Is There Something Wrong With This Dog?

[Minkenry 1,044]

My friend has a Decker working terrier that he has been training over the last while, and he's not maturing as fast as we think he should. This is my friend's first dog, and I don't have much experience with terriers, as pit bulls are my hunting dog of choice. So between the two of us, we're not sure if my friend's dog is just a cull, or if we're expecting too much of him. Here's a basic break down of what my friend has done with his dog, and where he's at now....

 

My friend's dog is close to a year old now. When he was 6 months old, my friend gave him a small domestic rat. He got bit, but killed it no problem. From there, he worked him up slowly until he could kill full grown wild rats with no problem. At around 8.5 months, he got a rock squirrel in a vulnerable position, but it was too tough for him. He got bit a couple times, and it got away. Within a week after the squirrel, we had an opportunity for him to go rat hunting. He was so scared of the rats, he wouldn't grab and shake, which caused him to get bit more. At that point, we knew the squirrel had been too much. So we started easy again, and took him on a desert road in the middle of the night, where we can find lots of mice. He caught about 15-20. There were a couple that bit him there too, but he kept catching them great.

 

A few months later he got 2 squirrels that were vulnerable, the first of which had already been shot, the other a juvenile. He did great, and didn't get bit on either. Just a couple weeks ago, we took him ratting. He started off really hard, and got the first 2 rats that came out. After that, he was still chasing them really hard, but i could tell he wasn't trying so hard to grab them. He ended up getting 4. Then, just a couple nights ago, we took him mousing in the desert again. He chased, and looked like he was going at it pretty hard, but he just wouldn't grab them. I was absolutely shocked he would turn down a stupid mouse out of fear.

So the question is, Is he started too early and my friend made him nervous by too much early exposure? Are we just completely expecting too much out of a dog his age/maturity level? Or is he just a cull from the deckers?

My friend had high hopes for chasing raccoons with him, but I really don't see how a dog scared of rats will hold his own against a big mean coon...
Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Oh, and if this is helpful, here's a video of the dog hunting rats with my white mink. The teenage boy in the video is my friend who owns the dog.....

 

[dymented 2,220]

some dogs have it in them ive had pups from 5-6 month old killing rats they ether want them or not bud might work if you leave him off rats for a month or two just give him things that wont bite back

[marshman 7,758]

The dog wouldn't be in my yard if he was scared to take a mouse . They'll be someone along in a while telling you to give the dog a lay of and try him when he's more mature , and they'll probably be correct but for me the dog sounds like a cull IMHO .

[socks 32,253]

If he couldn't handle a squirrel at 8 1/2 months of age he would be gone from my yard .........

[leegreen 2,221]

"Is there something wrong with that dog?" Yeah it ain't killed that Mink yet .

 

 

 

 

Ed[ted to say Sorry Minkenry, mink are problem over here. I meant no offence .

Edited August 27, 2014 by leegreen

[skycat 6,174]

Without knowing anything about Decker terriers, or whether or not they are truly bred for work, it is hard to say whether the pup's upbringing or its genes are in question. My first reaction was to say to myself that if you throw a rat down for a pup in an artificial (non-hunting) situation is that the pup does not have the experience, excitement/energy/drive to really know what to do. The fact that this pup did kill its first rat, and sort of went on to kill more, says that it does have some sort of instinct, but maybe lacks the real hard kill instinct, or the confidence. But with the amount of encounters you say that it has now had, I'd have thought that it should have been doing the job on rats and squirrels by now.

 

The way I start terrier pups is to take them out with other dogs hunting: just rabbits to begin with. But they learn to hunt, rather than just having something thrown down in front of them in a 'cold' situation. It is the hunting that gets them going, and being able to work with adult dogs that know what they are doing. This gives them exposure to game without having to bear all the responsibility for killing something that will bite them back all alone with no back up.

 

Having said that, and from watching the video, it is fairly obvious that the dog hasn't got what it takes. Whether or not being reared and entered to rats alongside other dogs would have changed its attitude is immaterial now. I certainly wouldn't expect any terriers of mine to behave like that: straight in for the kill, a hard shake and no hesitation.

 

Can you not get together with other hunters who have terriers and see if working alongside their dogs can give this pup more confidence? May be too late, I know, but at least you would get the opportunity to see how other dogs work. My gut feel is that your friend shouldn't expect anything much from this pup, but you never know.

 

As a matter of interest: did this pup come from well tested working lines or not?

[stevemac 442]

mine wouldn't look at a rat until he was 9mnths old now he's 2.5yrs old you cant stop him hunting them. He wouldn't den until the start of this year but now same story. my own experience is that bitches like to start at a younger age but males not so much. Im sure theres others that are different but that's how mine have gone.

Edited August 27, 2014 by stevemac

[skycat 6,174]

Starting them too early is bad news I agree, especially a pup on its own. I just found this video of Decker terriers out ratting: shows a pup playing with a young rat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxFIXiXU7ZU

[forest of dean redneck 11,777]

I expect you have googled them by now,but deckers were developed as hunters,I'm sure some use them on feral hogs,so I would say the dogs not got it in him,

Sell the dog to a pet home or do what you want, ands start again ,inmho.

[Minkenry 1,044]

 

As a matter of interest: did this pup come from well tested working lines or not?

 

 

I can't say for sure how "well tested" his parents were, but I know they were used as hunting dogs. The Decker line of terriers is supposed to be strictly a hunting line of dogs used for larger hard game from raccoons up to wild boars. I don't know how game they really are, as this is the only dog I've seen from this breed. I know I'm not impressed so far, as I'm pretty sure the boarder collie I had as a kid was more game than this little cur.

[bobcullen79 1,495]

Are they not know as decker rat terriers? If its not killing rats a one year old its either not seen enough or isnt up for it.

[Ggib 370]

ive a patterdale , lakey cross here, at 3.5 months old he caught and killed a mouse on his own down at the river i fish, i kid you not, from that he moved onto earth work himself and now hes hard at his work and never looked back, rats are just a bit of off season fun for him. id say if any terrier refuses rats or squirrels then he aint no terrier. i took mine to the moira game fair this summer and about 100 yrds away from the ferret stand he smelt them and was cart wheeling on his lead to get at them the we shit lol. some have it and some dont. but your dog is young and prob given squirrel too young and didnt like teeth so can either give it more time to mature or get a new one

[Minkenry 1,044]

Here's the only video I could find on YouTube with a Decker Terrier doing anything worth mentioning

 

 

I don't know about you guys, but I'm not too impressed. Of course, I'm a rather harsh judge when it comes to dogs and gameness because I'm used to working with pit bulls. Most game bred pit bulls that are considered "curs" in the pit dog world are actually much gamer than a quality working terrier. So it's not fair at all to try to compare the two.

[little hedz 118]

Cull the cowardly twat beat it to death with a dildo thats the only way to sort jackers out imo

[Ggib 370]

i laughed my balls off at that vid. great soundtrack for a terrier lol. trust me mate a game earth worker is top of the peddistal for gameness. you just might not have been out with good workers.