Stalking with a terrier.

[VSS]

Does anyone do this? Can it even be done (terriers being what they are)???

We have a terrier that came to us courtesy of Tozzybum, a rough coated, barrel chested, bandy-legged rogue of a dog, with jaws of steel. An enthusiastic killer of rats, cats, dopey pheasant poults and sleeping partridges. Impressed by his ability to follow scents, I tested him by laying a trail, dragging a fresh deer skin through some scrubby ground. He found it every time, no bother. However, he's noisy, impetuous and not particularly inclined towards obedience. Brilliant for ratting around the farmyard, but hardly the sort of dog that's going to walk sedately at heel as I stalk through woodland or sit patiently under a highseat, or wait quietly in the back of the pickup until required.
However, as I mentioned in another thread, I recently unintentionally acquired another terrier, as much like the first as chalk is to cheese. Slim build, straight legs, smooth coat. Follows me around like a shadow, stops when I stop (eg, if I'm using my binoculars), quiet (for a terrier) and generally does as he's told. Not sure about his scenting ability yet - not had him long.
So could this be a potential stalking companion, and if so would he actually be of any benefit to me?
I have 30 years experience of training sheepdogs to a fairly high standard (trials winners), but my knowledge of other breeds is limited to these two terriers, and one that preceded them, so anybody else's thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[bullet chucker]

My mate used to take his cocker out sometimes, let him down once or twice but, on one occasion the bitch went on point as she saw/scented some roe crossing the plowed field he was covering,He never picked on them untill he noticed her action.

BC.

 

[@theroedeerguy]

I used to have a patterdale terrier that would accompany me stalking. As long as you put the ground work into basic obedience it is possible to have a great stalking companion.

My terrier would walk by my side, stop when I stopped and follow up on shot deer and was invaluable.

If you fancy training a dog up as a dedicated stalking companion Paul Michaels “Blueprint” has some good advice

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Regards

BP

 

[sikasako]

Cairn terriers are renowned deerstalking partners.
As long as any canine companion is steady and doesn't go too far ahead it's likely to make you more aware of deer presence, especially once you learn to read its indications.

 

[John Gryphon]

As long as you put the ground work into basic obedience it is possible to have a great stalking companion.

thats it with any dog breed,i reckon i could train any sort of cross bred dog to do so.

 

[bogtrotter]

Knew a professional Highland stalker who had a Jack Russel that accompanied him, when he crawled it crawled although the heather was often taller than it, really funny to watch.

 

[VSS]

First off, I'm planning to teach him that when I'm in "stalking mode" (ie, carrying sticks / rifle etc) he must remain at heel. Same principle with trials sheepdogs which go into "competition mode" when I pick up my Sunday best crook.
Highseats might be an issue. I'm pretty sure that if I had double highseats he'd happily curl up beside me and go to sleep for a couple of hours. Trouble is, all mine are singles. However, I've noticed that when I sit down in the house of an evening he quietly settles down by my feet and goes to sleep, so maybe he'd do the same under a highseat? Going to try it, whatever.
Pheasants are also going to be a problem.

 

[Uncle Norm]

I had a working-bred Border for 13 years. I had to stop taking him stalking as, when he could smell deer in front of us, he would let out one loud 'yip!' when the excitement overcame him. Game over. This was particularly a problem when calling Muntjac as he could smell the approaching deer long before I saw it.
I used to take him up the high seat with me too...…..until he started growling at any passing fox. Foxes were his passionate hate and he would go to ground given half a chance. Cost me several hundred in vets bills as a result.
My Labrador bitch tells me all I need to know but never makes a murmur.

 

[SDC7x57]

+1 for the Labrador. My eight year old seems to sense what's going on - stays right at heel and never a peep out of her. She will 'point' in her own fashion, and is invaluable to me when recovering deer, especially in very rough clear fell areas. And, like VSS above, she knows which game she's on....take the rifle out, she knows it's a stalking day. Shotgun and cartridge bag....different dog.

 

[Gm81]

My father had a terrier for stalking. He was great. Did everything he should.
His new one won’t sit and be quiet. So I think it depends on the dog.

 

[6pt-sika]

I had a working-bred Border for 13 years. I had to stop taking him stalking as, when he could smell deer in front of us, he would let out one loud 'yip!' when the excitement overcame him. Game over. This was particularly a problem when calling Muntjac as he could smell the approaching deer long before I saw it.
I used to take him up the high seat with me too...…..until he started growling at any passing fox. Foxes were his passionate hate and he would go to ground given half a chance. Cost me several hundred in vets bills as a result.
My Labrador bitch tells me all I need to know but never makes a murmur.

I'm gonna be 58 soon , we've had Borders for 57 of those years . I was given my first for my first birthday . Never did hunt them but I had a couple that would go down the hole after a groundhog . Pretty much never had anything other then Border Terriers , English Setters and a recent acquisition of a Boykin Spaniel .

 

[Crosshair243]

My Russell bitch loves stalking. She even knows to ignore squirrels when we’re out with the rifle. She rides in the roe sack too when the nettles are ouchy or the highseat too narrow to perch on.
She follows up shot deer and foxes nicely- especially in thick cover.
She seems to have a 6th sense about what we’re up to and acts accordingly.

 

[VSS]

My Russell bitch loves stalking. She even knows to ignore squirrels when we’re out with the rifle. She rides in the roe sack too when the nettles are ouchy or the highseat too narrow to perch on.
She follows up shot deer and foxes nicely- especially in thick cover.
She seems to have a 6th sense about what we’re up to and acts accordingly.

That's an encouraging post, thanks!

 

[monarman]

I have an 11 month old patterdale x jag'd terrier.... she found her first deer at 6 months old..... purely from scent and not blood trail..
She'll point and sniff when there's deer about but she's a sod for pulling on the lead! She will sit and curl up at the bottom of the highseat but has to well tethered!
The headstalker at glencalvie has a patterdale that stalks with him....it lays down when he does and also scents deer for him.

Terriers can make good deer dogs.

 

[slider]

Local FC ranger uses border terrriers and swears by them

 

[Sonicdmb73]

I used to work for my mates father. He himself a very good friend of some near 30 years now.
As a 21st present my mate got a terrier Border iirc. He was a very passionate ratter pulling more than one apart with the boss’s lab.
Anyway may mate ended up away from home. The dog stayed. Well my old boss kept some fallow the dog took interest when he was culling them. He took him out stalking he became a very good companion. Following to heal pointing of sorts deer and tracking. Even when you could clearly see the deer.
He had different personalities depending on what he was doing. Ratting, helping catch escaped hens from day old on. Stalking or lap dog he did it all. Along with the lab they were to date the boss’s favourite dogs.
So yes you can have a good Stalking companion if you can get the obedience sorted.

 

[Norfolk Horn]

I new you would keep that dog. Good luck with getting him on the deer.
I have a working Lakeland which I keep intending to teach to track as he has a good nose. Been a bit slow doing so as my HWV in my stalking buddy.

 

[highseat6.5]

My old Lakeland was a great blood tracking dog and over a few years found quite a few runners but definitely not one to take out stalking ..she was very easily distracted , anything from a tiny shrew to squirrel , rat ,rabbit ,foxes ( her absolute favorite distraction ) & badgers would see her stalking mode switch to hunting on my own mode , and that wasn’t anything that could be remotely described as stalking ...
Edited to say she was the most dog I’ve ever owned , if that dog was out , she was hunting ..never touched birds or stock but every thing else was game ..

 

[VSS]

I don't think I'll have any trouble with the general obedience (terrier characteristics notwithstanding), and with the fallow season drawing to a close I've got a few months to work on that, and also to teach him to wait under a highseat.
With regard to tracking, here we're getting outside of my realm of dog training experience! I've noticed that the older terrier always has his nose to ground, and steadfastly follows any trail of fox, badger or cat. As I mentioned before, he tracked a fresh deer hide very well, although I suspect that he'd have been sidetracked very easily if there'd been other fresh trails crossing it, or if he found any sh*t to eat on the way!
The young dog, despite being a steadier character, doesn't (at this stage) show any particular inclination to use his nose. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that this is a good thing, as it means he hasn't already developed the habit of trailing every animal that's passed by, so I ought to be able to get him going from the outset on just the specific scent I want to introduce him to. Have I got that right?
Unless I get another buck in the the next week or so for some fresh blood and hide, I was thinking of getting a piece of fallow liver out of the freezer, mashing it up well in some water, and putting it in a squeezy bottle to dribble a trail. Would that work?

 

[pendle]

Hi VSS pm'd you