What breed of dog is great at killing rats??

[Beekissed]

Boston Terriers!

 

[doxies1]

Folks on a horse stable on long Island have mini Dachshunds from me. They also have a lab and when the dachshunds hunt the lab grabs any that slip past the dachshunds. One night we went to watch them work and it really was neat how they worked together. Beware any fowl that gets in to my dachshund yard is lucky if it escapes. I've lost a few young guineas that way

 

[BlackBart]

My Husky/ Wolf cross was great at killing rats. He would dig to get at them if he had to.

 

[trinityfly]

This little gem is Tessa. 15 lbs of smooth hair fox terrier. She totaly ignores the chickens but she is a rats worst nightmare

Oh yes, my avatar is Buzzer, a 12 lb. Mini Pin, he too would like to ignore the chickens but they pick on him. If a rat was a needle in a haystack Buzz could find him.

Good luck with your search

 

[Erica]

You need a dog with a soft nature but enough rat instincts to kill vermin. That's a very very fine line... Too much chase instinct and it will catch and kill birds. Too little and it won't do anything useful at all. I think for maternal protectiveness females tend to be slightly better than males.

The last dog I had that was good at this (apart from my current dog, who's a superstar at everything including killing rats) was Jack Russell cross miniature fox terrier. The fox terrier softness made him trainable around chickens but the rat killing instincts were able to be switched on (with a little goading e.g. showing him rat holes). You would want to pick the softest (yet not un-confident) pup and train, train, train.

I've curretly got a sheepdog that's a top ratter and perfect with chickens as well as everything else. If I didn't have her I'd have to buy a watchdog, a ratter, a pet and a livestock guardian... But I think she's a one-off rather than a breed.

Good luck!

 

[Erica]

Just saw trinityfly's suggestion. The dog in the picture looks ideal.

 

[highcountrychickens]

Well, it's a bit of a conundrum, because a dog that is into killing rats is going to be high strung by nature - for instance:Jack Russell Terriers... but not really a consideration for a first time dog owner... they are quite tough, and need an experienced hand to train and live with - a specific job, and a lot of time... That said, if you happen upon the right dog, there are none better. Both of mine are rat killing machines, but they are absolutely full-time job animals.

Nearly any kind of Terrier has rodent extermination in their DNA - there may be a few breeds less wound than JRTs... it's definitely worth some research.

Good Luck!

 

[hencackle]

Ditto on the terriers. My sister's Manchester Terrier goes wild when she sees rats, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks.....I know chickens would be on her hit list. And yes, she is high strung.

We have a Coton de Tulear which does well with chickens; however, he starts squealing when he sees the rabbits and squirrels in the backyard.

 

[RedReiner]

I have Miniature Pinschers, they are bred to kill rats. but just about any dog will kill rats, I have mutts that do it. but as they say, they will also kill your chickens if given the chance. just how allergic go cats is your hubby?? Barn cats, that live in the barn should not be a problem if he isnt petting them. barn cats should be fed cat food and left to live in the barn, they know their jobs and do it well, mine kill weasels and rabbits along with mice, moles, and other small vermin. Someone on here posted that they started locking their cat in the run at night when chickens were locked in the coop. I think thats a great idea!
Change your rat poison, find the better ones that are aimed at warfarin resistant rats.
you can also blow them up lol, google the rodenator and watch how that works. fill the tunnels with propane and then ignites it, blows them right out of the dirt. I want one.....

 

[Whimsy]

Just a suggestion, how about barn cats?? Mine leave the adult chickens alone do a great job at killing rats and mice. I also have two Shi Tzu's one of which does an excellent job at mousing!