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Patterdale entered to rats, ferrets and shotgun today!


Frenchieboy
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I have a Patterdale that we got as a rescue dog who is nearly 4 years old. She is extremely obedient and well behaved (Well, as well behaved as any terrier could ever be) and will sit, lie down and stay to hand commands indoors. However, I had yet to try her out in the field or even off the lead so when a friend who I go ferretting with occasionally called this morning and said would i like to tag along with the shotgun while he and his mate worked the ferrets, terrier and lurcher I dived on the chance and was told to bring Roxy along with me. I had to go out to the same area to check a mink trap so it was a perfect excuse for a morning out with the dog and shotgun in the company of a couple of friends that i get on really well with.

We met up and went straight to check the mink trap, only to find that it had caught a live rat. Well that seemed to be the ideal oportunity to see what Roxy made of this rat in the cage trap. She was brought to the trap on a lead and to say she was "interested" in it would be an understatement. She was doing her level best to get off the lead and into the trap to have a go at the rat so Roxy was released as I lifted the trap and opened it up letting the rat drop onto the ground. It had barely touched the ground when Roxy pounced, snapped it up behind the head and gave it such a shaking that i thought it's head was going to fly off and as soon as it was dead dropped it and walked off! So that was that, Roxy definitely had the killer and working instinct and as far as rats were concerned they were fair game.

We then decided that we should introduce the dogs one at a time with Roxy meeting Chris's border terrier first. At first there was a little agressive snapping and yapping from Roxy as the border wanted to sniff around her rear end which she wasn't happy about. Things soon settled down so we let both terriers off their leads to play and then let the lurcher out of the van to join the "crazy dog party". Again there was a few growls and snaps when he towered over Roxy and got a bit boisterous but that soon subsided and the three of them got on really well and looked as if they had spent all of their lives together.

The next thing was to see if Roxy was "interested in or knew anything about working rabbits" so we headed off to one of my permissions. After chatting with the land owner to see where any lifestock might be (I didn't know if Roxy was "stock steady") we headed off, three blokes, two terriers, a lurcher, a ferret and a shotgun. Roxy took everything in her stride and started working along side of the Border Terrier like an old pro with the lurcher watching what was going on ready to spring into action. We didn't raise any rabbits in the field but when we got to the edge along side a gully I spotted a rabbit so let cut at it with the 12 bore. None of the dogs even batted an eye lid, which was a great relief and the lurcher was sent in to pick up and retrieve the rabbit. When the rabbit was brought to hand it was waved in front of Roxy to se what she made of it and she immediately sprang in and latched onto it and gave it a good ragging before rejoining the Border terier again for another hunt, all this time ignoring sheep in the field beyond the gully.

We didn't raise any rabbits on the way back but it was a pleasure to watch the dogs working together like they were old mates.

We the went to a burrow that we knew only had a few holes but was easy for one ferret to work and likely held a rabbit or two. The terriers were put on leads which were tethered to the wire fence and the ferret was entered. After a few minutes a rabbit bolted which was quickly cuaght by the lurcher. One more rabbit bolted which managed to outwit the lurcher and got through a hedge and way.

All in all it was a really pleasing morning with Roxy proving that not only was she not Gun Shy but she was game for rats and rabbits - She still needs a little work with the ferret as she thinks it looks rather like a rat, but that will iron itself out in time hopefully.

Attached is a photo of Roxy trying to look intelligent and another of her in her "chilling out mode"!

She has certainly earned her grub today!

 

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