Author: Roughneck Kennels

Our Patterdale Terrier pups just turned 22 weeks this past week- this video is a combination of unedited clips of work during the last 7 to 10 days. Lil Bit ends up with a coon in a drift at the end of this video. Her and Boomer are under my desk now recovering each from an eye injury.

It was a tough week!

The last few clips are of yesterday’s hunt. All went well until the end when we lost our pup Brawler– he just vanished! We put the drone in the air and flew the fields out surrounding the creek and no sign of him. Randi and I spent 15 hours in the heat walking the creek over and over and calling and listening for him in a hole until 11 pm with flashlights.

After 15 hours in the heat we reluctantly gave up hope!

I woke early this morning and drove to the creek with a flashlight. I shined my flashlight into the woods and called his name twice at the last location we saw him yesterday.

He stepped out of the grass about 3 feet from me in the dark, scaring the crap out of me!

Brawler was as happy to see me as I was to see him- really lucky the coyotes didn’t get him last night!

He is happy to be home playing with the other pups! I was just to exhausted this morning to put together a movie- so I just uploaded and added the RAW video clips of the week without editing.

Hope you enjoy them!

A Bit about Fair Fights and Working Terriers.

The above is Molly demonstrating her gameness in a “Fair Fight”

With 17,000 subscribers and millions of views you can image we get quite a few comments. ( Thanks to all of you for the views and for subscribing!) Randi and I enjoy bringing the videos to you as much as you enjoy watching them!

With our YouTube videos we get a number of negative or just plain stupid comments that don’t make the cut and I wanted to discuss those for a moment.

We moderate ALL comments so the stupidity is never seen by the viewing public. I personally give them little more than a glance before deleting them and blocking the person who penned them from viewing our videos in the future.

(To those who came here from the original YouTube video- thanks and welcome to our page!)

Now about our thoughts on “Fair Fights”

Fighting, in general, was never meant to be “fair” as in “all participants are to follow a certain set of ground rules”. Fair fights only exist in the minds of men.

Fighting by its very nature is savage and without rules or definitions. In nature, fighting is about inflicting as much damage on your opponent while receiving as little damage as possible. That is the most basic law of how Survival of the Fittest works- Plain and Simple.

Guys complaining about “That’s not a fair fight” in comments are the same guys that have never been involved in a fight in their life and would cower at the thought of it. These cowards want to “spectate” from the safety of the sidelines at the expense of those fighting.

I think many of them likely come here from the dog fighting ranks. Again, most are cowards that had their milk money taken from them by the school bully, never making a stand and now trying to justify their existence as a man with with all with this “honorable fair fight” crap.

Here is a lesson about fair fights in nature.

In Nature, ALL dogs evolved from the Wolf. Wolves are pack animals. They hunt in a pack. That’s why they are still here! It’s not rocket science.

Terriers Are The Same.

We have been blessed to own and work great terriers who also reproduce great terriers.

What Makes a Great Terrier?

There is something deeply moving inside a Patterdale Terrier. These terriers posses bravery and courage unsurpassed by any species of the animal kingdom ( including Man)

The lives of those terriers worked the hardest are generally short and filled with pain. During his recovery- if he can walk- he is ready to go again. No backing down, No excuses. Take me to the fight!

Few men of the past have ever possessed this same honor in their lives . Even fewer today!

I prefer Patterdales over people and that includes most breeders and handlers. Most men want to ride on the fame that the TERRIERS earn and rightly deserve. It’s all about THEM and THEIR YARD and seldom the terriers. Then- when too many ‘bad words’ are spoken about them, they quickly get out of the business because they got their feelings hurt.

You ever see a good Patterdale get out of the game because he got is feelings hurt? That was a rhetorical and purposely stupid question. Of course not.

The guys that get out when the bad mouthing starts are the same guys always complaining about “fair fights” and “one dog on quarry” yet when the going gets tough all they do is whine and complain right before they tuck tail and run, closing up shop and selling off or more likely GIFTING their entire yard overnight.

Good Riddance.

Again, I respect the terriers more than the men. Terriers don’t whine. Terriers dont complain. Terriers dont take to facebook to complain and trash all other terriers that will listen with ignorance.

A good terrier has honor- its bred into him. He does not give a damn if the terrier in the house next to him hunts or is a companion or pet. A good terrier does not live by man-made rules that were designed to make men adore other men. A good terrier just gets it done, alone or in a pack. He does not give a damn about what other terriers think about him. This vanity is reserved for men.

So if you are here looking for a “fair fight”-go fight cancer “one on one”. Forget the doctors, forget the Surgeons. Go fight the fight “fair“.

If your home or business is getting broke into- forget calling the cops- GO FIGHT THE INTRUDERS FAIR!. Put the gun down- you cannot use that- it wouldn’t be a FAIR FIGHT.

When troops meet on the battlefield and one group is badly outnumbered, has ANY General EVER said “Lets just send an equal number of troops into battle so we keep it a far fight”? Of course not!

If you work terriers solely to see the fight, if you take joy in the pain inflicted on the quarry OR the terrier and treat your terriers as if they are uselessly expendable then you are a detriment to the breed as well as the sport. Personally we hope you never have the opportunity to own anything bred by us.

It’s important to some, and rightly so, that his terrier or the line he breeds can sustain damage and pain without giving up the fight. It’s the trait we ALL look for- none of us want to purposely breed quitters! So during an encounter at some point we let them go at it so they can express this trait if they have it. Good enough!

That does not mean they have to battle EVERY QUARRY to the DEATH over and over or even “one on one.” If your terrier has shown you he is not a quitter- Good Enough.

Patterdale Terriers were bred and continue to be bred, for the most part, to locate their quarry and hold it until help arrives to dispatch it. That’s the terriers PURPOSE.

We have been blessed with Patterdales that do the above very well and in addition to locating and holding the game- they usually either kill it in the hole or pull it out and kill it. That’s great. We are fortunate- but the killing is not the purpose of the Patterdale Terrier.

To let your terrier battle to the death, over and over and over, to boost your own self worth or to impress other handlers is INSANITY. It shows without doubt, that you have no respect for the terrier or yourself. Lets not forget, the TERRIER is the only one even worthy of respect for what he does!

Here are my personal thoughts:
I do not and never have enjoyed the pain and death of the quarry. I do not enjoy the injury and suffering or the scars of the terrier. We work terriers for one simple reason and that is as an observer to the wonders and fury of Mother Nature. We have an in-person front row seat. As an observer we also there to protect the dogs- we are part of the “pack” during the hunt- it’s that simple.

When we hunt we usually take ONE of whatever quarry we are after- almost always allowing and aiding any others, if encountered, in their escape. ONE is enough for us. We don’t fill the tailgate of the pickup with dead animals we killed as photo ops just to impress other men. We leave the others for another hunt.

We WORK terriers. Our goal is to get EACH terrier as much experience as possible when they encounter quarry. That almost always involves working several dogs and several pups together. 2 grown dogs and 2 pups can EACH obtain the same needed experience to become a great terrier from a single raccoon. It would take FOUR HUNTS that were successful each in locating a raccoon, with FOUR different dogs and FOUR different trips to get the same experience for this group of terriers in a “one terrier hunt” scenario.

Training terriers in a sensible and serious fashion requires GETTING THE MOST out of each quarry encountered. Seems simple to me- some seem to struggle with it though.

I think this address the stupidity encountered on social media terrier sites. Some men won’t “get it” even after reading this. It’s a testament to their ignorance and with the advent of social media- we will have to suffer through them.

Those wanting to see ‘one on one” over and over lack ANY self respect and ANY respect for their terriers. I notice these folks are usually ” in and out” pretty quick but I have seen those that seem to last for YEARS as their failed ideals are their only claim to fame and perceived self worth.

So now- those of you who can no longer see our videos on youtube- at least while signed into your account-know that at some point you made a totally ignorant comment that I moderated/ maybe this will help you understand WHY.

To those offended by the views I have expressed here- save your breath! I would not give a damn if you respect us or look up to us or even agree with us!

We breed and hunt patterdale terriers because we are in it for the dogs- not the men and not trying to earn the respect of the ignorant.

Cursing us- our methods and our terriers will NEVER change the way we do things.

To those of you who made it this far- thanks for taking the interest to learn our thoughts.

Our pups just turned 5 months old and we had a break in the weather so we took them to the creek this morning

This is only their second trip to the creek and they worked it well with Boomer and Lil Bit

Hunted started off normal as usual with Boomer locating in a hole down the creek a ways. Turned out to be an Armadillo and not worth the nearly impossible dig in the tree roots of the creek bank.

After we got the pups and Boomer on leads, Lil Bit decided to differ with us on the worthiness of an armadillo  and got way back in the hole and got hung up. Got worrisome for a bit but after a few hours we were able to free her and moved them on down the creek.

The pups hit on a hollow log in the creek the grown dogs didn’t like. I was proud of the pups locating on their own so went to check, got there just in time to have a skunk launch a yellow spray at me while trying to get the pups away. I was able to duck the brunt of it but got nailed in the shoulder.

Rest of the hunt was pretty “rank” smelling but we continued on. Boomer half heartedly hit on a hollow log, becoming a bit bored and curious to see what he had, I split the log open and a snake jumped out!

Boomer cant seem to pass up turtles, frogs and snakes.

We cast them on down the creek again and they located and pulled a possum from a hole in short order and before we could get to them.

Was REALLY glad to call this hunt “OVER” as it was exhausting and really got worried when we could not get to Lil Bit. We have lost several good terriers on that creek!

Overall it was a good experience for the pups- they worked the creek well for pups and got to learn and take in new experiences with ending on a good note with the possum at the end.

I do a lot of talking to the dogs when they hunt and two commands you will get tired of hearing in our videos is “Check It” and ‘Hunt For Them!”They learn that when I shout these commands I want them to check a tough to get to area. I use it alot in this video because I want the pus to learn it- which they seem to be.

I use it quite a bit on young dogs AFTER they encounter game. Then they seem to think when I say it- it’s about to happen and work harder.

My thoughts anyways

Not a real exciting video but an opportunity to watch terriers work together for those who enjoy that

We will see if we can get the pups on a coon in the next couple weeks

Until then- Happy Hunting!

Get them out and get them some work!

 

Our pups just turned 18 weeks old and we really needed to get them out early this morning and get them some work before it turned hot!
Randi and I loaded Lil Bit and Boomer with their pups Brawler- Goosey and Melee. We also took Cricket who is a few weeks younger from our Grim X Eve cross.
Minutes after turning out the pups “Lil Bit” located on a dead hollow tree with the pups at her side.
We tied the grown dogs and let the pups work the young possum. He was the perfect size for these young pups!
After tying the grown dogs, Cricket was excited about playing with the grown dogs as they barked wanting loose!

She has been a real firecracker so we are not concerned that she did not get as involved as the other pups. She is going to be an awesome tiny little terrier as she has shown her drive to us over and over in the past so we don’t read too much into her being off her game this morning. It was a lot of excitement for a 16 week old pup!

As you work YOUR pups notice how we tie the grown dogs back and let the pups work the game on their own. It’s really a great opportunity for them to learn and mature.We let Lil Bit and Boomer in for a little fur at the end.

Should have other puppy training videos up in the weeks to come as we video this batch on their way to 1 year old.

 

This video covers the basics of “Lead Breaking” which is getting your pup used to being walked on a leash and also “Recall” which is simply getting your terrier to come to you when you speak the command.

Lead breaking is pretty straight forward and basically involves attaching a lead or leash to the pups firmly fitting collar then staking the lead out in the yard for a few hours. It’s important to have a tight fitting collar that the pup cannot slip- BUt not so tight that it chokes. It’s also important that this is done in a shady cool spot and the pup has water available.

Usually the pup is going to scream and cry and hit the end of the lead and pull until he is give completely out. The pup is going to get hot during this so its important this is done in a cool spot with water.

I usually just leave them an hour or so-checking back every 15 minutes or so to make sure he is doing ok. Its pretty traumatic to the pup for the first few minutes but eventually he learns the leash is the master and settles down. Afterwards you can walk him on the lead a bit before putting him up away from distractions so he can process what he has learned.

If he pulls and hits the end of the lead after this- it will be time for another quicker session the following day done in the same manner.

Recall is a little more important as it can save your terriers life in the field and even at home. When your terrier is in danger you MUST be able to call him to you and away from the danger.

This is done with 100 ft of clothesline rope, repeating the “HERE” command over and over while gently pulling the pup to you. Smart pups pick it up quickly but even after they understand the command “HERE” they are going to test you. This is when the rope is no longer attached and involves you walking to the dog for however long it takes repeating the command “HERE” over and over. Sometimes you can walk to the pup in just minutes- sometimes it takes awaile, but if you want your dog to understand recall YOU MUST get him EVERYTIME he disobeys, otherwise you are just confusing him or only teaching him to obey “when he wants to”. You have to be patient- you MUST be consistent and you CANNOT use a heavy hand when working on this.

I hope you enjoy the video and discussion and that its helpful in bringing up your pup!

 

This morning we took our 4 pups out with Boomer and Lil Bit in search of their first dig.

3 of the pups ( Brawler, Goosey and Melee -all littermates from Boomer X Lil Bit cross) are 11 weeks old. The smallest little black female is “Cricket” and she is 9 weeks old ( Grim X Eve cross) and on her first outing. 

Throughout this part of training we keep it fun, allowing the pups to explore and follow their parents on discoveries as they take in new sights, sounds and especially scents. Their genetic desire to enter and dig began to show today as all pups entered setts checking them, some even digging and barking and pulling roots. They really enjoyed the dirt!

The important things to consider at this point is to keep it short- keep it fun and keep it safe for the pups!

When the pups have done well and you know they have learned something from their outdoor experience, it’s always important to put them up quiet somewhere for a few hours away from distractions, let them rest and THINK about ONLY what they just learned and encountered.

Anytime a terrier enters a sett it’s important that you clean their eyes as soon as finished. This can be done in the field with a bottle of sterile saline solution ( eye wash). We were just two miles from home so we wait until we return and give all dogs including the pups a through bath while rinsing their eyes out. This is usually the situation where we hunt.

In case of an eye injury, it important to provide  Non-Steroidal antibiotic eye drops as soon as possible. We keep them in the back pack at all times. You may need to speak with your vet about a bottle. Just insure its Non-Steroidal , as  our vet has told us a Steroidal eye drop will “blow their eye up”, which is country speak for “do not use it”.

Pups have another vaccination coming up next week, it’s important to keep these up to date when taking your pups out and working them around other dogs and wildlife. Our dogs will not receive a Rabies vaccination until they are 6 months of age, so it’s important to consider this and keep them from getting bit by anything that they may contract rabies from.

At this age our biggest concern is PARVO, It is really a killer and a heart breaker with pups. We will keep vaccinating them with Neo-Par until 18 weeks of age so we are assured immunity. ALL our terriers receive their yearly vaccines next week as well which comes in the form of a 10 way vaccine and then a vaccine developed for Rattlesnake bites.

I didn’t intend to get off track with a training video concerning vaccinations but it so IMPORTANT that they be fully vaccinated when taking them out that I am glad we stressed it.

If this is your first pup or even grown terrier, please visit and read this webpage on vaccinations and have a COMPLETE understanding of “Window of Susceptibility” when dealing with Parvo. It CAN kill your pups EVEN if if vaccinated past 12 weeks! We cannot stress the importance of a 18 week Parvo vaccination enough.

After that, it’s really just keeping the dogs learning from taking them to creeks and woods in your area, keeping them safe and making it fun. Genetic, if the terrier is well bred, will take over and do MOST of the training for you. At this point YOUR job is to keep the pup safe and demonstrate to him all the things NOT TO DO, which includes ANY dog on dog aggression, engaging skunks, porcupines and other undesirable game.

If you have continued to take the steps and work with your pup so that he understands “NO“, means unacceptable behavior, then this stage will be MUCH easier.

I think our next video will be on “lead Breaking” and teaching your terrier RECALL– which is the most important command they MUST understand at home and in the field. It can save their lives and it makes for a much more enjoyable terrier AND it’s not hard to do if you are willing to put in a little effort.

If you are not willing to put in the effort you will never enjoy a great terrier and should likely not own one in the first place.

 

Our pups reached 10 weeks of age yesterday and we decided it was time to take them out to observe a “real hunting” situation.

We started by loading the mama dogs-Lil Bit and Molly then the daddy dog Boomer. These 3 are great workers with few flaws and that’s really want you want to start young pups with.

The grown dogs had not been out hunting in months but did not miss a step. However when they returned home they were sore and exhausted. That’s why we kept the hunt down to around 90 minutes.

In this nearly 30 minute long video you will be able to see the pups navigate the creek with steep banks, water and underbrush all without a single whimper! This is a direct result of the work we have put in and that  you can see in the previous Patterdale Terrier Puppy Training videos.

In those videos we have presented most every challenge they would encounter in the woods-from tunnels to crossing creeks and navigating underbrush. They had developed the basic skills and confidence to join a hunt BEFORE ever stepping a paw on the creek. We were really proud of them.

During the hunt, when they encounter an obstacle we stop and coax them along and let them solve the challenge themselves. It’s natural to want to help them along and sometimes you must- but it’s also important that THEY solve the challenges they face. If you pick them up and carry them over every log or up every steep bank- they will grow to expect it from you later in life every time they get in a bind. It’s only natural.

Most our dogs are broke off skunk with the help of multiple encounters, but in the middle of the video Lil Bit and Daisy stick their heads in a hole and get sprayed before quickly leaving it.

Later in the video, Lil Bit locates a coon a drift on the creek they had been “winding” for sometime. By the time we arrive and make it through the drifts and brush they pretty well have the small coon finished.

This was a good opportunity to introduce the pups to their first real fur. They were super excited and did quite a bit of baying as is normal for an interested pup at this age.

In the end, I always attach the coon or possum or whatever it is to a lead and drag it along the bank to work the pups up and get them to associate the scent trail that’s being left behind with the quarry that we are dragging.

What you see in this video will really be what we will be doing with them over the course of the next few months. It’s the fun part where you get out and watch them learn in the field.

If you don’t have an older dog to train your pups with-don’t worry. You will have to bring them along slower- keep looking through debris piles for rats- turn stuff over and get them excited then “pet them up”. When they have mastered the rats moving up to bigger game is just a natural progression for them! In our area Possums and Armadillos are a favorite for pups because there is little chance of them getting hurt. Personally I would not introduce a pup on his own to a raccoon until he was around 8 months of age or more. Of course this depends on the pup, but I feel it’s better to work them at a young age with other dogs to keep building early confidence and to protect them from too much damage.

Later, if you are a “one on one” person that has the need to see your dog pitted against game that can inflict damage on him, in a solo situation- that’s completely up to you.

When you are forced to raise a pup up “solo” its a much slower process, but in the end you often have a much better terrier for it as he/she has learned everything on their own and have unmatched confidence. Just don’t get them in a situation where they get tore up badly!

When you get a well bred terrier, it’s up to YOU what kind of hunter he becomes- so get out early- get out often and do YOUR part.

Good Luck!

 

 

Our grown dogs LOVE the water and we think much of that begins here at “Our River” at a very young age.

We are just north of a small town here on the Oklahoma/Texas state line and playing in ” The North Fork of the Red River.”

Our river is pretty much dry most of the year and has a smooth flat sand bottom. Water depth here runs from a few inches to maybe 12 inches in spots. It’s the perfect place to introduce our 9 week old pups to water for the first time!

We bring along the pups mothers as its natural for the pups to want to follow them across the water. It’s a big help in introducing them. Pups also benefit from navigating new terrain as well as the new sights, sounds and smells on the river.

It begins by leaving the pups on the bank- never forcing them into the water- and let them discover and adapt on their own while they build confidence.

If one or more are struggling with getting their feet wet, we will carry them to a sandbar in the middle then move back towards the truck as we coax them along. Sooner or later they will get wet.

They quickly get comfortable with the water- start to run and play-hit a deeper spot and are forced to swim a few feet for the very first time!

It is really enjoyable and relaxing to watch.

To most folks it just looks like fun, and it is, but what’s happening here is these pups are encountering water and swimming for the first time. They are building confidence and gaining skills that they will need in the following months to hunt.

Another important thing to note that’s happening is these pups are learning to work and function TOGETHER without ‘dog on dog’ aggression. If you  watch closely you will notice a  clip where I quickly swat a pup with my ball cap and tell him “No” as I have described in earlier videos when we spot ANY aggression towards another pup.

The instances of aggression are now are few and far between as we have been correcting it since they were old enough to walk. Notice the pup that gets the “Swat” sit back and look in astonishment. He was not harmed but was startled. That’s all it takes and needs to be corrected The moment it happens-not 10-15 seconds later.

I have mentioned it before in these videos and its so important I will repeat it again.

“You cannot beat on these little dogs or they will be lying on their backs pissing themselves and soon be ruined”

You have to stay close- make the corrections THE MOMENT it takes place and do it with a very light hand. These are VERY intelligent dogs and eager to please when they trust you. When they don’t understand the reason for the reprimand they are confused and that’s when you lose their trust.

If you are about to lose your temper it’s time to put the dog up until you cool off. There is no place for a short temper in handling these terriers.

I know its not an exciting video but we hope you all enjoyed it. The purpose is to show anyone wanting to reproduce our results with terriers with the steps we take weekly to get them where we want them. The goal is terriers that are a pleasure to hunt!

Three of these we are keeping for ourselves and they are already a pleasure to work with. This is a direct result of putting the work in.

Like I always say, “If you can’t keep up-don’t step up”. 🙂 Do YOUR part and your terrier will do its part!

Don’t complain when you take your 1-2 year old terrier to the woods for the first time and he does NOTHING- he is just a reflection of you!

I say these things because i want everyone to enjoy awesome working terriers.

Until the next video-ya’ll stay safe! Remember- you won’t catch Covid in the woods!

Early this morning I woke to a text message from a guy named Josh. Josh is introducing a new young prospect to his established crew that includes a 9 year old and a 4 year old Patterdale. Josh has some concerns about aggression.

He writes;

“Hi, my name is Josh. I currently own a 9 year old and 4 year old Patterdale Terrier. I just got a 5 month year old Patterdale Terrier today, and I was wondering if you could offer some advice on how I could introduce him to the two other older Patterdales. They seem to be aggressive towards one another and especially the 5 month old one towards the two older ones.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.”

The question Josh asks is a common. We get it often.  I want to take this as an opportunity to share a video which includes my personal thoughts concerning “Dog on dog aggression” then will answer Josh’s question below.

Hi Josh
Congrats on your new pup!Sounds like he has some fire in him!
Patterdales are an aggressive breed- they have to be- to do what they do.
Its bred into them-so its genetic.As hunters and serious breeders its also something we have to watch for and constantly keep in check

Unfortunately many breeders breed specifically for the aggression! Many people come to Patterdales from the Bulldog world of fighting dogs and its what impresses them-at least that’s been my theory.

We hand raise pups from birth in the home and we NEVER tolerate aggression. It starts by telling then “No” and usually a gentle swat across the head or rump with a ballcap.You cant have a heavy hand with these little dogs or you will ruin them- but you can discourage the behavior.A ballcap across the rump and a stern “NO!” is plenty for these little guys.

When they get older- even 5 months like your pup-it becomes harder and harder to reverse the trend. In cases where dog on dog aggression is BRED into them I think it becomes impossible.

I would make sure I keep them kenneled separate of each other- preferably far enough away that they could not facebark through the wire.

Then I would take each dog out-one at a time each day and play and work with him- where the other two could see. It’s important they each understand each is part of your “Pack”.

Gradually I would work up to taking two out at a time to play and pet and correct ANY aggression as soon as you notice it with a swat and a stern “NO!” Its important on your part to spot the signs of aggression and stop it at THAT MOMENT before a fight occurs. Watch for one dog trying to stand taller and towering over the other.If his tail isn’t wagging while doing it- he is exerting his dominance. Watch for one dog putting his foot on the back of the other- that’s a sign that a fight is about to happen- you have to correct it RIGHT THEN!

If its normal Patterdale aggression this will go a long way in correcting it

If the “dog on dog” aggression is bred to strongly into the dogs then unfortunately there is little you can do and hope to correct it.

If this is the case then all hope is not lost- you can still keep them kenneled separate and in most cases work and hunt them separate and still enjoy them!

However, if not able to correct their aggression I would not consider them candidates for breeding and in no case would I line breed them.

Something to remember when raising young Patterdales:

You have two hands!  When you are petting ONE patterdale you need to be petting the OTHER with the other hand at the SAME time. Patterdales form VERY strong bonds with their owners and are extremely jealous or possessive of their affection. They seem to tolerate you showing kindness to another terrier as long as its equal to what you show them and at the same time!

I am not the sole authority on Patterdale terriers and you will find differing opinions everywhere- but these are my personal thoughts on aggression. I hope they are helpful Josh! I appreciate you writing

Best of Luck!