Border Terrier as a hunting companion

Premium Gun Accessories - Ammo Fusion
Ouhout

Ouhout

Well-Known Member
I just wanted to get the SD communities feedback on Border Terriers as hunting companions? I see Franz Albrecht has a border terrier cross which you sometimes see him stalking with - such a chilled dog.
Ideally looking for a small dog breed to keep me company when shooting geese, rabbits, deer stalking & fly fishing.
Open to any suggestions
 
I have a plummer as my tracker, started out ratting (no fox work for this one) and bushing but she's been brilliant as a tracker and good company out. She'll tell me if anything is up wind well before I can see it. I'd say a border will be just as good so long as its brought up and trained well.
 
Ouhout said:
I just wanted to get the SD communities feedback on Border Terriers as hunting companions? I see Franz Albrecht has a border terrier cross which you sometimes see him stalking with - such a chilled dog.
Ideally looking for a small dog breed to keep me company when shooting geese, rabbits, deer stalking & fly fishing.
Open to any suggestions
Click to expand...
Border Terriers, like all Terriers, were bred as hunting dogs. They have tremendous hunting instinct. My parents have a border. It regularly catches rabbits, partridges and phaesants in the garden. One of our shoot members has a border. She is an excellent finder of game birds and is very good at flushing. However the challenge is where she is flushing those birds. Now that she is over ten years of age, these are more often in range.

But there are Border Terriers and Border Terriers.

When I grew up we had a Norfolk Terrier. Even as a puppy he was a somewhat portly elderly gentleman and he was an utter delight to take along on fishing and shooting trips. It was though, far beneath his dignity to actually do anything. His only real use was providing hair to tie a muddler type fly that looked very much like a fish feeding pellet and was deadly on stocked trout.
 
My old Border was very good at tracking and sometimes pointing. Had to be on the lead when stalking but was patient and would wait with my roe sack if I needed to get in close without him. He would also stand on my back when laid prone for a shot.
Lost him a year and half ago and today we pick up a new BT puppy who will be trained for deer work.
Yes they can be stubborn single minded but have the hunting instinct.
 
A border would be a fine choice of companion for what you require.

I know a lady who has one that she has trained as a deer dog. She also has Hanover hounds, so she knows what she is doing.

Choose the right type of Border, they are not all equal.
 
Ive had borders for 25 years got 3 at present, the old one could do anything stalking, beating, ratting and earth work very biddable wanted to please great sounder in a hole but mute when stalking, never have one like her, middle one useless for stalking would start squeaking at scent of deer, not too bad at beating but a great ratter too hard for holes.
Young one been reared by wife as pet never been introduced to anything other than stalking, had her out early in Doe season as wife was away and she took to it like a duck to water, she will point deer now but crucially she is mute while stalking, starting to squeak a wee bit after shot but takes command to pipe down well.
It will all depend on the dog itself some will be great others cant contain the excitement.20260314_095727.webp20251115_090359(0).webp

Picture with the 3 does was her first ever encounter with a rifle and deer, she did so well I started taking her regular.
 
Cris said:
They were also the first working seer dogs I met some 30+ years ago. A Scottish stalker had three of them he used.
Click to expand...
do you mean Andy Malcolm, never met him, but his borders look quite nice. My Border heels lovely (which is 99% of stalking with a deer dog) and points - never used her for blood tracking but have no reason to suspect she wouldn't.

 
Great stalking companions!

My Pip picks up scent quickly and will find a downed runner in clear-fell/thick cover, sits patiently when taking the shot then is off like a greyhound!

I have her on a belt leash when stalking as she's always pulling eager for scent, she won't walk to heel.

Recall on Acme whistle is very good - need to start training the on the Acme at about 12-14wks coming back to treats - best treats I've found are fryed roe deer liver cubes.

Won't bark when she locates a deer, but rags the back end then looses interest very quickly - job done!

Pip
 
Ouhout said:
I just wanted to get the SD communities feedback on Border Terriers as hunting companions? I see Franz Albrecht has a border terrier cross which you sometimes see him stalking with - such a chilled dog.
Ideally looking for a small dog breed to keep me company when shooting geese, rabbits, deer stalking & fly fishing.
Open to any suggestions
Click to expand...
Have known 2 different stalkers who worked Borders on the deer , Both dogs where good . If i was getting a small stalking dog i would have one in a hart beat . All true terrier breeds treat commands tend to take following commands as " Optional " But you can take them up a high seat with you ! I cannot do that with Labs
 
Used a border years ago. As did a few other stalkers I knew. They’d happily trot along beside you all day. Would work any species of deer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Evening all
Replies
5
Views
394
Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Poaching.
Replies
4
Views
4K
Fez
Fez
Stalking with a terrier.
2 3
Replies
58
Views
6K
Brittany boy
B
Available: Hunting Programs in Asia.
Replies
0
Views
1K
adictosacazar
adictosacazar
Paddling the Zambezi
Replies
2
Views
1K
John Gryphon
John Gryphon
Leica Fortis 6 - Bright and powerful.
Back
Top