boarder terrier

trigwig78

Member
Can a boarder terrier be used as a blood / tracking dog?
I have heard of certain folk using them but wasn't sure of their actual abilities when
their time comes to perform.
If they are used are there any breeders who specialize in boarder terriers for deer?
 
just hope it dosnt find a fox goes to earth , leaving you with a deer to find and a dog to dig out
 
Would be surprised if they can be trained to do anything, I love mine but to a degree he does what he wants. Though if it's dead or dying he will find it..

Regards oli
 
I have a Border who is now 8 yrs old. He has found several deer for me, mainly Muntjac in cover. I did not train him properly to track as I did not have the knowhow at the time. Mine is very biddable in most ways but will kill anything he can get his face around. He is friendly with people (not strangers who try to pick him up) and safe with children.
There is a problem with going to ground and mine cost me £110 in the vets just before last Christmas. We had finished stalking and I was busy showing a new member the boundary of the wood, dog off the leash and me not paying attention to him. He went into an ancient stone lined drain,which was under an ancient cart-road and fortunately only about a foot below the surface. A fox was at home and couldn't bolt because of a fallen stone at the other end of the drain. Fox has to turn and fight it out and dog wouldn't back off! I eventually called him out and stopped him going straight back in for round number 2 ! Moral of this story is keep the little bugger on a leash. If you are not deterred then I got him in a Norfolk village called Shouldham from a chap called Steve whose kennel club name is Bramblegate. I could get his phone number if you wish but it may take a week or two before I am that way again. Good luck if you decide to get one.
 
Can a boarder terrier be used as a blood / tracking dog?
I have heard of certain folk using them but wasn't sure of their actual abilities when
their time comes to perform.
If they are used are there any breeders who specialize in boarder terriers for deer?

I would imagine they would find you a Deer i have two that i used for Beating and retrieving off water. They would trail Hare's and Rabbits so i don't think you would have a problem unless they were on scent and tried to call them back as Border's tend to have deaf ears when they want. Good luck

Jimbo
 
You sure can use them, used one and other breeds of terrier for tracking deer. Would bring down roe, bigger deer might be a problem.
Al
 
They will work you just have to put the time in I use a patterdale cross at the moment they just need reminding some times who is the boss ,This dog works every day on red deer apart from when at the dens.
 
Although my Patterdale is now semi-retired due to his age, he has been a great wee deer dog and brilliant stalking companion.
He has brought down injured deer and I would certainly have another if I could find decent lines!
On the subject of Borders, a friend of mine has 2 very competent deer tracking borders, the only downside with one of them is that he gets very protective of his find!
For a biddable stalking companion that will find deer and even indicate on live deer, a terrier can fit the bill, you just need patience in your training approach and a decent working blood line to start with.
As long as I can find decent working stock, my next deer dog will be a terrier.
Regards
BP
 
We have a border i bought for the missus and to have around the yard, i thought about using him to find deer because he seemed fairly bidable thats until he turned 18 months and its like a switch has been flicked !
He's totally nuts and just wants to kill everything in sight, dont get me wrong he is good with his stablemates lab's and people but any other dog/ bitch or animal fur or feathered would certainly be on the menu and has been said the first earth he came across he would be down it :doh:.
He is from working stock and the breeder said this is what would happen he would be slow to start but when he does it would be with a vengence.
i think my labs although not trained specifically for deer would be a better bet for my needs, although i was out with a lad with a bmh the other day and that certainly impressed me the way it worked so one of them might be on the cards.
Good luck with the border, would be good to hear how you get on .DF
 
Terriers are easily trained, JoppaMark trained his to look for beaver :

image.jpg
 
I have kept terriers for more years than I care to remember, they will hunt a scent or blood trail no problem, but as said can be a pain going to ground, but like most things, what you put in you get out, my current border bitch is my wifes and I am not allowed to hunt her, you should see the change in her when she hits deer scent, I am lucky she has not shown interest in going to ground and has never been encouraged, if I was to use her for tracking it would be on a long tracking lead, great wee dogs and fun to have around.

Bod.
 
We got one for around the house. Looked around some and eventually decided on a good working strain from Brian the gamekeeper of Glen Almond Estate, Perth. He's the perfect working strain being small in stature (about half the size of the fat show type often seen waddling behing pensioners) but huge in bravery. He's a blood thirsty, hard headed little *******!

He will easily follow any wounded deer track but he'll just as easily follow any fox, stoat, weasel, etc. He runs with 2 Chesapeakes, a Springer and a Weimaraner, but he's by far the most mental when he gets the scent of blood.
 
I started my dog while young on deer tails as toys at the end of a blood trail.
He has found deer with minimal training but you need them on a lead and be able to hold them back as they are feisty little scrappers!
Never used for another purpose and has shown no interest in going to ground
 

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I have kept terriers for many years, and in the eighties used to go into the scottish borders to control fox. a couple of the boys who stalked up that way used to turn up for fox drives with borders fitted with bells, they used them all the time for deer, and I believe there was a strain used for solely that up there. I have a GWP, but I am hoping for a terrier from my old breeding to use for stalking and the odd bit of mud on the bank. (not borders though)
 
Yes Borders can be trained to blood scent deer, my new pup is due to be collected 1st July to be trained for this task. I asked the same question as yourself as I love Borders and wanted to train one to scent, when I asked the question it was pointed to me that it's the trainer that is a huge part of the team , ie any dog can be trained to scent. I did a huge amount of research and found that alot of Scandanavians use borders to scent deer and wild boar, apparently good where boar are concerned as they are agile if a boar turns. I spoke to a guy in Sweden who uses a border and he said use the dog just for deer....start using it for fox and rabbits ....don't blame the dog when it starts to go wrong...I will post progress of the puppy on here in the hope others will learn by any mistakes I make.
Hope you find a dog and good luck

Pete
 
Iv been using Fell Terriers for stalking for 20 years now. All the dogs i have used have been from the same line that my friend has been breeding for 35 years. Although some of my dogs have been better than others, all the dogs i have had would locate live deer. All would find dead deer that have made it to cover, they would all follow a blood line for considerable distances, and most of them would be more than capable of bringing down a wounded Roe. And you can take them up a high seat with you.. Try that with a Labrador.
Terriers are great wee working dogs and if they are breed from good working parents they make fantastic stalking dogs. Buy your terrier you will never be without one again...
 
I started my dog while young on deer tails as toys at the end of a blood trail.
He has found deer with minimal training but you need them on a lead and be able to hold them back as they are feisty little scrappers!
Never used for another purpose and has shown no interest in going to ground

Just wanted to say a big thank you... I have been working on my wife to let me have a Border Terrier for quite some time with little success... Your photo has quite probab ly won her over :tiphat:
 
Just wanted to say a big thank you... I have been working on my wife to let me have a Border Terrier for quite some time with little success... Your photo has quite probab ly won her over :tiphat:

Just saw this....well chuffed for you mate......you wont regret it.....you will have one of the loyalist companions you could ever find.....as you will find each time you return home when the dog greets you.
ATB

Pete
 
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