Terriers...Gotta love them

[Sam I Am]

https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/gundogs/gundog-breeds/terriers-born-anarchists-85061?fbclid=IwAR081yFMCJCPm_izW6DK4_0lZ9tm8u-Ycvf7jgZfVLMfLlKEZIgB7vky1p4

[bradl]

That's a terrific article  

A small sampling …

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There can’t be many terrier owners who have not at some time seen the little varmint steam past the objective intended by the handler to immerse itself in some kind of trouble that you hadn’t realised was available. There are aspects of terrierness that are hardwired into them and cannot be trained out. Those of us used to more co-operative breeds may go through a period of denial, but we are the ones who have to adapt. Once we have cast aside all the usual expectations, we can — up to a point — train our terriers. Petulant as a Z-list celebrity when thwarted, they sparkle when we cut them some slack. In stopping us from taking ourselves too seriously, the terrier is matchless.

[hheldorfer]

Damn!  I'll have to wait until later to read the article.  My work computer won't let me get to the site.

[sanford]

Excellent article describing the cairn personality, contrasting task-oriented with results - oriented dogs.

Comic relief: That forlorn-looking Bedlington terrier, tangled in fencing? netting?

[Hillscreek]

Great article. Thanks for posting.

[pkcrossley]

I'm glad the writer appreciates terriers. I can think of many activities for modern terriers that would not include helping humans shoot up other animals for fun. But the portrait of terrier character is very vivid. Wonderful read. 

[Sam I Am]

I am not a hunter,  however it’s an interesting look into how our our terriers and other canines have evolved through thousands of years to work beside us. Still retaining their basic instincts to hunt and kill. I look at Sams behaviour out in the yard and his reaction to anything that moves. Be it a squirrel, rabbit, mouse or bird and I know full well that if he caught one of these critters it would be dead within seconds. Would I like to see that ..of course not but you can’t take the instinct and behaviour towards hunting from a terrier. So I find it interesting that some UK hunters have tapped into using that to their advantage. On the same page there is another link to an  article about a jrt called Molly that hunts beside springer spaniels. Molly’s owner must be an amazing dog trainer!

[pkcrossley]

yes, one of the most soulful traits of the terrier, and above all cairns, is that they are natural-born killers, but trying to live peaceably in modern civilization. they do pretty well.