Teckels

[Rake Aboot]

No way I could use mine for stalking
He can track for fun and has the most amazing nose I’ve ever seen on any dog
He’s out plenty up for the lurchers as well , but sit there while a deer appears ?? Not a hope in hell. The prey drive is enormous

 

[waggy 1]

A bit more meat on the bone......
Firstly just the bit about 'miniature' or 'zwerg' - personally I wouldn't choose a mini for stalking, yes some use them and they are happy, but personally I think that any amount of deep bramble/bracken/heather would cause unnecessary problems with the shorter legged variety. Yes they will 'hunt' under any of that with ease - but 'walking' over, on lead is a different story.

As tracking dogs - when trained correctly and given plenty of experience, they are and can be very, very good. The combination of a great nose and a very tenacious nature keeps them going when others might give up - and I am talking old cold trails here - not 20 minute/50 metre death runs. The biggest challenge is the distraction of fresh/hot scent that has contaminated your dull cold trail. Let's be totally honest, another challenge can be their size - even standards. We have a large football-pitch-sized reedbed on our stalking ground, very thick sedge and knee deep, up to waist deep, water. A GWP might power its way through - a teckel will struggle. But the flip-side on the size is a neat little dog in the car and in the house.

As a stalking dog..........It can be done, indeed I will be training my current pup - the litter sister to Rattens pup - to stalk and be a highseat buddy more than a tracking dog. Probably, if all I wanted was a stalking (on foot) companion - I would probably buy a Lab.

As far as training is concerned - pretty much all dachshunds/teckels are clever dogs - smart enough to second guess owners and smart enough to outsmart some owners. When it comes to prey drive, 'some' are off the charts - our first two German imports are too much really. I admire their spirit greatly. They were just born and bred to hunt and given the chance they would hunt anything. We have experimented with breeding from them and found that a dash of show blood in our second and fourth litter took that edge off. We have three others from Scandi/Italian dominated lines and they are easier on the nerves - that said.......they still have incredible noses and plenty of poke. Horses for courses.

Thankyou for taking the time to point out a lot of things that to be fair I had not took into consideration I loved having my stalking with Bitch with me , she was like Velcro ! Think I should be having another one in due course thanks to everyone for your thoughts

 

[Keith Edmunds]

No way I could use mine for stalking
He can track for fun and has the most amazing nose I’ve ever seen on any dog
He’s out plenty up for the lurchers as well , but sit there while a deer appears ?? Not a hope in hell. The prey drive is enormous

If a teckel/working bred dachshund could talk.........and you asked him what he really enjoyed doing most?...........Hands down 95% would say hunting, hunting hard and hunting for as long as they can hold a line - period. They absolutely love it!

However - there is a small minority of 100% working bred teckels that are less independant and less gung-ho- death or glory- driven. We own just one. She has predominantly German dam line von Rauhenstein and vom Linteler-forst (good lines) and Italian/Scandi sire line. But........here's the thing, she is my wifes country companion as my wife wanted one dog that she could walk off lead without it going free-lance - so we didn't allow it the enjoyment of hunting and at 2.5 years she is rock steady off the lead (the dog not my wife)

Working/show blends are another matter - certainly less independent and a little easier to train - in my experience - so far............

 

[Ratel]

My little B......... Is a tweeney, neither mini nor standard. She will stay close when I'm out with her but that took some doing. I have not yet stalked in with her off lead and I don't think she could resist flying at a deer if she was within 100yds. She has a strong scent and prey drive and will grab hold straight away.

 

[tim@tcs]

I’d love a teckel, I’m a bit of a soft sod when it comes to rejected dogs and am often a permanent home on a temporary basis for working dogs!
Not been offered one yet, I wish I’d taken the Clumber I was offered too!

 

[finnbear270]

Funny how none are used by authorities for their supercharged scenting abilities, ours will seek out anything from a slug through shrews /mice / hedgehogs, We can hide a favourite ball toy five feet above floor level IN THE FRIDGE … & it will sit and indicate the hidden object. Persistent in what they decide is priority.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

My little B......... Is a tweeney, neither mini nor standard. She will stay close when I'm out with her but that took some doing. I have not yet stalked in with her off lead and I don't think she could resist flying at a deer if she was within 100yds. She has a strong scent and prey drive and will grab hold straight away.

Tweeney - neither mini nor standard???? I am totally confused, can you share the pedigree please?

 

[Keith Edmunds]

I’m not sure how research will help

Two Teckels from the same litter can be like chalk and cheese

Yes, there is variation but I would recommend research as there is still a significant difference at either side of the spectrum.

Here's two examples...
1.) A guy came to us to use our 100% working bred stud dog as he wanted to breed a litter that had more drive than his bitch. He told me that she was 100% working bred and that he used her for beating and picking up! I was amazed - the holy grail of working teckels perhaps? He sent me the pedigree. The bitches sire was indeed from good working lines but the dam was 100% show-bred!!! That totally explained the steady nature. The owner bought the bitch from a breeder in West Sussex who apparently assured him it was 100% working bred. The resulting pups are doing very well indeed

2.) I was out with a friend of mine with his German imported teckel and....a bitch that he had bought from the same breeder in Sussex. The bitch was really steady, didn't hunt particularly hard and recalled very well, showed no interest in going to ground (we were getting experience below ground for one of my German bitches). Again I was assured she was 100% working bred. A few months later he asked to use my stud dog and again.......the dam was 100% show-bred.

Both of the above were very nice dogs, probably more suited to stalking, rough shooting, light bushing than anything too hard. But it goes to show that researching pedigrees, especially comparisons between hardcore Easter Europe/Old German lines and those that have a show/work mix will give some predictability on character and drive. Sadly a lot of enthusiasts in the UK still can't tell working lines from show lines, never mind the potential hardness of the working lines.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

Funny how none are used by authorities for their supercharged scenting abilities, ours will seek out anything from a slug through shrews /mice / hedgehogs, We can hide a favourite ball toy five feet above floor level IN THE FRIDGE … & it will sit and indicate the hidden object. Persistent in what they decide is priority.

As yours are both litter brother Steve, regarding variations within a litter - is there much difference between your two? Incidentally Tom's (Ratten) dog is a full brother to your two.

 

[finnbear270]

Otto is a bit steadier & a little more thoughtful & considered than Franz, ......... but he still has that "in an emergency push here (read excitement) button" ... Franz has the far more accurate nose, (He also insists on attacking a small Catnip plant in a neighbours roadside border), Otto has a penchant for anything on the wing, wasps moths butterflys woodpigeons etc, I think Franz has a metal shearing machine in his pedigree somewhere, Any bit of something to stick your head in then dissapear into too (Training heap in pic., He also torments Paula any way he can think of

 

[Mickeydredd]

Funny how none are used by authorities for their supercharged scenting abilities, ours will seek out anything from a slug through shrews /mice / hedgehogs, We can hide a favourite ball toy five feet above floor level IN THE FRIDGE … & it will sit and indicate the hidden object. Persistent in what they decide is priority.

My Teckel bitch can be fast asleep on the sofa yet awakens and dives off on to the tiled floor to nail a spider!! Her nose is incredible, but I sometimes wonder if the hearing is also on a par!

 

[Keith Edmunds]

My Teckel bitch can be fast asleep on the sofa yet awakens and dives off on to the tiled floor to nail a spider!! Her nose is incredible, but I sometimes wonder if the hearing is also on a par!

Indeed, one of ours has a penchant for house flies and can easily smell one up on a table or chair that it cannot and has not seen! The same bitch once ran 10 yards from the headland into a stubble field, fox-pounced into the straw and caught shrew??

 

[Keith Edmunds]

We are feeling proud. We were delighted to hear that Pete and Tim have successfully passed the UKDTR 3hr tracking test. The trail is approximately 400 metres, aged no less than 3 hours using no more than 100ml of blood and at least two bends between 45 and 90 degrees. Well done UKDTR for organising the mentoring scheme and the fabulous dedication with the recovery service.

Pete was handling his black and tan bitch 'Peggy' aka Hazelglade Cecilia (Ilko vom Reesenufer x Wicked Witch dell Olmaccio)

Tim was handling his wild boar bitch Maple aka Tawnyhill Maple (Bassotto Di Corleone Hendrix at Hazelglade x Hazelglade Bluebell)

 

[Alan_Hayes]

We are feeling proud. We were delighted to hear that Pete and Tim have successfully passed the UKDTR 3hr tracking test. The trail is approximately 400 metres, aged no less than 3 hours using no more than 100ml of blood and at least two bends between 45 and 90 degrees. Well done UKDTR for organising the mentoring scheme and the fabulous dedication with the recovery service.

Pete was handling his black and tan bitch 'Peggy' aka Hazelglade Cecilia (Ilko vom Reesenufer x Wicked Witch dell Olmaccio)

Tim was handling his wild boar bitch Maple aka Tawnyhill Maple (Bassotto Di Corleone Hendrix at Hazelglade x Hazelglade Bluebell)

More to come from teams and looking forward to both, progressing on to the 20hr tests. Though not my type of Dog both have done fantastically well. Having worked with Tim closely over the last few months been cracking to watch him and Maple progress into a well rounded team. I am sure Pete’s mentor would say the same. The real work starts now

 

[Keith Edmunds]

More to come from teams and looking forward to both, progressing on to the 20hr tests. Though not my type of Dog both have done fantastically well. Having worked with Tim closely over the last few months been cracking to watch him and Maple progress into a well rounded team. I am sure Pete’s mentor would say the same. The real work starts now

I fully appreciate the time and dedication. The time it takes to drive to the training ground, lay the trail, drive back and there again, follow up the trail. Almost a sport in it's own right.
Now we have a bit more time on our hands and a training wood 5 minutes away Jane and I plan to retrain Maples sire and grand dam and use them solely as trackers. Looking forward to it

 

[Marrajack1]

Mine is out of a mainly earth dog, and very well bred The mother is a Jack of all trades. I use mine mainly for stalking and I couple her to the Wire and she has been good so far Defo has an off switch, but very much has an on one

Wish I had them as soon as hunting bans curtailed my terrier work Lovely characters

 

[mchughcb]

Ones a tweeny, more reserved, others full size wire hair, more outgoing

 

[Bowland blades]

Thinking of another dog after losing my HWV a few months ago…I know these are totally different! Miniature Teckels, what’s peoples thoughts on these and does Anyone use these for stalking? As in woodland stalking , having them with you at all times off the lead?Not left in a vehicle till required

Most will simply not walk to heel reliably i looked at the possibilities and that's what the guys who are known to use them told me . Just like the HWV will work close and and an English pointer will be off and running . Exceptions in dog breeds occur occur I have known terriers with soft mouths and truly aggressive Labradors but its very rare .

 

[wytonpjs]

Most will simply not walk to heel reliably i looked at the possibilities and that's what the guys who are known to use them told me . Just like the HWV will work close and and an English pointer will be off and running . Exceptions in dog breeds occur I have known terriers with soft mouths and truly aggressive Labradors but its very rare .

My Teckel stalks perfectly to my left heel and when I stop, sits. The Vizslas do the same. This is the first Teckel I have "trained" after 7 Vizslas but at 18 mths, we got there. Perseverance, patience and an ability to occasional weep inwards when things don't go as you hoped. I'm now 90% happy - he will still occasional give chase with voice at the shot but normally I can halt him by voice within a few metres until I'm ready for him to go forward.

 

[Bowland blades]

My Teckel stalks perfectly to my left heel and when I stop, sits. The Vizslas do the same. This is the first Teckel I have "trained" after 7 Vizslas but at 18 mths, we got there. Perseverance, patience and an ability to occasional weep inwards when things don't go as you hoped. I'm now 90% happy - he will still occasional give chase with voice at the shot but normally I can halt him by voice within a few metres until I'm ready for him to go forward.

Like i say there are exceptions ! Exceptions can be the trainer in question or the dog in question or a combination of both . Yet there is a reason its rare when we see someone stalking with a teckel off lead walking to heel correctly .
I suppose one could always walk really fast and outpace the thing LOL