# Rat killing dogs



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I have a friend who has a rat problem on the farm. I remember seeing some amazing pics here on a huge quantity of rats being killed by dogs. I don't remember the breed and I would like to show her the pics. Any help would be appreciated!


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## RandB (Aug 13, 2002)

My neighbors used to have a Jack Russell terrier who was a rat killer extraordinaire! She would kill at least one a day when given the chance. And, she was safe around the chickens and livestock.


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

I had a picture saved to a computer which long ago crashed and died that showed over 300 rats all layed out on a tarp on the ground, lined up so we could count them. The dogs who did this were Jack Russells and working Lakeland terriers in the UK. The location was a turkey farm, so lots of grain and lots of rats. They did this in a couple of hours if I remember correctly. Wish I could find that photo again somewhere online.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

We have rat terriers and they kill rats. I wonder where they got that name?


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Oregon Julie said:


> I had a picture saved to a computer which long ago crashed and died that showed over 300 rats all layed out on a tarp on the ground, lined up so we could count them. The dogs who did this were Jack Russells and working Lakeland terriers in the UK. The location was a turkey farm, so lots of grain and lots of rats. They did this in a couple of hours if I remember correctly. Wish I could find that photo again somewhere online.


Yep that is the picture I'm thinking of...very impressive. Now she says she doesn't want a Jack Russell becuz they yap so much and get their border collies going and they go after the cats. She had one in the past I guess. Oh well, she will just have rats then. :hrm:


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

A rat terrier is a much nicer dog than a Jack Russell. Tell her to get a rat terrier. In fact, I think there is someone on this board who breeds rat terriers.


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## mothernature (Aug 22, 2010)

RAt Terriers will be a better choice because Jacks have such a high energy level and will wander more. Jacks are harder to contain and can end up in trouble faster. Both great dogs though!


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

Minelson said:


> Now she says she doesn't want a Jack Russell becuz they yap so much :hrm:


does she not realize that she can teach the dog NOT to bark?? 

if i had that bad a problem with rats, i would put up with the barking as long as the rats died.


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## Reptyle (Jul 28, 2005)

I have two rat terriers...Both pups...The female will bark if she hears something and thinks we need to know about it...The male has yet to bark.


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## jkmlad (Jun 18, 2009)

We have had both a male Lab and a female German Shepherd who did a remarkable job of taking care of any rodents/ unwanted intruders on our place. We had them at different times, but both took their jobs very seriously.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

in the USA the primary working terriers that can nail 50 rats an hour are going to be patterdales & jack russells. rat terriers & feists are okay but the lower intensity in general also carries over on the hunt. if you don't mind really looking long & hard, you can find the couple or three breeders that have working border terriers and the one breeder of working bedlington terriers in NC.

for pics go to photobucket or similar sites & search "ratting & terriers"


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## StBernardLove (Aug 20, 2010)

^ I was just about to say Patterdales or JRTs. They're handfuls, but the only rodents you'll find are dead ones.

You can also try using pet finder. Could be cheaper in the long run, and many rescues are willing to transport the dogs.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

StBernardLove said:


> ^ I was just about to say Patterdales or JRTs. They're handfuls, but the only rodents you'll find are dead ones.
> 
> You can also try using pet finder. Could be cheaper in the long run, and many rescues are willing to transport the dogs.


i know a fella in IA whose 14# & 21# pats have killed 20# **** and pulled bigger ones out a hole by sheer force & determination. his 27# pat & his 28# pitXpat have done the same & have pulled coyotes out of culverts & other holes. you'll look long & hard to find a pure JRT that can do that. if you find a feist or a rat that can do that it probably has pit or something else in the blood up close. except maybe the true decker rats, but i don't think they are anymore game than other rats just the size difference lets them feel comfortable taking on bigger stuff.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Most of our mutts will catch and kill rats...especially those with terrier in them.


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

Pops2 said:


> i know a fella in IA whose 14# & 21# pats have killed 20# **** and pulled bigger ones out a hole by sheer force & determination. his 27# pat & his 28# pitXpat have done the same & have pulled coyotes out of culverts & other holes. you'll look long & hard to find a pure JRT that can do that. if you find a feist or a rat that can do that it probably has pit or something else in the blood up close. except maybe the true decker rats, but i don't think they are anymore game than other rats just the size difference lets them feel comfortable taking on bigger stuff.


One of the reasons you won't find many JRT that can/will do this is that the breed was meant to bolt a fox, not kill it. Different small earth type terriers were developed in different parts of the world to do different jobs. Russells were developed in a part of England that had people hunting fox for sport. If you are the terrierman for a hunt and everyone gets all decked out for a day of riding a horses across the countryside and jumping hedges and fences in pursuit of a fox and the first time one goes to ground your dog kills it, people would be unhappy. 

Lakelands, patterdales, Welsh, etc. are harder dogs developed to draw foxes or kill them. In the parts of the UK that they were developed in the land does not lend its self to running a horse and jumping hedges and fences. Lots of poor people who would be very negatively impacted by a fox taking lamb. It is too hilly and too rocky in many parts of Wales and the Lake District to ride to fox hunt and to dig them out when one went to ground, hence the harder dogs who draw and kill.


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

a whippet


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## onthespot (Oct 7, 2007)

My best rodent killer is a maltipoo girl. Her daddy was a six pound fetchaholic super quick smart poodle boy. I made the mistake of throwing the ball for him. He just fixated on the ball. Next generation I channeled the prey drive toward actually appropriate prey and she is just as fixated as her daddy, but on vermin. As a plus, she is safe around adult chickens. She will crunch a chick as soon as she can get one, or even a half grown bird, but the adults she leaves alone.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

Oregon Julie said:


> One of the reasons you won't find many JRT that can/will do this is that the breed was meant to bolt a fox, not kill it. Different small earth type terriers were developed in different parts of the world to do different jobs.


 true that, according to the brit diggers i talk to "white" terriers are bolters & dark breeds are finishers.



Oregon Julie said:


> Russells were developed in a part of England that had people hunting fox for sport. If you are the terrierman for a hunt and everyone gets all decked out for a day of riding a horses across the countryside and jumping hedges and fences in pursuit of a fox and the first time one goes to ground your dog kills it, people would be unhappy.


this isn't entirely accurate, the JRT, white english & foxies were developed for the hunts but not because of where in britain they were. but the sport is also why english hounds are slower than most american hounds. even our breeds used in formal hunts have more speed because our fox have more room to run & use it. and if you look at our breeds developed for actually catching fox (walker, july, goodman etc) they have a LOT more speed than english hounds and a bit more than our hunt developed breeds (pennmardel and others i'm not familiar w/).



Oregon Julie said:


> Lakelands, patterdales, Welsh, etc. are harder dogs developed to draw foxes or kill them. In the parts of the UK that they were developed in the land does not lend its self to running a horse and jumping hedges and fences. Lots of poor people who would be very negatively impacted by a fox taking lamb. It is too hilly and too rocky in many parts of Wales and the Lake District to ride to fox hunt and to dig them out when one went to ground, hence the harder dogs who draw and kill.


Actually Fell hounds are followed on foot in rough country. BTW they have a bit more speed than the other brit hounds to keep the hunts shorter. however Welsh hounds (a wirehaired fox & otter hound) are followed on horse.
the hard terriers were developed by diggers. they are basically one or two guys w/ a couple of terriers, shovels & a bar trying to kill as many fox as they can. Diggers were also the guys taking badger back in the day. so a terrier had to be able to kill or draw a badger. any terrier that can take badger could walk over a fox. however these hard terriers were also used to bolt otter. because otter are VERY tough and a traditional bolting terrier would have been too soft to push them out.
bolters are & have been popular w/ lurchermen also for bolting fox to the lurcher(s).
ALL should be very proficient rat killers & mousers.


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## Rockytopsis (Dec 29, 2007)

I have mutts that as pups when we found mice we let the pups have them. They are part Border Collie and Lord knows what else. Their mom was only half BC. The only problem is they cant tell the difference between mice, rats, cats, squirrels. If it comes inside our fence it is fair game.


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

my lab is the best ratter i have seen. he has a nose for them & is relentless when it comes to going after them until he gets them.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I had a half Border Collie and half pit bull girl who would lay in front of an area, cocking her head back and forth then suddenly lunge forward and come back up with a rat. A quick shake of her head, then she laid the rat out in a neat row with the rest and went back to waiting. I saw her get 6 at one session- and in a perfectly straight line. And I never saw a lunge that didn't result in a rat.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Impressive wIwtb.


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## Kshobbit (May 14, 2002)

A rat terrier is the best breed for killing rats. Back in the day, lots of farmers in Kansas had a "rat dog" to take care of rodents. My Uncle's rat terrier loved rabbits too and sometimes would bring us kids a live bunny to play with.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

i have seen a Doxin go nutts over rats and mice, mice were more of a dissapointment to the dog though cause he really wanted the rats, he belonged to an older couple who kept hundreds of pigeons back home in KS, they were in raised aviary cages where the spilt grain fell down thru the bottom, there were all kinds of places rats could hide, but this dog would relentlessly search them out, all the people had to do is help him move a barrel or piece of wood ever once in a while and he would kill any rat he found,


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## Kshobbit (May 14, 2002)

Are you absolutely sure you can only get a rat killing dog? I have 2 rat killing cats here on the farm. They love all the mice that are attracted to the feed too. They think a nest full of plump juicy baby rodents is a gourmet treat. Moses my rescue Tom cat loves to eat rats. He brought one into the house that was still kicking. My adult sons acted like a couple of girls when they saw the rat! :run:


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

i think i would rather a rat killing dog over a cat, cats tend to kill and eat what ever it is and then stop killing for a while, a dog on a mission to erradicate every last rat in the world is a little differint, both are good to have around IMO though, cats can get places the dog cant, aslong as both leave the livestock and birds alone its all good


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## jbowyer01 (Aug 4, 2008)

KSALguy said:


> i have seen a Doxin go nutts over rats and mice, mice were more of a dissapointment to the dog though cause he really wanted the rats, he belonged to an older couple who kept hundreds of pigeons back home in KS, they were in raised aviary cages where the spilt grain fell down thru the bottom, there were all kinds of places rats could hide, but this dog would relentlessly search them out, all the people had to do is help him move a barrel or piece of wood ever once in a while and he would kill any rat he found,


I have three doxies and they can catch a squirrel faster than I can yell no! I have to make a lot of noise before I let them out so the squirrels know to run. I hate having to chase my doxie to get a dead squirrel from it  they think its fun to have moma chase them lol. Did I mention they like frogs too?


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

well shoot thats just free dog food lol,


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Kshobbit said:


> Are you absolutely sure you can only get a rat killing dog? I have 2 rat killing cats here on the farm. They love all the mice that are attracted to the feed too. They think a nest full of plump juicy baby rodents is a gourmet treat. Moses my rescue Tom cat loves to eat rats. He brought one into the house that was still kicking. My adult sons acted like a couple of girls when they saw the rat! :run:


My cats do a very good job around here...This friend who has the problem has at least 30 cats out there. I guess it must be one heck of a rat problem! :teehee:


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

most cats will not catch rats (at least not after the first one bites the crap out of them). in fact a rodent that size w/ enough fight in it can cause fatal injuries to the average 6-8# cat. i've seen squirrels do it a couple of times, they died but the cats were so torn up they died also within a week. cats in general are really not good high volume ratters. the cat that is a good ratter is extremely exceptional. no matter how good they are, you'll never see a cat that will go kill 50+ rats in an hour. terriers that will do this are fairly common.


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## Arkansasfarmgal (Oct 12, 2007)

We also have a mini Doxie who is a great rodent killer- Mice, rats, rabbits, moles, opossums. We call her our trained asassin. lol!!


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## Kshobbit (May 14, 2002)

Pops2 said:


> the cat that is a good ratter is extremely exceptional.
> That is my Moses! He is my highway stream cat, found as a tiny kitten floating down a water filled highway rut in a heavy rain in Kansas. I don't think I have 50 rats on the place but he gets the ones that are around.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

Pops2 said:


> and the one breeder of working bedlington terriers in NC.


I would love to see working Bedlingtons! Is there a website?


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I have a Jack Russell & she does bark but only when someone's coming down the driveway or wild critters around.

She is very high energy but very smart & minds pretty well. She will catch just about anything, To date so far is 2 raccons, a opposum, a number of snakes, a skunk(Thank goodness that was only once!), ton's of wild rabbits, chipmunks, I couldn't count the vole's, mice or mole's she has got & killed. 
She is a very sweet dog too though & Loves everyone!


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

Wolf Flower said:


> I would love to see working Bedlingtons! Is there a website?


as far as i know there is no website. if you google british or english terrier forum you should come up w/ places to look for working beddies. i've seen them on the hunting life in the terrier/earthdog section. they don't look even remotely like the show lambs. instead of curly soft hair they have long wavy hair and just look like a mutt. but they are the real deal.


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