How to Hunt Rats With Terriers

Cowboy the Fox Terrier

The terrier has a long history of hunting. There are many different breeds of terriers, each bred to hunt various species of vermin. Terriers will hunt and kill rats with enthusiasm. The terrier breed has been used to help control rats for centuries, helping masters keep crops and silage free of disease spreading pests. Teaching a terrier to rat is simple because the urge to hunt is bred into each and every terrier.

Instructions

1. Purchase or capture several rats or mice. Take the rats and your terrier to a large field so the dog will have space to run down the rats.

2. Once in the middle of a suitable open space, let the dog see one of the rats in the cage. Urge the dog on to get him excited.

3. Release the rat from the cage and let the dog chase and kill the rat.

4. Once the dog has become proficient at killing rats, take the dog out to a farm or field where rats live. Search fence rows, hay bales or junk piles for rats. Most terriers will learn to use their nose to detect rats after several hunting trips.

Tips & Warnings

• Vaccinate your dog against Leptospirosis since rats are a known carrier of this disease.

• Make sure the dog has his adult teeth before you begin ratting.

• Let your puppy play with a rat or mouse skin to help develop his nose.

• Use caution when handling wild animals.