Good Dog Patrick!!

[lleighmay]

Just wanted to brag a little (ok, a lot) about my JRT Patrick who followed me into the duck/juvie chicken pen today (thought I had closed the gate all the way but was busy trying not to step on the greedy, "slightly" spoiled birds while I was entering). He sat down in the middle of them and waited for me to tell him what to do, then left the moment I told him to go. I know it could have been a disaster and don't delude myself thinking he wouldn't grab one if it ran but I'm so proud of him- he's come a long way from when I rescued him last year after he spent 3 1/2 yrs all alone in a pen. He does follow me closely everywhere so I'll continue to be careful but Good Boy Patrick!!!!! Here is a pic of him with his baby sister Charlotte.

 

[bwebb7]

That IS an amazing JRT story!
Good Boy Patrick.

 

[The Chicken People]

Maybe he will be a good dog to have around your chickens and such....My dogs free range with my chickens. My cat on the other hand is the one we watch!

 

[bufforp89]

I have always wanted a JRT. My rottie/shepard mix just tried to eat my ducks this morning. Cant trust her around my chickens or anything at all!

 

[lleighmay]

I had never liked JRTs (neighbors used to have 2 that lived at the end of my backyard and barked incessantly, only getting louder if I got up and turned on an inside light at 0200) and vowed NEVER to have one though I've taken in lots of other dogs over the years.... until 3 years ago when someone dumped an intact male at my parents' barn (lots of dogs and cats get dumped there). He was covered in fleas and ticks and terrified and I was the only person he would come to. Drove him up to my parents' house where he jumped out the truck window, chased my Dad's full-grown German Shepherd into the house, went after both my horses, and, when finally recaptured and taken to my house, tried to drag my elderly Golden Retriever under a shed door by latching onto her tender nose. Needless to say I drove him to the pound the next morning (he barked insanely at every car, trailer, cow, tree..... the whole way to town) and (surprise! the pound was closed despite the Sheriff's Dept. having told me otherwise). I brought him home and figured out he was terrified and had apparently spent his life in a breeding pen- he was not socialized at all with people and didn't even know how to play with other dogs. His answer to being afraid was to attack first and try to bluff his way out of it. It took 8 months before he would ride in the car without cringing and vomiting the entire way (I suppose the only trip he'd ever taken until then was when someone threw him out in our woods). I was the only person he had anything to with for several months although he finally allowed my parents to pet him as he saw them every day when we went to run/work on the farm. He slept in my bed. He sat between my feet wherever we went. He learned to get along with all animals and became the GSD's best friend. His name was Henry and he became one of the best dogs I have ever known. Last fall he suddenly developed a lump on his neck and died of cancer within 2 weeks. I was heartbroken but thought I might get a JRT pup in the spring when it didn't hurt so bad. And then 2 weeks later a friend at work (who knew about Henry) called me and said a family member needed to get rid of their JRT because they didn't have time to fool with him and she hoped I'd give him a good home if I could bear it..... and so came Patrick. I figured he needed me and I probably needed him too. And so I have become a JRT person. I don't recommend them to everyone because they are a LOT of work, extremely intelligent and high energy, and were bred to hunt/kill which doesn't usually work out with cats, chickens, etc.. It's my responsibility to make sure they don't have to opportunity to hurt something so I won't trust them routinely with the chickens (though they have learned to love the barn cats...)