How to Train a Terrier to Hunt Rats
Introduction
Have you got rats? Then you have a problem! Rats are not only destructive, they eat crops and animal feed, damage buildings with their urine and feces, and gnaw on foundations or structures. Unfortunately, rats have become resistant to a lot of the poisons used to attempt to eradicate them, and many are too canny to be caught in traps. The good news is, there is an ancient secret weapon! Dogs!
Dogs have been used for centuries to hunt vermin including rats. Some dogs, specifically terriers, are super efficient at catching rats. Using a terrier to catch rats is faster than other methods, and safer too. Terriers have several natural tools at their disposal that make them excellent ratters. They tend to be small bodied and long legged, which makes them great at digging and burrowing underground to get rodents, are naturally prey driven and aggressive at hunting rats, and they don't back down from a fight if necessary. They are tenacious and don't give up!
Defining Tasks
Training a terrier to hunt rats is really just a matter of harnessing their already present natural abilities. Teaching them to focus on and trail rodents, specifically rats, by introducing rat scent and laying trails is a common way to encourage rat hunting.
Practice catching rats by exposing your dog to rats in a controlled situation to hone hunting abilities. You'll also want to encourage digging by planting rat scented bait and reinforcing digging. This will reinforce your dog's burrowing skills. Put all of these skills together and you will have a proficient rat hunting machine.
Whether you have a Border, Cairn, Jack Russell, Rat, Yorkshire, Highland Terriers , or a Schnauzer, introduce your dog to rat hunting and you will really watch him shine! Terriers love to hunt rats and giving them exposure and practice is all that is really required for their instincts to kick in and the rats to check out!
Getting Started
You can use treats to help reinforce digging and scenting behaviour if you like, although many terriers also respond well to reinforcement with toys and play. Most terriers will perform rat hunting behaviors just for the sheer joy of it and only need a little direction to get the hang of it. If you are going to be working in open areas, you can use a GPS tracking collar to help locate your dog, or a ferret collar, which allows you to track a terrier that has burrowed underground. Tame mice and rats in cages can be used to introduce your terrier to rodents. Good recall and obedience is also important whenever you start training a working, hunting dog to allow you to keep him out of danger and keep other critters, like the neighbor's cats safe!
The Natural Ability Method
The Scent Trail Method
The Start Small Method
Written by Laurie Haggart
Published: 05/31/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
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Success Stories and Training Questions
Training Questions and Answers
Arley
We have a rat problem and would like to train our Jackalier (Jack Russell Cross Cavalier King Charles) to hunt them. He shows an active interest in sniffing out / digging for them, but when he's been exposed to small creatures in the past he's never wanted to shake or kill them. He just wants to sniff them and do the play bow. How can we train him to attack them? Thanks
946 Dog owners recommended
Hello Luisa, Will pup play tug with you? I would put shaking and tugging and biting on cue, with something like "Get It", while playing with pup and moving the toy around to encourage pup to attack it. I would then train using a real animal skin, like a racoon tail from a coonskin hat or rabbits' foot, playing the same attack game with those. Finally, I would train using mice before training pup on the larger rats. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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I would like to train her to chase rats but that she still listens to snap out of it and come back when called. She's chases rats near the chicken pen and is good at it but I would like to perfect her already naturel skills.
104 Dog owners recommended
Hello, here are a couple of other guides that may assist you in the training process: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-rat-terrier-to-hunt. Although I am not well-versed in hunting, the Use the Nose Method looks like it may be effective for training. Other than the hunting part, it is important that Lily has top-notch Recall skills. This guide has excellent tips, and once Lily has a solid recall, you should be able to get her back by your side as soon as you ask: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-come-back. Read the entire guide as all of the methods are very good! All the best!
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How would i train my yorkshire terrier to rat hunt?
946 Dog owners recommended
Hello Patience, I suggest starting with the Natural Ability method but instead of a rat, use a mouse in a cage due to pup's size. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-terrier-to-hunt-rats When pup is thoroughly interested in the mouse, transition to the scent trail method - which you can likely even do a trail of the mouse's bedding with the mouse's scent on it. Finally, use the Start Small Method last, after pup has become interested in the caged mouse and interested in tracking the mouse's scent. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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