How Small is Too Small?

[stevie g 2005 125]

Some of the best terriers ive ever had were small and hard as iron.They could do a job where bigger dogs had failed then thieving scum wiped the whole lot out in a night.I remember 1 particular little lakey bitch i had,she was only a handfull but was a demon to ground,also a black dog todd that was gave to me by D Edwards from england,he was a great little worker,and hard with it,but you could put him in your pocket,lol.

how small were they and what did they weigh mate..

Both were about 10inch and weight was about 10 maybe 11lb,the little black dog was mute and we never had to open a 2nd hole with him,always on top of his game.

up here no offence fatman in the right earth with the right quarry i cant see something that weight not getting shifted around the earth im not saying ur lieing mate but educated quarry can shift the biggest dogs

I know what your saying and no offence taken.Todd was an exceptional little dog,and i dug a lot of educated quarry with him and his offspring were just as hard.When i was robbed a friend of mine had a little red bitch,daughter to todd.He phoned me when he heard and offered me the bitch as he said she was way too hard for him.She was 15months old when i got her and to say she was hard was an understatement,she was mental on all quarry.She took a very bad doin when she was about 6year old and i had to bring her to the vets.The vet i took her to said he had to keep her over night and would i phone the next day.I phoned the next morn and was told she had been put to sleep due to kidney failure which i did not believe but that was the very last of that breeding.There is a couple of lads on here that dug both her and her sire and will varify im not talking bollox.SOPHIE WAS THE BITCH TODD THE DOG.

[OHIO STEVE 11]

I would think it would have a lot to do with the style of worker the dogs are.. I would think a super hard dog that size could be in serious trouble. However a smart worker that size would be NICE for around here.

could u explain that a little bit better for me i know wat ur trying to say but i dont see how he is in any more trouble than any other dog

As snizle said, the physical size of the dog would make it more difficult for it to just smash in on quarry. Keeping in mind there are ALWAYS exceptions to any rule ( Fatmans dogs he spoke of) generally speaking a 8-10 pound dog that goes tooth to tooth with a big raccoon or even a big groundhog here is gonna spend a lot of time recuperating. On the other hand a SMART 8-10 pound dog that will spar and mix and take a grip when the time is right is invaluable in my area... That said, keep in mind in all the digging I have ever done, I have yet to dig a fox or a badger. More raccoon and groundhogs and opossum than I care to remember but never the others. ALSO I know that the term hard means a lot of different things to different people, but to me a hard dog is one that just goes in smashing and will take to give.

[stevie g 2005 125]

I would think it would have a lot to do with the style of worker the dogs are.. I would think a super hard dog that size could be in serious trouble. However a smart worker that size would be NICE for around here.

could u explain that a little bit better for me i know wat ur trying to say but i dont see how he is in any more trouble than any other dog

As snizle said, the physical size of the dog would make it more difficult for it to just smash in on quarry. Keeping in mind there are ALWAYS exceptions to any rule ( Fatmans dogs he spoke of) generally speaking a 8-10 pound dog that goes tooth to tooth with a big raccoon or even a big groundhog here is gonna spend a lot of time recuperating. On the other hand a SMART 8-10 pound dog that will spar and mix and take a grip when the time is right is invaluable in my area... That said, keep in mind in all the digging I have ever done, I have yet to dig a fox or a badger. More raccoon and groundhogs and opossum than I care to remember but never the others. ALSO I know that the term hard means a lot of different things to different people, but to me a hard dog is one that just goes in smashing and will take to give.

 

 

physical size of the dog would make it more difficult for it to just smash in on quarry.

 

ohio smashing in to quarry i love this u would know ur ameican lol i have seen good honest bayers that wont be push about needing a few weeks off with the right quarry so imo i have had hard dogs that have done me good digs but to be honest thats what they have done a few good digs then they came off there quarry mate get the right quarry and the right earth and he will teach ur dog manners half the people on here are are full of egos . and i know fatman has poeple to vouch for him i still dont belive that a dog that hard has lasted to six on less he has it at really handy earths

[MOO 730]

I would think it would have a lot to do with the style of worker the dogs are.. I would think a super hard dog that size could be in serious trouble. However a smart worker that size would be NICE for around here.

could u explain that a little bit better for me i know wat ur trying to say but i dont see how he is in any more trouble than any other dog

 

the physical size of the animal. if there rock hard and dont have the body mass they dont last long. depends on the quarry being worked to.

I have to agree and disagree with all this "its not the size of the dog but the size of the fight in the dog "...if a dog is not physicaly strong enough to keep its quarry in one place it will either get pushed past or will have a very short working life

[OHIO STEVE 11]

StevieG I got my first terriers when my wife was pregnant with my oldest son, he just turned 25. I used to hunt a LOT but havent been in so long that I probably wouldn't know which end of the shovel to use. I have personally never owned a truly HARD terrier. I have owned some HARDISH ones but never one that I would truly call a smasher.. The harder ones always seemed to be layed up and recovering from their work so I would imagine a REAL head banger would be a dog that would be dug to then layed up.....dug to then layed up. . My preference is a dog that will bay up close, mix if he can and take a grip if at all possible.AND I can take him again tomorrow and the next day etc. I just cannot imagine a truly hard terrier at 8-10 pounds living long around here, and as I said earlier I am talking just with raccoon and groundhogs, not even fox or badger. Maybe I am wrong since I have never owned one ( I would like to I think as I admire the grit) but it just seems common sense to me. That said, my brother owns a russell bitch that has became adept at killing her game in the ground WITHOUT TAKING DAMAGE. She is in whelp right now I believe but the last few raccoon and groundhogs she has been dug on were dead as doornails when uncovered. Don't know if I would call her hard or just that clever.

[Tally Ho Hunter 60]

each to there own lads terriers will send a man crazy if you look into them to much image is nothing in a working dog and if you want a good looking dog then get into show stuff but for me as long as the dog is bred the right way fxxk what it looks like bring it on as you would any other and see what happens and lets be honest thats all you can do about it atb

[fat man 4,740]

I would think it would have a lot to do with the style of worker the dogs are.. I would think a super hard dog that size could be in serious trouble. However a smart worker that size would be NICE for around here.

could u explain that a little bit better for me i know wat ur trying to say but i dont see how he is in any more trouble than any other dog

As snizle said, the physical size of the dog would make it more difficult for it to just smash in on quarry. Keeping in mind there are ALWAYS exceptions to any rule ( Fatmans dogs he spoke of) generally speaking a 8-10 pound dog that goes tooth to tooth with a big raccoon or even a big groundhog here is gonna spend a lot of time recuperating. On the other hand a SMART 8-10 pound dog that will spar and mix and take a grip when the time is right is invaluable in my area... That said, keep in mind in all the digging I have ever done, I have yet to dig a fox or a badger. More raccoon and groundhogs and opossum than I care to remember but never the others. ALSO I know that the term hard means a lot of different things to different people, but to me a hard dog is one that just goes in smashing and will take to give.

 

 

physical size of the dog would make it more difficult for it to just smash in on quarry.

 

ohio smashing in to quarry i love this u would know ur ameican lol i have seen good honest bayers that wont be push about needing a few weeks off with the right quarry so imo i have had hard dogs that have done me good digs but to be honest thats what they have done a few good digs then they came off there quarry mate get the right quarry and the right earth and he will teach ur dog manners half the people on here are are full of egos . and i know fatman has poeple to vouch for him i still dont belive that a dog that hard has lasted to six on less he has it at really handy earths

Steve,there were some easy,some noy so easy,and some were a b*****d,in saying that the dog and the bitch were layed up quite often,but still were worked to there limits.I wont keep a terrier of work just because it has a few fresh scratches on its face,if i think its fit to be dug i will dig it,but if it needs time off then it will get time off.Most of the quarry i dug with that dog and the bitch were well and truly educated,as a lot dig in my area.Whether you believe or not is irrelivent to me,as i know and seen first hand the 2 dogs work as did others,and i have no reason to spout lies on here.

[McKenna3 4]

l have a russell bitch 9 inch good fox dog very game.

[judge2010 196]

lab wouldn't enertain anything under 7.5" from what he told me.

[the_stig 6,614]

lab wouldn't enertain anything under 7.5" from what he told me.

might be on in a bit with a witty reply ...

[Cleanspade 3,322]

bad penny. nine inch

 

 

early 80s. i think

penny could bolt the odd fox. but got moved around easily..

[Francentey-FTB 29]

great interesting thread, with good opinions, keep them pictures and replies coming guys, I like a small type terrier but agree that if the terrier has not got the mass and strength that a well seasoned foe will give it a good bashing,

[MOO 730]

Its the same as big terriers ...you hear lads saying if they realy want to they will get there .....some dogs are just to big to get to its fox no matter how much heart or desire it has

[OHIO STEVE 11]

Its the same as big terriers ...you hear lads saying if they realy want to they will get there .....some dogs are just to big to get to its fox no matter how much heart or desire it has

yep moo, it is physicaly impossible to pour a gallon of water into a pint jar.

[runsatnite 7]

its a dog for the job that suits me depends on what the job is you are doing at the time !!