Patterdale terrier advice

[Stephen484 0]

I have a patterdale pup he is 4 months now and doing great but doesn’t seem to show any interest in any type of quarry when out. 
he’s my first terrier and was hoping he would catch the odd rabbit and obviously rats.

although I haven’t put a rat directly in front of him yet as I was told to wait until he has his adult teeth by the breeder I thought he would be going mad for the rabbits when out? Where I live in Essex is full of rabbits and he doesn’t seem to take any interest in the holes that are scattered all over the countryside where I live? I even fed him some rabbit with the fur on the other day that my son shot with his air rifle.

any advice to encourage him would be great thanks.

[harryshounds 1,216]

Still a bit young for rats etc ..... Wait another couple of months and start bringing him to areas there's scent and rabbits and rats about. It'll click.

Edited February 5 by harryshounds

[Ruddy 0]

 I wouldn’t be bothered about the rabbit part can take a long time for the dog to figure that out and start using it nose properly but rats 3-4 month they should be easy pray for a keen terrier, try get a rat in a trap get the dog fired up abit

[fireman 10,996]

On 03/02/2025 at 22:49, Stephen484 said:

I have a patterdale pup he is 4 months now and doing great but doesn’t seem to show any interest in any type of quarry when out. 
he’s my first terrier and was hoping he would catch the odd rabbit and obviously rats.

although I haven’t put a rat directly in front of him yet as I was told to wait until he has his adult teeth by the breeder I thought he would be going mad for the rabbits when out? Where I live in Essex is full of rabbits and he doesn’t seem to take any interest in the holes that are scattered all over the countryside where I live? I even fed him some rabbit with the fur on the other day that my son shot with his air rifle.

any advice to encourage him would be great thanks.

I'd be trying to train him not to get to excited around rabbit holes as a terrier that wants to follow rabbits to ground is a whole bunch of trouble waiting to happen, my terriers get a bollocking if they try to push there heads into rabbit holes as iv'e been there with a terrier to ground in a rabbit hole,no spade and you can hear the twat digging on and burrying itself..Not a good situ at all and one to try to avoid at all costs fella..

[Daniel cain 46,226]

If you want to hunt rabbit....then get a spaniel/beddy/whippet  sort...A terriers job,is rats,fox... encouraging them on rabbits will end in heartbreak or embarrassment when out in company

[gunter 267]

We were out one day and a man's terrier went in we dug down and it was pulling on something...the man said she's some bitch lads .. he was well pleased...until he pulled the rabbit out he got some abuse lol

[Daniel cain 46,226]

30 minutes ago, gunter said:

We were out one day and a man's terrier went in we dug down and it was pulling on something...the man said she's some bitch lads .. he was well pleased...until he pulled the rabbit out he got some abuse lol

I ve seen the same many times myself.....and the  dog  don't go home with them...usually because they hissing/encouraging the dog on....once is enough for any man...the worse habit a digging dog can have imo,up there with baying at scent

[Bangersanmash 3,377]

8 hours ago, gunter said:

We were out one day and a man's terrier went in we dug down and it was pulling on something...the man said she's some bitch lads .. he was well pleased...until he pulled the rabbit out he got some abuse lol

Rabbit out of the hat joke. Lol

[Bangersanmash 3,377]

On 03/02/2025 at 22:49, Stephen484 said:

I have a patterdale pup he is 4 months now and doing great but doesn’t seem to show any interest in any type of quarry when out. 
he’s my first terrier and was hoping he would catch the odd rabbit and obviously rats.

although I haven’t put a rat directly in front of him yet as I was told to wait until he has his adult teeth by the breeder I thought he would be going mad for the rabbits when out? Where I live in Essex is full of rabbits and he doesn’t seem to take any interest in the holes that are scattered all over the countryside where I live? I even fed him some rabbit with the fur on the other day that my son shot with his air rifle.

any advice to encourage him would be great thanks.

Get someone you know to get a fox tail or rabbit skin on a dummy get him playing about with it. Your  best at 8 week old onwards just to get the pups confidence up . I had a miniature jacky. Had a 1/2 lb puppy dummy with the skin. Started throwing it into cover getting her to retrieve it. Then a 1lb dummy same. Then a started hiding it in about getting her to use her nose on the scent. Don't that with most my pups make it a game an show the pup that it's done well by praising it. 

Edited February 6 by Bangersanmash

[gunter 267]

Fs it's a 4 month old terrier pup common sense lads  it's only of the tit it's  a baby but it's not like you'll be using it for a digging dog but at that age fs it wouldn't know what's happening  so no need to hold it back  let it grow up be a pup and when ever you see it switch on a bit start giving him a couple of rats out of trap before you know it he'll be on the job on his own 

[Aussie Whip 4,145]

On 04/02/2025 at 09:49, Stephen484 said:

I have a patterdale pup he is 4 months now and doing great but doesn’t seem to show any interest in any type of quarry when out. 
he’s my first terrier and was hoping he would catch the odd rabbit and obviously rats.

although I haven’t put a rat directly in front of him yet as I was told to wait until he has his adult teeth by the breeder I thought he would be going mad for the rabbits when out? Where I live in Essex is full of rabbits and he doesn’t seem to take any interest in the holes that are scattered all over the countryside where I live? I even fed him some rabbit with the fur on the other day that my son shot with his air rifle.

any advice to encourage him would be great thanks.

If he's not interested in rats by 6months I'd be worried.

[lurchers 2,881]

On 06/02/2025 at 10:08, gunter said:

We were out one day and a man's terrier went in we dug down and it was pulling on something...the man said she's some bitch lads .. he was well pleased...until he pulled the rabbit out he got some abuse lol

Nothing worse when ya dig 8ft plus to a man’s dog on a rabbit.Done that a few times and that dog never came out with me again

[gunter 267]

Well this is only my opinion on it .... you bring young dogs out the majority will hoke about at a rabbit or smell at them it would be really foolish and stupid to me to write a dog off for hoking about at one at a young age it comes with experience and schooling them ..I do not hunt rabbits if the hound terriers look at them they get a clipping and they know not to....and if they kept it up they wouldn't get to many chances till they got put in a hole either but I'd give them a couple of chances for poking about at a rabbit... if they walked out the  once I'd read them there rights 

[steve t 1,032]

I dug a hare once hounds ran it in and were giving a strong mark . Never realised until I pulled it out with terrier

[gunter 267]

Hope you took him home for the pot