Border Terrriers - beating and pick up?

[Bingo]

Went to the pub on saturday afternoon with mrs and the dog and we got chatting to another dog owner who had a lab and a lovely border terrier. Anyway he was a shooting enthusiast and used his border terrier for beating and it even retrieves rabbits and pigeons when he tells it too. Is this just a one off or do u think you can train some other breeds to work like this?

 

Cheers

 

Bingo

[the_commoner]

there is a border that beats on our shoot, not sure he has ever picked up though

[al4x]

I know a keeper who uses his and I'd not advise it. fine if its on your own shoot but not so good as you won't keep them off deer and foxes and hares etc etc. Ok most won't catch them but they do have a habit of going off at full cry not exactly a good thing on a normal shoot. As for retrieving you'll struggle with anything not dead as terriers nature is to shake anything thats not dead.

[racingfrank7]

I have a border t and mine will retrive rabbits not a problem, i take him grouse shooting with me and he is fine beating, just not as fast as the labs with him having smaller leg's ! I know a couple more border owners that use them on there shoots for beating.

As for the foxes hares and dear yes he will go at any given chance but as long as he isn't to far away he will "leave" but any more than 15 yards he's off ! But rabbits he will "leave" just about any distance ?!

I think that just about most dogs can be trained to do what you want if you put the time effort and patience in to it as long as you do it from day 1 or a young age.