Terrier Chat over here.

[ditavonteesed]

so the pointies have their own cushion, could we have rabbit hole or something?

So what sort of terrier you got, whats their best and worst points. any training tips?
I'll start, I have Cherry a 2 year old border terrier, she is my world. Best she is so gentle and lovely with the kids and the best lap warmer ever.
Worst points she is dog aggressive, I have been working on this for at least a year and sometimes she gets better but she is very unpredicatbale, especially with puppies.
My training tip would be always have really good treats, cherry will do nothing unless she gets paid for it, she isnt a spaniel you know.
Right your turn.

If I'm honest I've never done that much research into the breed, the rescue centre was a very small place out where my parents live (a neighbour who knows them mentioned to my mum that had just got a dog in) and I just took one look at him and that was it. I do think he's attached to us but part of this is probably because we spoilt him rotten and as he was our family's first dog he got lavished with attention a bit more than Buddy did.

I think you have to do whatever suits your family. I felt we needed a puppy but when I heard about him and then saw him I was sold. It's obviously nice to rescue them but it isn't for everybody and I know sometimes they come with terrible problems as a result of their previous treatment which isn't suitable for every owner.

I do know a lot about the breed, mainly because I had one for nearly 11 years before the one who died this Easter, so 25 years of fox terriers. Also we used to go to the fox -terrier fun day and meet with other owners and the rescue people etc. They sometimes end up in rescue as they can have a tricky "teenager" phase, and also because they often get chosen for the appealing toy-like look of them without owners understanding the terrier temperment. I would definitely get a rescue if I was childless, but would need to wait for a dog that would fit in with our family now, as my dds are 5 and 7, and a dog prone to fighting for instance, would be a nightmare. When I was a teenager my friend had a rescue fox terrier, he was a lovely lovely dog in every way apart from one-he would go insane around other dogs, he was the most terrible fighter and very protective of the family. He had to wear a very thick coat as he always picked fights with huge savage dogs! He died of parvovirus, before there was a vaccine, and broke my friend's heart.

i have a bedlington terrier and she is just divine. she looks like a meek little lamb... but she is all terrier... very stubborn with an iron will and prone to violent likes and dislikes. expected to be very fond of her when we decided to get a dog but never expected to be quite so in love with her! desperately want another but still persuading dh.

I love bedlingtons, and so did mellydog, he loved to play chase with them.

she is sooooo lovely (but also absolutely maddening). terriers are the best. we had golden retrievers when i was a child and i stupidly assumed all breeds would be pretty much the same.... how wrong i was!

Ive got Holsten a fifteen yr old Parson JRT. He was a rescue dog,has crap recall and thinks hes a Rottweiler. Half deaf, half blind and back end going but still jumps about like a puppy! (his days of jumping six foot fences are gone mind ) Then theres Stella a fat little JRT, shes 10 and proper terrier trouble. They used to have a double act, big jack would turn doorhandles and fat jack would barge door open.Worry how she'll cope without him when he goes.
I love bedlingtons too.

Rowgtfc, love your fatjack and bigjack monikers, so apt! My boy is a parson cross jack, his mum was a rough coat parson but he is a smooth coat and much smaller than her

He looks like a miniature parson, we met a proper parson in the park and he looked exactly the same but tiny in comparison, he's going to be a permanent parson puppy

But, all the proper terrier characteristics, and glad to hear your parson is still puppy like, ours is only 2 but hasn't changed a bit since puppyhood and I wouldn't want him to! He's running rings (quite literally) around our other dog at the moment, pausing till big dog notices, then round and round again, am getting quite dizzy watching him

I can't tell you how relieved I am to read of other BTs chasing vehicles. It is the bane of my life. Ours likes very busy roads with traffic going both ways - such a lot to chase!!! Such an adrenaline rush!!! - and trams. We have tried innumerable things, but I'm about to have another summer of trying. I've ordered from Amazon a book called Stop! for chasing behaviour. Mainly I'm trying to keep ours as calm as poss, and not allowing him to chase pigeons/squirrels etc in the garden - he is on a very long cable. That way, he knows he can't chase, so he ignores.

Also I've ordered a calming vest for walks. (Hmm, we'll see.)

Best points: his cute little face with his black boot-button eyes. Adorable.

Also, I've been watching films of Monty Roberts training horses which have given me renewed patience and commitment to our not-at-all-dumb friends.

I love terriers . They're stubborn, scrappy and compact (yet surprisingly athletic) a bit like me. We have a 4 year old female Westie. She loves all people, children and off-lead dogs but hates the same dogs when they are on-lead . Her favourite activity is rodent spotting and chasing. She is OBSESSED. She has devoted almost every waking moment of her life dedicated to the pursuit of spotting, sniffing out and chasing after small, furry creatures and will probably continue to do so until her last day (she has never come close to catching one). Her next favourite activity is taking naps on human bodies. We have a Springer Spaniel as well (apples/oranges); Westie pretends to hate her but luffs her when she's in the mood for a round of bitey-face or wrestling.

Could I ask for opinions on whether our vehicle-chasing terrier will ever be safe to let off-lead?

I only let my train chasing, van biting ( if he could!) terrier off lead in the park, out of sight of the road!

He's quite good with recall and so I call him back before we get close to the road and straight on the lead again.

But when we arrive in the park I have a good look around before letting him off the lead so there are no other dogs too close that he's likely to chase after play with. If he spots one and looks likely to take off I excitedly call his name and take off running in the other direction

So far he's followed me but I dont totally trust him ..... ( and i must look a demented fool running through the park waving my arms and shouting his name to follow me)

That's good to hear, Happydaze. I never ever ever let mine off atm, even on top of Box Hill. But I want to work towards it, and I do believe it possible.

Yes I think it is, he only goes off lead on our walk around this specific park and the familiarity means he knows the route and anticipates which way we are going. There's another lovely walk near to us and I did used to let him off lead but it's far 'wilder' and I can't always see him as the trees are more dense, undergrowth far thicker and lots of badger/ rabbit/fox holes in close proximity (And we once lost him in there for 2 hours so not risking it again)

So now only the familiar park or wide open spaces where I can keep an eye on him!

Thanks. There are definite risk spots on one of my favourite walks where ours is just on alert to run off. Because he's done it so often!

Any views on age? Ours has just turned 4 and is definitely getting calmer. But I could do with more calm still...

My boy's still a baby (well teenager) nearly 2!

Perhaps the intensive puppy training we went through, best thing I did btw, has remained lodged in his terrier mind ... I haven't been as consistent as I should have but we've both remembered enough to get by!

Also, he spends most of the day with me, comes to work ,sleeps under my desk, and I am always talking to him so he now clearly understands everything I say < proud>

But no, not calm!

Is "calm terrier" an oxymoron?

My terrier is about 10 and still very puppyish. Always thought/said she was some kind of patterdale X but she looks nothing like one on googling??

Anyway, she is long legged with a wiry black coat, very stubborn, bit neurotic. Hates to go out in rain but loves boinging through puddles and rolling in smelly stuff. Recall is pretty shit TBH but she is very friendly - too friendly. She will stand next to a barking dog who is clearly telling her to piss off, and she is wagging her tail.

We got a border collie pup last summer which has brought out much more doggy behaviour in her - she now chases and barks at our cat (never used to) and now asks to go out for walks(ditto)

Actually I was advised to get an older dog to calm our BT down. Like I haven't got enough trouble! I did think about it though. An aged spaniel seemed extremely attractive.

Westie here. Aged one. She looks yappy but rolls over for anyone who will tickle her tummy. If she were a child she would be eminently dognappable. The groomer said that Westies can be temperamental but she is (can I say this?) a complete tart. Someone told me that spraying her with water was a way to stop her jumping up but I don't need to do that because the minute she sees the spray bottle she gets down.

Am not sure how this works really, our little boy has certainly livened up our older dog who is now far more energetic (which is a good thing as he was getting a bit staid)

But I think the terrier's not quite as terrierish as he perhaps might have been due to influence of very laid back hound dog who likes his sleep!

So perhaps different breeds do mix well whereas two terriers might be a bit manic for me!

I love terriers, had them all my life, mainly Cairns & Skyes, lots over the years,aged from birth to 19+ as bred & show them.
Just can't beat their "Look out world, here I come," attitude to life.

Currently have three Skye Terriers & two Yorkies (not strictly terriers, toys really but spunky all the same)

Yes, that's it, isn't it? It's their exuberance which is so special.

Oo I love this thread!!
I have 2 terrierists, and I love them sooo much.
I have a 5 year old jrt x who I rescued at 5 months and she came to me a terrified mess who urinated every time you spoke :(. She quickly got her confidence up and is now an adorable terrier, who lives for tennis balls, squirrel chasing and tummy tickles! She is submissive to the point of ridiculousness and is impossible to tell off - luckily she doesn't need it! She sleeps in her rightful place at the foot of my bed. She excels at agility and loves children we spend summers doing demos and have a go agilty, she is my best friend. Her down side is as she has got older she has become slightly lead aggressive to unknown big dogs, never bites but snarls, luckily our walks are off lead and she is fine. She has had scuffles over balls tho!!

My other dog is scruff pup a terrier of unknown origin! Looks border/cairn/Norfolk ish. A true dastardly muttley dog full of life and super cute. He was abandoned at 9 weeks at the vets as a lady had taken him in at 5 weeks but the children had been to rough with him - he was covered in glitter when I got him!! Anyway he is now 10 months and a fab cheeky ball of scruffy fur and a mischevious glint in his eye! He has proved somewhat of a supergenius and learned a full range of tricks by the time he was 4 months old. He loves everyone and expects everyone should love him! He wears a bandanna and knows he is a cool dude! Has a host of rosettes for fun dog shows - winning dog judge would most like to take home and best trick! He loves food, cuddles, other dogs and chewing!! Chewing is his downfall... Even on walks he has to chew sticks, plants anything, this is improving with guidance!! He will be crated at night forever for the foreseeable future!

Our border wears a black bow tie. Because he is a gentleman.