How old to start work?

[terrierjohn 49]

13 month all my dogs start to work fox

but i also work them to bunnys mostly my 5yr old bitch as she now knows not to go to ground for bunnys

but is a dead sert to do fox below my 2yr old dog is used on the lead to mark burrows as

i believe this to bring the best out of thier nose

more so when young before fox work starts and so far in all 4 and a half years of taking

the old bitch out i have oly had to dig her out with 1 bunny as i said though

she now knows not to go to ground for bunnys my 2yr old dog however will go to ground for anything at the moment though with time he will soon be like the old bitch

i do also agree with you bud but like i said the ground i do my foxex on there arent many rabbits and the old bitch has been doing it that often she will not go to ground for a rabbit but when it is a fox she is away below

and in the 4 and a half year she has been out she has only went to ground once for a rabbit and she was 11 month old she is now 5 but my 2yr old dog will so he only really come ferreting an odd time and its on the lead to watch the old bitch and as i said i used to keep different dogs for different jobs but nowadays i like to keep all rounders and ive only been hunting for 15yr but thats long enough to know what i want from my dogs and i like them to be able to hunt whatever quarry is around not just the 1

for instance if i go out with a dog that only does fox but i dont come across 1 to ground but i see some bunnys go to a burrow them i have to walk past them but if my dog does both then i can put the ferret in and go home with dinner thats what i like so much about the old bitch is she will mark a rabbit then when i start puttin nets down she will automatically sit above the holes whereas when it is a fox she will go straight down its just what she has been trained to do

 

 

The age doesn't concern me at all, 12-18 months, and as for never reading so much shite, well if you want to dig to your dog, scratching away up a tight tube to a bunny so be it! Dogs for jobs, i would leave it for the ferrets or lurchers! Im sure many people would agree!

your opinion means absolutly feck all to me bud as i said my old bitch dont go to ground for bunnys she knows when the ferrets are in the box she is to work above ground not below and when the ferrets are not out she knows its her turn to go below and anyway what difference is it to you or anybody else its my choice and if i have to dig the dog out for a bunny then so be it i dont care if its a bunny or not when i go out for foxes its generally on ground where there are no bunnys so when she goes to ground its fox only and if i want to work my terriers to bunnys then i will

you carry on bud you seem to know it all.

i never claimed to know it all

but i do know my dogs and i will carry on as my dogs are here to work no matter what it is they are working

i use them as all round dogs on all quarry and they do it well so im more than happy with what i do and how i use them

i used to have differnt dogs for different jobs but now i just keep the 2 terriers and a lurcher and i do what i do the same as everyone else does what they do with their dogs

like i said you carry on.all i know is if you use a terrier for rabbits and fox at some time you will be digging to a rabbit when you think its a fox.i mite be rong as iv only been in the game for 30 ode years

[moi654321 17]

13 month all my dogs start to work fox

but i also work them to bunnys mostly my 5yr old bitch as she now knows not to go to ground for bunnys

but is a dead sert to do fox below my 2yr old dog is used on the lead to mark burrows as

i believe this to bring the best out of thier nose

more so when young before fox work starts and so far in all 4 and a half years of taking

the old bitch out i have oly had to dig her out with 1 bunny as i said though

she now knows not to go to ground for bunnys my 2yr old dog however will go to ground for anything at the moment though with time he will soon be like the old bitch

 

 

The age doesn't concern me at all, 12-18 months, and as for never reading so much shite, well if you want to dig to your dog, scratching away up a tight tube to a bunny so be it! Dogs for jobs, i would leave it for the ferrets or lurchers! Im sure many people would agree!

your opinion means absolutly feck all to me bud as i said my old bitch dont go to ground for bunnys she knows when the ferrets are in the box she is to work above ground not below and when the ferrets are not out she knows its her turn to go below and anyway what difference is it to you or anybody else its my choice and if i have to dig the dog out for a bunny then so be it i dont care if its a bunny or not when i go out for foxes its generally on ground where there are no bunnys so when she goes to ground its fox only and if i want to work my terriers to bunnys then i will

you carry on bud you seem to know it all.

i never claimed to know it all

but i do know my dogs and i will carry on as my dogs are here to work no matter what it is they are working

i use them as all round dogs on all quarry and they do it well so im more than happy with what i do and how i use them

i used to have differnt dogs for different jobs but now i just keep the 2 terriers and a lurcher and i do what i do the same as everyone else does what they do with their dogs

like i said you carry on.all i know is if you use a terrier for rabbits and fox at some time you will be digging to a rabbit when you think its a fox.i mite be rong as iv only been in the game for 30 ode years

 

+1 a terrier is solely for earth work,for rabbiting youd be better of with a bedlington whippet in my opinion,you may have an exeption in the dog you speak of (everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt),but to me a terriers place is dealing with vermin below ground,not above, just remember you cannot scold your dog when youve dug 10ft to a rabbit,this is a problem you'd have created,not your dog!

[fensaluki 35]

To be honest If somebody is happy to dig to their terrier whilst its marking a bunny then thats up to them even if it does sound a little strange to me.

My issue with earth dogs markng rabbits is i've known and seen far to many terriers killed in deep places with tight tubes. Surely if you want a dog to work bunnys get one for the job and let him enjoy it without worry and break your earth dogs to rabbits and keep him away from them all together.

 

Its a hard enough to loose one of our little workers at the best of times even though we all know its a risk we take but personly if I allowed a terrier of mine to work rabbits and then dug to him starved of air in a tight place dead with a rabbit in front of him I'm not sure how I would forgive my self.

 

Only my opinion.

 

ATB

[terrierjohn 49]

i totally agree with what is said and if i have to dig 10 12 15ft for a rabbit then so be it as i said the traditional way of a terrier is they way i used to keep them just nowadays like an all rounder and my old bitch is an exception and there is lads on this site that has and still do see her work this bitch has been put to ground as a friends dog was lost to ground with no coller(accidental) and the earth had caves in on the dog and where 3 other dogs couldnt find the lost dog my bitch went down dug through the cave in and pushed on to finnish the fox the lost dog came out gasping for air the next day she was out ferreting and i totally accept the views of yourself and fish but i like they way i personally work my dogs different to everyone else

[terrierjohn 49]

i also know that most folk will dissagree with me but 8yr ago i had the same thinking on this subject as you all just over the yrs started working my dog in a different way

[genuine 81]

i totally agree with what is said and if i have to dig 10 12 15ft for a rabbit then so be it as i said the traditional way of a terrier is they way i used to keep them just nowadays like an all rounder and my old bitch is an exception and there is lads on this site that has and still do see her work this bitch has been put to ground as a friends dog was lost to ground with no coller(accidental) and the earth had caves in on the dog and where 3 other dogs couldnt find the lost dog my bitch went down dug through the cave in and pushed on to finnish the fox the lost dog came out gasping for air the next day she was out ferreting and i totally accept the views of yourself and fish but i like they way i personally work my dogs different to everyone else

 

If you totally agree with what is said, why do you say you read so much rubbish on here??

 

I know people that have terriers that will work both rabbit and fox and they are the people i would not dig with, they are a minority!

 

If i have a dog thats 120% fox dog and marked fox to ground, we enter your terrier to find it has gone to a bunny instead of charlie, i would rather !

[terrierjohn 49]

i totally agree with what is said and if i have to dig 10 12 15ft for a rabbit then so be it as i said the traditional way of a terrier is they way i used to keep them just nowadays like an all rounder and my old bitch is an exception and there is lads on this site that has and still do see her work this bitch has been put to ground as a friends dog was lost to ground with no coller(accidental) and the earth had caves in on the dog and where 3 other dogs couldnt find the lost dog my bitch went down dug through the cave in and pushed on to finnish the fox the lost dog came out gasping for air the next day she was out ferreting and i totally accept the views of yourself and fish but i like they way i personally work my dogs different to everyone else

 

If you totally agree with what is said, why do you say you read so much rubbish on here??

 

I know people that have terriers that will work both rabbit and fox and they are the people i would not dig with, they are a minority!

 

If i have a dog thats 120% fox dog and marked fox to ground, we enter your terrier to find it has gone to a bunny instead of charlie, i would rather !

can you folk not read or something my bitch will not go to ground for rabbits so when she goes to ground its 100% fox she goes and there is plenty of ppl round me that dig with me some are on this site and they have seen her work and not one of them would doubt that when shes at ground its a fox its guaranteed to be fox when she goes below plain and simple fact is i am working my dogs different to what i used to and thats all there is about it and im happy with them so being someone that you would not go digging with means nothing to me i probably wouldnt want to go digging with you either Edited November 4, 2010 by terrierjohn

[taz2010 1,297]

OK thanks il just sick to the bunnys then til shes about 18 mnths

 

Dont like earth dogs working bunnys myself

i agree

[.terrier man. 193]

You can usaully tell with the dogs i work if its a rabbit or something bigger by the way the dog marks the earth,(a lot more excited and eager if its not a bunny) and if you are stupid enogh to leave your dog off its lead near an earth and it goes to ground on a rabbit the owner should be shot not the terrier.

[terrierjohn 49]

You can usaully tell with the dogs i work if its a rabbit or something bigger by the way the dog marks the earth,(a lot more excited and eager if its not a bunny) and if you are stupid enogh to leave your dog off its lead near an earth and it goes to ground on a rabbit the owner should be shot not the terrier.

thats what ive been saying tm my bitch refuses to go to ground for bunnys so when she does go below its guaranteed to be fox when i have the ferrets in the box she knows its the ferrets time to work and when i only have the shovel and when i test the batts in the locator as soon as she hears the knockin from the box its her turn its the way she has learned and been trained like i said before i never used to work rabbits with the terriers for the same reason as everyone else but you always get at least one dog that will be totaly different and stand out above the rest and my bitch is one of them and to be working her for 4 and a half yr and only had to dig her to 1 bunny isnt bad and is guaranteed digging to her for fox week in week out dependind on punishment she is sometimes out digging fox 3 times a week has been since 13 month old

Edited November 4, 2010 by terrierjohn

[afan 6]

ok guys thanks , il let her mark up on the lead.

[terrierjohn 49]

atb with your dog afan whichever way you choose to work it

[afan 6]

cheers