Does Anybody Use Their Fox Digging Terriers, For Hunting Rabbits In Cover?

[dogmad riley 1,336]

A bloke I know who kept terriers for 25 years wouldnt even let the dogs see a rabbit never mind catch one.

[marshman 7,756]

It's one thing having a ratch about an letting a digging dog bush rabbits, but what happens when he drops to ground and its something a whole lot bigger and you're somewhere you not supposed to be ? Long gone are the days were you could dig almost anywhere .

[marshman 7,756]

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Edited April 23, 2014 by marshman

[morton 5,367]

When working any terrier it pays to expect the unexpected at times,because it will happen,unless you have the resource and nous to deal with terrier work,then never let em off the leash.A dog worked off a lead is as likely,possibly more so,to bump into undesirable circumstance,than a busher.

[Dan Davies 7]

what terriers do you use for solely "bushing"? ino of a very well bred litter of patt x jack russells! but the problem is with the patt is there so keen to go to ground! rightly so as thats how there bred. first choice bushing would be a good bedlington terrier! however thats personal preference, hard to find a good working line now though

[Bosun11 537]

It can be done, i've seen it BUT it's a risk, a massive risk and a risk few would even contemplate....

[Dan Davies 7]

What terrier would you say could be perhaps the best bushing dog??

[rossthedog 76]

My terriers bush rabbits keeps them fit and gets pups using there noses have had a few terriers now over quite a few years a and only dug to one rabbit its the dogs that only get out the kennel only occasionally that cause the problems

[Dan Davies 7]

In an ideal world we would love a terrier to do everything!!! To much to ask ino! But wouldn't it be great!!!!!

[rob284 1,678]

What terrier would you say could be perhaps the best bushing dog??

spaniel

[Barry White 79]

In an ideal world we would love a terrier to do everything!!! To much to ask ino! But wouldn't it be great!!!!!

I don't think it's too much to ask ,I start my terriers out at 12 weeks and they hunt everything fur and feather,gets them using their nose and wisens them up , I have never dug a rabbit and I dig a lot ,think most dogs are too clever for that!

[Jack Daniels 33]

if you rear working bred terrier pups correctly, then you should never have no problems with a rabbit... pups should be out in the field with an older dog from a very young age...4 months is when theyd start to go long danders with me ( just walking)...and yes they will encounter the odd rabbit, hunt its line for a bit after all its a terrier pup its meant to be very inquisitive and bold, but by the time there 6-7 months old and with having no encouragement in fact being chasisted a little for doing so, and soon realising that the older dogs take no notice of them, they soon get the message that they are not a quarry species and leave well alone....just like breaking to sheep, cattle, chickens, ducks, cats, and everything else they are not meant to touch! but hey a man who is into his terriers will be walking them every day and this will be a pleasure not a chore, and know every step a pup will make...but you only get this kind of bond with them in the field where there going to be worked! not sitting in a kennell.... thats why most terriermen prefer to rear pups from 8 weeks...no BUY INS! this way there is no excuses for bad rearin or bad entering..too stock or quarry.... terrier works not easy and if to be done right means a hell of a lot of time spent with terriers.....if this game was easy as people think...there would be a lot less shite about!!

[Cleanspade 3,322]

i use my terriers for bushing always did. ive had the odd problem but nothing worth writing home about. dan the best bushing dogs ive seen are russells and plummers

[YOKEL 2,116]

 

In an ideal world we would love a terrier to do everything!!! To much to ask ino! But wouldn't it be great!!!!!

I don't think it's too much to ask ,I start my terriers out at 12 weeks and they hunt everything fur and feather,gets them using their nose and wisens them up , I have never dug a rabbit and I dig a lot ,think most dogs are too clever for that!

 

same as that. one of the first terriers i owned i would take out at a young age and have him on everything, as you say, fur and feather. he turned into a great fox dog and i never had no bother with him f***ing about on bunnys. sounds daft, but if i had a shovel over my shoulder and he had a locator round his neck, that dog knew what was going on and would act different to when we was just mooching about. had a couple more like it aswell, but none so as that dog, he knew the job at hand depending on how he was attired...

Yokel

[Dan Davies 7]

How was that one bred yokel?! Sounds ideal! How did you get him knowing the difference