[Connie Sutherland]

Earth Dogs

Pete is a great-looking dog. Bob.

I am VERY happy that you started this thread about working earth dogs.

QUOTE: I went with this breed after hunting with Border Terriers. The Borders are the most people soft, dog friendly terriers on the planet, but their willingness to engage the quarry with no concern about themselves, made me retire my two borders. It's a sport for me, and seeing a dog willing to get trashed and never back up, is no hunting sport IMO. END

Yes, this was brought home to me when my granddog Milo (BT) got a face full of porky quills, spent many hours at the vet once he was finally yanked out of the rotting log (I think it was), where he kept trying to go back in despite the faceful. You are correct that he had ZERO concern about more injury; he was just completely unwilling to back off.

I (for one) will be really interested in this information! Thanks!

In fact, maybe it could be moved -- with the photo -- to a section about sport dogs. Mike?

P.S. Milo is ten now, too. It shocks me that he could be ten, because it's so clear in my mind when he was a monster puppy, zooming through the house and taking a bite out of every ankle he passed. (He did become trained. )

 

[Connie Sutherland]

locator

Have you had the locators all along, or are they newish?

Also, is it true that BTs and other earth dogs have strong tails (from breeding for them, I mean) so that they could be pulled out of a hole by the farmer (or handler) if they got stuck?

 

[Connie Sutherland]

.....the story I've heard on docking is most of the short tailed breeds were docked for more of a taxation thing. At one point in history, working dogs had thier tails docked That avoided having to pay taxes on them as livestock. Pets had the tail left on. I suspect many pets were quickly religated to the working class. :lol: .....

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I can see that. Fido is handed a pair of overalls and a pitchfork to reduce the tax bill!

BTs DO have otter-heads, too; that's a good way to say it.

I love the description I have read of them: \"a workmanlike little fellow in a plain brown suit.\"

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Pete and Polly both have pretty long coats but I still hand strip them. Polly looks like a cute little Benji dog in long coat. Pete's coat is very uneaven and he is BUTT UGLY with a capital BU, when he needs to be stripped. Everything gets 2-3in long except his legs and head. :roll:
All three coats, smooth, broken, rough can be born in one litter.

I didn't know smooth could be in the same litter. I have never even seen a smooth BT.

Mt daughter's two are hand-stripped, but I like how they look when they need it. It looks like feathers.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

OK, this answers a lot, and also explains why I have not seen a smooth BT.

So -- smooth and wire Fox Terrier. Now that they are separate breeds, if a smooth one shows up in a wire litter, is it a breed fault?

Or can't it happen, because of how far back it has been bred out ?

 

[Connie Sutherland]

New Breeds

<<< Manchester Terriers, for example! Thus a new breed is created/evolves >>>>

Oh, right! And then I imagine it takes some time before the various registries actually recognize a new breed AS a breed.

Here's a question: Why are Terriers in a group by themselves in conformation competitions? To me, they are obviously divided along other lines, like hunting and other working dogs.