Border Terriers are hunting dogs. They hunt in packs to find and kill rodents, including rats, mice, voles, and gophers. Unlike many other hunting breeds of dogs, Border Terriers are not bred to hunt on their own. Instead, they rely on the pack system to surround and capture the prey. In order to successfully trap the prey after a pack has found it, the Border Terrier will stop suddenly while its hindquarters are raised high in the air leaving the rat with nowhere to go . Once the dog’s body is flipped up in this way, its paws hit the ground with a thud that sounds like thunder. This is what makes the noise that terrifies and scares away animals nearby. This noise also alerts other members of the pack that a rodent has been trapped so they can rush in for a meal before it escapes again.
What is the pack system and how does it work?
Border Terriers use the pack system to capture their prey. The pack is a group of dogs that work together to surround and kill prey. The pack hunts in unison and will not take any breaks or stop until they have captured all the rodents in their area.
When a pack is hunting, they will surround their prey and wait for the right moment to strike. When they do, they use a single coordinated attack that scares and disorients the prey until it can be captured or killed. This all takes place in around 10 seconds, so it’s very fast-paced. If you’ve seen this happen in person, you’ll know why it works so well; these dogs are so quick on their feet that the rodents don’t even have time to escape before being attacked by the entire pack.
Clever Hunting Strategy of The Border Terrier
The dogs will use their powerful sense of smell to detect a rodent and the pack will surround it. When the rat is surrounded, it will attempt to escape by running back in the direction from which it came from. However, the dogs have this all figured out because they are able to predict where it’s going to run towards and can be waiting for them when that happens.
What kind of prey do Border Terriers hunt?
Border Terriers are known to hunt both small and large rodents, including rats, mice, voles, and gophers.
How do they compare to other rat-hunting breeds?
Border terriers are used in urban settings where they often face the tough task of hunting rats with little to no success due to their small size. This breed is known for its intelligence, energy, and loyalty which makes them a popular choice for pest control in urban areas. They are also relatively smaller than other rat-hunting breeds and enjoy the company of people.
Border terriers can be successfully trained to hunt rats with more success than other rat-hunters because of their increased intelligence as well as their loyalty and affection towards people. It’s been said that this breed has an excellent sense of smell and an instinctive ability to find rats.
Rats are a serious problem for many cities, especially when they enter homes. With many breeds of dogs, there are some breeds that are better at hunting rats than others. For example, the Afghan hound is one of the best rat-hunting dogs, while the basenji is one of the worst. It is important to train your dog to hunt rats at an early age to avoid over-training them.
The 11 Best Breeds for Hunting Rats
1. Border Terrier
2. German shepherd
3. Labrador retriever
4. Belgian Malinois
5. Rottweiler
6. Irish Setter
7. English Springer Spaniel
8. Siberian Husky
9. Golden Retriever
10. Bullmastiff
11. Cane Corso
What are the differences between these breeds?
Mastiff: This is a powerful and large breed. They have a great sense of smell, so they are good at catching rats.
German Shepherd: This is a dog that started out as a herding and guard dog. They are extremely intelligent. A German Shepherd can sniff out and kill a rat in 20 seconds.
Rottweiler: These dogs were originally bred to hunt wild animals, so they are excellent at hunting and killing rats.
Alaskan Malamute: These dogs have very large paws which help them dig themselves into the ground, making it easier for them to hunt their prey like rats.
Irish Setter: Irish Setters are built for speed and agility, so they are good at catching the fast-moving rats that usually run away from other breeds’ noses.
Do Border Terriers make good pets?
Border terriers are a perfect choice for new dog owners as they are relatively low-maintenance. They’re smart, fun and love to play, and they’re eager to please their owners. They also do well with children but need some training so that you don’t let them get too riled up.
Border terriers are also great at getting along with other dogs. They’re usually friendly and playful with other breeds, so they’re perfect for families with multiple pets. If you’re looking for a small dog that’s easy to train and has fun personality, border terriers are a great choice.
What are some of the best things to do with your Border Terrier?
The best thing to do with your Border Terrier is to teach them tricks. This will not only entertain you and your dog, but it will make for a great show when you’re out on walks. One of the most popular tricks to teach your Border Terrier is “shake,” which involves the dog standing up straight and placing both paws on their shoulders before jumping back down again. This trick can be taught to almost any dog breed and is always a crowd-pleaser.
10 Activities To Do With Your Border Terrier
- Take a walk
- Play tug
- Play catch
- Show your dog who’s boss
- Teach them tricks
- Play with them in the backyard
- Watch television or listen to music before getting into bed with them
- Feed them small portions every few hours and make sure they have plenty of water to drink
- Let them chew on their toys when you’re not playing with them so they don’t chew on everything else
- Give them lots of love and attention.
Conclusion
Border terriers are a great choice for someone who’s looking for a dog to hunt rats. Blessed with a natural talent for ratting terriers are still used for this skill today. However, you are more likely to come across Border Terriers as pets, as they are ideal for someone who’s looking for small, terriers with a lot of personality.
Border Terriers can be great family pets and make excellent companions, and are very social animals, and they make good pets for people who need a low maintenance pet. These dogs are easy to train because they are intelligent creatures who already have some basic skills from being bred for working purposes like tracking, attacking prey, and retrieving game.
- Read: What Makes Border Terriers so Attractive?
- You may like: Can a Great Dane Live in a Small House?
- Try: Do German Shepherds and French Bulldogs Get Along?
