View Full Version : Which breed would be the best Ratter?
Amstaffer
10-25-2006, 10:20 PM
I was on my sisters farm last weekend and her two Aussies were obsessed with chasing rats and mice in the hay. I personally wouldn't encourage a dog to kill anything but it made me wonder what the best ratter breed is.....what do you guys think?
JRT? Fox Terrier? Rat Terrier? Other?
Hmmm.... I'm going to say Jack/Parson Russell Terriers. Although you can't go wrong with any terrier when it comes to ratting.
bubbatd
10-25-2006, 11:11 PM
When ever we raised the wooden pads under the horse feed containers in our horse barn it was a free for all for our Goldens . Ugly scene , but that's life .
mindi
10-25-2006, 11:17 PM
Why would any one want a bad dog? My princess, would not ever consider, hurting anything, not even a mouse. Why would you not get a cat to kell the mouses, or the rates.
My Princess is a theraphy dog for me, she helps me live a happy life, and she would die for me, so I know that I am handi cap but i don't understand the question! I know that goed made everything for a reason, even me but even a better thing he maked my Prinicess to be here to help me.
Mordy
10-26-2006, 02:01 AM
Most terrier breeds are good ratters. So are dachshunds actually, which are in my opinion totally mis-classified in the hound group in AKC.
My old wirehaired dachshund was an excellent vermin dog.
If you are interested in reading about working terriers, this site is really great:
http://www.terrierman.com - I read his blog regularly.
Most terrier breeds, though you can find the occassional mutt that shines in this area. Aubrey is a really good mouser, as is this husky mix I know.
Cassiepeia
10-26-2006, 07:37 AM
Why would any one want a bad dog? My princess, would not ever consider, hurting anything, not even a mouse. Why would you not get a cat to kell the mouses, or the rates.
My Princess is a theraphy dog for me, she helps me live a happy life, and she would die for me, so I know that I am handi cap but i don't understand the question! I know that goed made everything for a reason, even me but even a better thing he maked my Prinicess to be here to help me.
Most Terriers were bred to kill rodents. It was their job. Just like Border Collies were bred to herd sheep. There is nothing 'bad' about a dog that kills rodents. In fact it can be a very good thing.
So the question was...which dog (terrier or not) makes the best ratter?
I'd go with Jack Russell Terrier. But I agree with Dani...most terriers are fantastic at it. They love their job. lol
Cass.
Amalthea
10-26-2006, 10:36 AM
JRTs are such tough little dogs! my grandparents had two females and a male... they would not only kill rats and mice, but snakes and snapping turtles too! one of the females thought she was a labrador retriever ;) they have ponds on their property and we'd go fishing with the floating bobbers to show us when we had a bite... she would follow us down there and when we cast the line, she'd swim out and get the bobber and bring it back to us ;)
SisMorphine
10-26-2006, 10:38 AM
I've only ever seen JRTs rat, but they are amazing at it. Very very focussed dogs. It's awesome.
My friend's JRT recently died and the very next morning was the first time they EVER saw a chipmunk on their property. He scared them off simply by being him. LOL!
Ratting is the Manchester Terrier's specialty. They were bred for the old sport of rat killing --where I think the dogs were put into a room with rats and whoever killed the most the fastest won (sounds sooo gross!) Then the pub owners would turn the Manchesters loose all night while the pub was closed so they could do their job. Zippy has never had a chance to chase anything live--but the way he chases and shakes toys-- I can definitely see the ratter heritage!
Miakoda
10-26-2006, 12:32 PM
I've seen 2 Lakeland Terriers that were amazing ratters.
oc_spirit
10-26-2006, 12:48 PM
To me the best ratters around are the Patterdale Terriers and the Jag Terrier although my buddy has a Patterdale/Staffy Bull (AKA a PatStaff) who has proven herself time and time again in different places who ask her owner to bring her to rid their place of vermin. The Staffy Bull gives greater drive and bulk so she can take on bigger and fiercer vermin like coons.
~Dixie's_Mom~
10-26-2006, 04:30 PM
Why would any one want a bad dog? My princess, would not ever consider, hurting anything, not even a mouse. Why would you not get a cat to kell the mouses, or the rates.
My Princess is a theraphy dog for me, she helps me live a happy life, and she would die for me, so I know that I am handi cap but i don't understand the question! I know that goed made everything for a reason, even me but even a better thing he maked my Prinicess to be here to help me.
That is what terriers were bred to do. It's in their nature.
My Yorkie, Dixie would make an excellent mouser. I've always thought of trying to do some of the underground challenges with her. She has great drive. We have to keep her separated from our Gerbil, because she'll bark non-stop at the cage, and scratch on the bars to get to her. :yikes: It's wierd though, because our Yorkie/Silky (both breeds bred to hunt mice) LOVES our Gerbil. :D She'll lick her, and be really sweet. :lol-sign: But she has been around her since she was a baby, and Dixie hasn't.
schnauzerfan
10-26-2006, 04:33 PM
My mini schnauzer would try to go after my daughter's pet snakes food (live mice or rats). He would check the box we kept the mice, or rats in daily. One day my husband came in the house and our schnauzer was standing on the table box was sitting on, the rat had already became lunch. He had an innocent look of "What, I didn't do anything!"
Georgygirl
10-26-2006, 04:42 PM
I remember on my grandma's farm her rottie and dobe had a grand time killing the rats in the corn crib and grain bins. Most of the farm cats only went after the mice, but there were a couple that would take on the rats (and oddy enough, they were the smallest cats of the bunch).
BostonBanker
10-26-2006, 06:29 PM
I know a border terrier who is a great ratter.
So are dachshunds actually, which are in my opinion totally mis-classified in the hound group in AKC.
Thank you. People always look at me like I'm some kind of idiot when I say that I usually consider them more terrier than hound.
stevinski
10-26-2006, 06:41 PM
terriers were bred to go down the hole and recover whatever they were searching for, along with daschunds
a terrier went down a hole to get a fox once and was down there for 3 days until she came out with it,
borders were bred to follow the horse and for going after horses but some of the smaller terriers such as norfolks were bred for going for rats underground
stevinski
10-26-2006, 06:43 PM
i was going to do earthdog trials with harley but there is no club for it on the island and no1 who has trained in it b4,
the training for it is really intense, you have to be able to control your dog while its underground,
Mordy
10-26-2006, 07:24 PM
Thank you. People always look at me like I'm some kind of idiot when I say that I usually consider them more terrier than hound.
You are quite welcome. :)
It's really obvious if you look at the name (dachs = German for badger, hund = dog, so "badger dog") and the work they were bred for (to hunt badgers, which are den animals).
FCI has them in a separate class altogether:
http://www.fci.be/nomenclatures_detail.asp?lang=en&file=group4
In Germany, Dachshunds are a popular allround hunting dog though, used for earthwork as well as tracking and other things.
oc_spirit
10-26-2006, 11:14 PM
I wonder if the misunderstand came due to language? MAybe people thought the germans were saying "hound" instead of "hund"
Mordy
10-27-2006, 01:39 AM
Yeah I could see that - but these are dog people for cripe's sake! They should know better. :D
Bahamutt99
10-27-2006, 03:47 AM
Well, my Pit Bull has killed a few mice. I would probably say a Patterdale.
showpug
10-31-2006, 11:01 PM
Why would any one want a bad dog? My princess, would not ever consider, hurting anything, not even a mouse. Why would you not get a cat to kell the mouses, or the rates.
My Princess is a theraphy dog for me, she helps me live a happy life, and she would die for me, so I know that I am handi cap but i don't understand the question! I know that goed made everything for a reason, even me but even a better thing he maked my Prinicess to be here to help me.
Dogs that kill other animals are not bad dogs. They are simply animals acting out on built in prey drive. It's natural for dogs' to seek out prey/vermin, especially terrier and hound breeds. It's the responsibility of the owner to prevent this if it's an unwanted behavior, but in some cases, this behavior/instinct comes in handy. Take for example, farmers - they need to get rid of vermin etc.