what defines a working terrier?

[Dunkanon 380]

For me a terrier is not worthy of the title TERRIER until hes been dug to, up until that time hes just a young pretender no matter what other stuff he gets up to i.e bushing,ratting etc.. thats just my opinion and thats how i classify my own.

[johnny 777 53]

So you can only give your dog the title terrier if he has proven him self by going to ground ?

[marshman 7,756]

@Johnny 777. Of course you can call it terrier just don't call a working terrier lol

[johnny 777 53]

When any type of terrier hunts rats,bushes,go's to ground...etc does it work for its quarry or not?

[marshman 7,756]

@ johnny 777. Only joking fella at the end of the day it's a personnel yard stick . Of course if your dog goes out and works to whatever quarry you choose then he's working. It's just I've got so much respect for a digging dog that I class any other form of work as second best ! I suppose I'm a digging snob lol

[cammy12 176]

Just got back home from a day's rough shooting/brushing with my18 month old lakeland x jackrussel, bich on her 2nd season. She put up pheasant and rabbits all day along side my mates quality labradors Went to ground and bolted a fox on the way bk to the truck. Not shore how to class her but she was definitely working!

same happend to me yesterday with my borders, one minute there retreiving pheasants with soft mouth next she was baying away in an earth at a charlie, bolted and shot not proper workers

[Work them hard 339]

I don't really like to call a terrier a worker until it has done earthwork but that is because that's all I really do with my dogs, earthwork is their jobs so that's what they get.

 

I however get bored of seeing endless Working terrier for stud ads that just turn out to be working rabbits, and the constant litters of pups bred for ratting / rabbiting I'm sure just about any pup from a litter of pet dogs would work rats, It usually takes a special breeding to produce good earth dogs but its getting harder as so many litters are being fobbed off as workers from untested dogs that once saw a fox on the TV or is game as folk on rats.

 

This is just my opinion which I'm entitled to.

[Dirtworm 18]

Sounds to me like there are two separate issues being discussed regarding a "working terrier".

 

Gameness and quarry.

 

If you dig to a terrier that will stay with Charlie all day but walk away from Brock, is he still a working terrier?

 

In my neck if the woods, some folk don't even consider Charlie to be a true test of a digging dog anyway.

 

If he can't draw or stay with a groundhog, which btw can remove bits of a dogs face with surgical precision, he's no good. If he can't dispatch a coon on his own, he's no good.

 

So what are we really discussing here?

 

Your dog is a "working terrier" if he goes to ground or he gets the job done no matter what the task?

 

All boils down to work prescribed.

 

Some folk wouldn't give a rats ass if your dog stays with Charlie.

 

Can he work Brock, groundhogs, coon etc.

 

Before folk start labeling what makes up a "working terrier", they should really sort out the job description and what is truly meeting their "needs".

 

That stated, a working terrier in my eyes is a dog that will get the job done, no matter what it is.

 

IMHO,

 

D

 

 

[jawn 449]

A working terrier for me has to have more than one tool in the box. I couldn't care less if he will stay until until dug to... if he can't locate, or follow at least simple commands. For me to keep one... it has to be an earth dog also. But that in itself won't earn him his keep. Dens aren't often out in the open. They usually lie under something. A working terrier has to be able to get the job done, and that may entail different things on different days.

 

Seems to me that perhaps the brush is a little more forgiving over there than it is in other parts of the world.

 

There are tests of a terriers metal everywhere.... if the dog has the drive and ability to find them. If not....Maybe it's a working terrier you your book. Maybe you can lead it to the hole and call it a day. But that won't earn a dog much respect here.

 

And if you think for one second that anything you feed has more grit, or drive to complete the job it was bred to do than an APBT.... Think again.

[Cleanspade 3,322]

digging dog. earth dog. working terrier. sporting terrier .show dog and never the twain shall meet. it doesnt work like that. as any one dog can fit in most of these catagories .

 

below ground only. . (specialist) earthdog

 

multi tasker, including work below to a lesser standard . (none specialist) sporting terrier. i now mainly keep sporting terriers i no longer need a specialist. although i keep one. as i like and admire real quality . but need versatility

[man o kent 269]

so if you are a pest controller for a living, and part of your work involves ratting with terriers, surely your tyke is a working dog, by definition. Love a bit of controversy! Sorry gents, some of you seem a bit too extreme for me

[dee mac 579]

So because terrier means earth dog, you cant call a bulldog a bulldog if it doesnt bait bulls? Or cant own a Patterdale unless it comes from that area of Cumbria? How many times does it have to be dug to before its called Working? So many questions!

listen a terrier was bred to work underground and thats the yard stick there measured by if they dont work to ground in my opinion there still terriers as thats what they look like but they are nt working terriers some terriers excell at ratting bushing general mooching but to call them working in same breath as an earth dog is a slight in justice to the dog that works his heart out in the most demanding condtions asked of any dog so sporting for the non earth dogs sounds fair to me they many excell and work hard ratting and bushing and please there owners which is main thing but to call them working is a no no for me !

 

I imagine the people working Airedales/Kerry blues or wheatens would disagree with your statement..........and i think these TERRIER breeds would have quite a job getting to ground...........

vixen the kerry blue was never ever classed as working over here were it originated from they where well known for being gasy cowardly bastids that would bite you when your back was turned as for the airedales there a big bushing dog bred to look like an over sized welsh terrier then the wheaten yes worked to a certain extent to ground but would never of achieved much if it was nt for the earth dogs that dug the game for the trails years ago so they depended on proper working terriers i lost a very good dog today doing what he was bred to do and got his job done and completed but it cost him his life and you s people think this type of dog should be classed in the same league as a terrier that runs about yapping at bunnys and killing an over sized fcuking mouse get real you people you s are only kidding yourselfs!

[BUBBLEFLOAT. 33]

SORRY TO HEAR THAT DEE was it an old dog

[vixen 528]

So because terrier means earth dog, you cant call a bulldog a bulldog if it doesnt bait bulls? Or cant own a Patterdale unless it comes from that area of Cumbria? How many times does it have to be dug to before its called Working? So many questions!

listen a terrier was bred to work underground and thats the yard stick there measured by if they dont work to ground in my opinion there still terriers as thats what they look like but they are nt working terriers some terriers excell at ratting bushing general mooching but to call them working in same breath as an earth dog is a slight in justice to the dog that works his heart out in the most demanding condtions asked of any dog so sporting for the non earth dogs sounds fair to me they many excell and work hard ratting and bushing and please there owners which is main thing but to call them working is a no no for me !

 

I imagine the people working Airedales/Kerry blues or wheatens would disagree with your statement..........and i think these TERRIER breeds would have quite a job getting to ground...........

vixen the kerry blue was never ever classed as working over here were it originated from they where well known for being gasy cowardly bastids that would bite you when your back was turned as for the airedales there a big bushing dog bred to look like an over sized welsh terrier then the wheaten yes worked to a certain extent to ground but would never of achieved much if it was nt for the earth dogs that dug the game for the trails years ago so they depended on proper working terriers i lost a very good dog today doing what he was bred to do and got his job done and completed but it cost him his life and you s people think this type of dog should be classed in the same league as a terrier that runs about yapping at bunnys and killing an over sized fcuking mouse get real you people you s are only kidding yourselfs!

 

They are still TERRIERS.............same as the yorkshire terrier whether you like it or not !!!!!!!!!!!

[jawn 449]

Sorry for your loss...But your view of a working terrier is just that, your view. I've put several in the ground this year, last year, the year before doing what they were bred to do. And I'll likely do the same NEXT year.

 

I am not trying to deminsih the quality of your dog or the work it obviously did well. But I require more of a dog than just being about to work to ground. A one demensional dog isn't going to get the job done.

 

Again I'm truly sorry for your loss...good ones are hard to come by.