stormyboy 1,352 Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 yet to see a good plummer there maybe some about but none of the proper digging lads i no entertain them up on the hill more for showing and pets and odd bit of work ,saw a few crossed but hit and miss dogs, i no they make good bushing and ratting dogs old mate had one but not a serous terrrier mans dog They dont exist because you haven't seen one? I've never seen your dogs whin-that doesnt make them crap! Or because some hill keepers that you know dont use them? Hardly a valid argument whin. Quote Link to post
jakk 6 Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 Surely it is our job to preserve the working side of the Plummers? I too believe they were bred as ratters looking at their shape etc. Its not the be all and end all if a dog doesn't go to ground it makes sense to buy a patterdale etc for that job to me. If a terrier excels at ratting then use it for ratting. Would you buy a Ferrari to go rallying? or a cocker spaniel to work as a pointer on a grouse moor? of course you wouldn't you use the correct tool for the job in hand. Quote Link to post
matt32 44 Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 it seems strange to me that people would want to breeed a line of terriers that are only good for rats and bushing,surely you would want to breed and own a terrier thats capable and game enough to do everything and if you dont want to do earthwork with it you dont,a terrier that doesnt want to go to ground lacks heart in my opinion and heart i thought was supposed to be what terriers are about.considering the price they are i would want them to be capable of more than just one job,i think once working dogs start to be bred for money and shows rather than ability then its a slippery slope. Quote Link to post
jakk 6 Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 it seems strange to me that people would want to breeed a line of terriers that are only good for rats and bushing,surely you would want to breed and own a terrier thats capable and game enough to do everything and if you dont want to do earthwork with it you dont,a terrier that doesnt want to go to ground lacks heart in my opinion and heart i thought was supposed to be what terriers are about.considering the price they are i would want them to be capable of more than just one job,i think once working dogs start to be bred for money and shows rather than ability then its a slippery slope. To be honest I'm a ratter at heart I work my J.R's on them with quite a bit of success. I have also been out numerous times with a keeper in North Yorkshire digging foxes and enjoyed it thoroughly, His dogs were Patterdale crosses that he and a few other keepers had bred between their various dogs and they were bred the best dog to the best bitch without any hang ups of whether the end product was pure because the pup's were either kept back or given to friends and not ever for profit. I do like Plummers and will source a few in the next few years purely for ratting but I do understand why people do not like that they can't or are less willing go to ground but then that isn't the role the creator had in mind for them so as I said you have to use the correct tool for the job. Quote Link to post
Big bald beautiful 1,231 Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 Yet to see a ratting dog as good as a plummer.yes there moody.noisy.stuban b*****ds but at the high numbers ratting game there brilliant. Quote Link to post
fireman 10,927 Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 Jakk and Matt you both make sence in what you both say and one major issue which is allways over looked is most folks who do have plummers and "get out with them" only work rats and rabbits so very few ever get the chance to try thier luck in the earth and opon that note thats why there's very few that do work to ground.As a ratting,bushing,general purpose sporting terrier they do take some beating as they have a very good nose on them in general and plenty of stamina(one ratting session with a plummer pack went on for 13 hours and the farmer gave up counting the rats at 1400+)and they are in general a bidable terrier and not just a terrier that will head off into the horizon on any old scent. Horses for courses,thats all. Quote Link to post
sremmulp 3 Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 (edited) the dog in the pic was about twice the weight of the plummer terriers you see today. This is only my opinion, but based on my experiences. When the plummers were first around, they were bred to hopefully be digging dogs. Hence the shape/size they were. When the hunting ban came in certain breeders (not all) have changed the look of the terrier, after first promoting the dog as an earth dog they changed tact as they believed at first digging was banned, then realised that the general public would find the thought of a dog killing fox less appealing than a dog killing horrible nasty vermin, so the current plummers you see are skinny long legged, now promoted as ratting dogs...why...MONEY. can anyone tell me the breeding of the dog with the rosette ment=146420:jess old.jpg] Edited March 9, 2011 by sremmulp Quote Link to post
matt32 44 Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 Jakk and Matt you both make sence in what you both say and one major issue which is allways over looked is most folks who do have plummers and "get out with them" only work rats and rabbits so very few ever get the chance to try thier luck in the earth and opon that note thats why there's very few that do work to ground.As a ratting,bushing,general purpose sporting terrier they do take some beating as they have a very good nose on them in general and plenty of stamina(one ratting session with a plummer pack went on for 13 hours and the farmer gave up counting the rats at 1400+)and they are in general a bidable terrier and not just a terrier that will head off into the horizon on any old scent. Horses for courses,thats all. At the end of the day if they do what you want them to do and you get out there and enjoy seeing youre dogs work then fairplay to you,1400 rats is some going sounds like fun as well atb matt Quote Link to post
meme 0 Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 Yet to see a ratting dog as good as a plummer.yes there moody.noisy.stuban b*****ds but at the high numbers ratting game there brilliant. You should be singing from the roof tops about plummers being good earth dogs with the number of digs you say you have had.it must be the most dug to plummer around .Just dont let the truth slip out thats all Quote Link to post
Big bald beautiful 1,231 Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 Hasnt been dug to in two months.silly b*****d.hasnt killed a rat in 6 mths.just bushing rabbits and chasing tree rats.i aint no need to bull shit Quote Link to post
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