Shootin' the breeze

It is rare that I get to talk dogs with people who are interested, especially people who are interested in Rat Terriers. It is even more rare that I get to talk with folks about hunting with their dogs. And even more rare, and a precious experience, when I get to talk with people about hunting with their Rat Terriers.

I received that rare gift today when Tim Brown stopped by on his way to his brother's house in Cody, Wyoming. It was too short of a visit! I do hope that I get forgiven for my being a little rattled when he first came, I wasn't expecting him until tomorrow; we all know how some folks can be when their house isn't in good shape - that was me.

Tim soon put me at ease when we sat to talk for a few hours about my current dogs and dogs that he has had. Tim was instrumental in preserving the line of hunting terrier dogs from Milton Decker. If you click on his name above, you will read more about them and their Rat Terrier heritage. Most all "Decker Terriers" these days are mostly Rat Terriers and all are registered as such. There is currently a small contingent of people who want to see the Decker line dogs as their own breed; you can spot a "Decker" a mile away mostly because of their size and distinctive headpieces.

I love hearing stories about dogs, and I am sure that he barely even scratched the surface with his stories about his hunting dogs and their antics. I do hope that he takes me up on my offer to go rabbit hunting on his way back through.

Oh, and I was tickled pink that he was very impressed with the little ball of sass I call Miss Jada.

I could go on, but supper isn't going to cook itself.

Comments

High Toes

Sometimes I get into discussions with people about dog structure and really, really, it makes me want to beat my head against a wall. However, those always make me publish those words and pictures that have been rattling around in my head for a while. Case in point – someone posted on a board that they thought that a high toe on a dog was a “cosmetic fault.” My opinion on this is fairly solid – NO! A high toe is a STRUCTUAL fault. Someone then posted that they wanted “proof.” Ah, here we go. The boondoggle of proof! Studies! Someone, somewhere, somehow agreeing or disagreeing with my point! The unfortunate thing is that it really isn’t to be found. Our Proof wanter found a website in which a couple had a Staffordshire Terrier with a high toe, and they readily admitted that the high toe caused issues with her gait, but then concluded that it was just a cosmetic issue. Hmm, really? The document can be found here , you can look at the pictures and read it for yourself. (Don't use the

All Positive - All BS

I, in my infinate inability to keep my mouth shut, offered someone training advice on a public forum for their resource guarding Rat Terrier. I told them that when he does the growling bit, calmly walk over, pick him up by the scruff of the neck, and put him in his kennel for a few hours. In my own experience with Ratties, this works pretty well because the dog learns that if you attempt to guard something, you will be corrected and then removed from your treasure and the rest of the pack. I didn't think that this was in any way controversial. Oh, how wrong I was! I found out that I might as well have told her to punt the dog like a football across the room, because that is what "scruffing" is to the "All Positive" fanatics. Of course, their suggestions would lead to reinforcement of the behavior or out and out terror. There were two camps - the first camp said to "redirect the dog's behavior by offering it a treat to give up it's treasure

Brindle and the Rat Terrier

It seems like every once in a while the topic of brindle comes up in the Rat Terrier world. Teeth are gnashed and garments are rendered because brindle is not an acceptable pattern in our breed, and the standard says that brindle is a disqualification. The standard probably won’t change any time soon, and I certainly hope that it will NEVER include brindle! Why? The UKC standard says, in the very beginning, that “These terriers probably included crosses between the Smooth Fox Terrier, the Manchester Terrier and the now extinct white English Terrier… Some of these dogs were crossed with Whippets or Italian Greyhounds (for speed) and Beagles (for hunting ability).” Let’s take a look at the ancestors of the Rat Terrier and how their standards treat brindle: Smooth Fox Terrier UKC : Serious Fault AKC: Objectionable Manchester Terrier: UKC: Disqualification AKC: Disqualification Whippet: UKC: Any color/pattern accepted. AKC: Any color/pattern accepted. Italian Greyhounds: UKC: Disqualif

Hurricane Deck

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