Tarka Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 My lakeland X patterdale is 14 weeks old this weekend and i have now started taking her out each night after work. She is walking on the lead fine and now off the lead good as gold aswell. Her mother is a proven worker (lakeland) and her farther is a hunt terrier and is very good on foxes. I was wondering, at what age will she start to show an active intrest in scents and the will to work, mark ect? She shows the instict is in her when she plays at home and she has had a goold old rag at a dead rabbit. Im taking her to work tomorrow to start breaking her to pheasnts and to show her some active rat holes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Tarka, Before introducing her to rats be sure that she has ALL of her shots in place. 14 weeks is a little early to have her in the thick of things as if she is nipped by a rat or other dog she may well take it personally and shy away from working them. Personally I would have her out and about while at work, by all means introduce her to the pheasants and get her steady around them. Continue on her obediance training and even get her out amoungst the rabbits if you are planning on using her to mark. Let her chase a few bunnies and build her interest up. If you are planning on ferreting with her get her out and amoungst them so that she learns that they are her friends and not lunch. If you are planning to shoot bolted bunnies start to get her use to load noises and eventually use to the gun. When she is around 6 months old I would start to introduce her to rats. The best way is with another terrier that works them and that is of a very even temperment. NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarka Posted September 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Thanks NTTF she onyl got hold of the rabbit because my dad was skinning them after longnetting today. Little monster manages to get out of the smallest gap in the door! Im not to intrested in her being used for rabbiting, mainly rats and foxes when she is confident and ready. She is up to date with her jabs aswell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Tarka.a good working terrier will show instinct from a very early age as Dan mentioned maybe start introducing her to small gear..alot of terrier men start them off on live mice caught in catch em alive traps.... Be carefull will the use off the dog......the last thing you want to do is introduce it to all kinds of quarry...what you dont want is a terrier that goes to ground anything it smells is a hole!!! In terms of ground work I wouldn;t introduce her unitl she's at least 18 months - 2 years... a nip from red underground as a pup will, and can put her off for good nice and steady introduction is the key Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Agree whole heartedly Paul. I like the idea of starting off with mice, that allows for a very nice easy introduction for the dog A very good tip. NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Do not put it to ground until it is at least 18 month old A good fox dog is one that will bark like its nutts are in a vice when it comes face to face with a fox underground. If it just rushes in until it bangs noses with charlie you will spend more time at the vets than working it. The whole point of putting it to ground is to make charlie leave its earth,not get stuck into it and spend the next 2 hours digging.I once spent 7 hours digging out a dog and fox and both were dead when we got to them. I know you probably think that it would be better if your dog was hard as nails and up for a scrap but that may not make it an ideal fox dog as it is often the quieter ones that are better.I know from experience i used to be the terrier man for a hunt for 5 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted September 21, 2007 Report Share Posted September 21, 2007 Keep it off foxes for a while as it'll end up turning it into a nutter which always results in the dog getting smashed up every time it works. Personally i'd leave it off rabbits too if its going to work foxes or else you'll have a dog that goes to ground on rabbits. Might be worth waiting another 5-10 weeks until you start letting it play with live rats, then get it on squirrels, then foxes. Its worth leaving it that extra bit longer and getting the dog steady with stuff its not meant to kill, pheasants etc. Ive seen lots of terriers that just kill everything they see and many have to have a few weeks recovering after every time they work. not all terriers make solid mixers george...........................we had a JTR that was purely a sounder......and would hold raynard at bay for hours without taking a wack.......18 months - 2 years before considering entering on red.....and only then will you see what sort earth dog it will make.. I completely agree about not confusing it with too many different quarry species.............I have heard of terriers going to bround and baying at rats in a stop end!!!!!!..........the last thing you wnat is a monster dig of 4 hours to a rat!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarka Posted September 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2007 cheers for the replies took her to work today and got her around the poults. she had a few tubs at them but quickly got a yank on the lead a telling off. Same with the headkeepers rabbits and chickens! I dont intend to have her going on live rats until fenrauary, for two reasons....first being that she will be about 8 months old by then, second being the shooting will have finished so il have a bit more spare time I intend to use her on foxes on the shoot but not until she is ready for them. No sense in rushing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stealth64 Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Dont worry to much, the Patterdale in her will soon kick in and she will be onto anything that moves! I have a 10mth old Patterdale called Eddie, he's great! he catches squirrells, rats, rabbits, spiders flys and moths a even a shrew (not much of a challenge there though) and will chase pigeons blackbirds etc... Out doors he will blitz anything in his path indoors he jus chills now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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