarry!

Misty, I think you might eat those words!!

 

Stevie

 

Well i completely disagree,we usually find the dog gets there,or there about but gets stuck 2ft back (only in tight spots) most holes we run are old Rat holes nice and spacey. If the dogs still there i just dig to the dog and open it up for him to push in! If you can trust your dog dig to him he wont be far behind mr red!

 

On the other hand this rarely ever happens as we use 4 different terrier that know most of the earths we work so we get a rough idea of which dog can do the job succesfully and as quickly as possible!

Edited July 12, 2010 by genuine

[Waz 4,266]

Appreciate some of your experience, but when I see 'picking the right dog for the right earth,' If you dont could it mean you dont get the result?

Can understand the time factor if that is the answer. When time isnt an issue would you put the wrong dog in the wrong earth, maybe for a bit more of a tester? or variety?

[donnyc 1,203]

Time factor doesnt come into it .I wouldnt put a big dog in a tightish chalk or a flinty place full stop .

[dean 11]

Time factor doesnt come into it .I wouldnt put a big dog in a tightish chalk or a flinty place full stop .

all that would do is lead to disaster heard of to many dogs go pop what a waste put the right dog in get the job done right hard to get good dogs easy to loose

[turnerboi 27]

for more of a tester you might try a youngish dog that needs a bit of bringing on or a deeper dig to find out there internal make up to make more time leave it there slightly longer, thats testing a terrier not putting a big dog in a small spot and expecting it to fail, you may challange a terrier with a deep rangy place if its got used to small easier spots but not give it a huge place and again expect it to fail, dogs need bringing on just like we are all brought on in the digging game

[TonyT 1,448]

Maybe things depend alot on the size of the tubes.

I have seen some dogs that looked like pure staffs, and a wheaten cross that must have been 30lb. Where these guys would have fit is anyones guess...

But we each keep a dog for a certain reason, so its all down to the dogs owner.

Some of those dogs would struggle to get to ground for sure ,and as you say its all down to the owner ,i believe some with such dogs suffer from a condition known as Hamsterous willious ,o otherwise known as hung like a hamster ,and the big dog is only an extension of there penis .

What a load of rubbish!

Maybe its the land you hunt but small dogs/bitches dont work here.

 

 

There are foxing dogs and digging dogs.......horses for courses. ......YIS T