Storm loves hunting...

When I first got Storm nearly four years ago I lived next to a Chinese takeaway, they had a bit of a rat problem and some of the rats had burrowed under the foundations of the wall to get into our garden, I think they liked the compost bin. As soon as Storm got their scent he went mental for it, trying to dig his way back under the wall to get to them. We covered the burrow up with concrete blocks and called the council rat man out. When he visited he was chatting and said one of the best known ratting dogs he knew of was a Staffie bitch who had been known to go to farms and catch over a hundred rats in a day in and around barns.
I then moved into an old terrace house and due to a church being demolished after being disused we had a few families of mice move in. It took Storm a while to relate the noises to the mice but after he did it was amazing, We had bought some humane traps that don't kill the mice, they were not very effective compared to Storm. He would hear them and then perch on the arm of the sofa and wait until they were in range... Final score Storm 7 traps 1 and I'm pretty sure he chased that one into the trap as he went tearing into the kitchen, after checking him, he was trying to drag the trap from it's position with the mouse in it. It was quite funny when he caught one as he seemed quite gentle with them and the first few didn't even have puncture wounds, after, some did and he would sound like hannibal lector making that wierd sound after describing eating parts of someone > . I know he's a terrier but I didn't expect him to be able to catch mice as when you see them all you see is a blur and it's something I associated with smaller terriers like jack russels. All my neighbours were well jealous.
He loves chasing squirrels but doesn't usually get anywhere near them.

edited for rubbish spelling

amazing story we have a girly dof and she chases rabbits and squirrels birds too not come across rats or mice yet

Never heard of a staffy as a ratter before or a mouser , as you say something I normally associate with the JRT

Hello Andrew and Storm
Your dog is so beautiful and I just realised I live close to you? We live near st Austell if you know where that is? If your up to meet up sometime so our dogs can see each other that would be awesome

DragonTheStaffie wrote:Hello Andrew and Storm
Your dog is so beautiful and I just realised I live close to you? We live near st Austell if you know where that is? If your up to meet up sometime so our dogs can see each other that would be awesome

I was down in Polperro camping with Storm in the summer but haven't been to Cornwall since, if your ever coming to Plymouth let me know and I'll do likewise if I'm down your way. Spent some time walking the coast path with Storm, he's a really friendly boy and love to socialise with other dogs and people.
Dragon looks lovely, I do like white staffs with brown markings.

Moo 9, squirrels nil lol!

Great story Xx

A great read, I guess you cant take the terrier out of the Staffy. The word Terrier comes from the French word terre meaning ground or earth so I guess this makes sense.

Lol. Frosty has killed a few rats. It is a great way to get rid of vermin. Thankfully mine weren't ever inside. None made it alive though. He isn't very gentle.

I wouldn't like my girls to hurt or kill another animal. Lily wouldn't bother but Lola given the chance would like nothing better than chasing and biting a little furry creature

Biscuit's got a pretty high prey drive also, but doesn't get much chance here. The two I had when I was a kid were massive hunters, Jake especially, got his head stuck in a rabbit hole once

Staffs are renounced for their ratting ability, the best competition ratters have all been staffs. I wholly disagree with the competition ratting but if someone has a rat problem, theres no better dog than a staff! Lexi loves a mouse or two for breaky lol

bbimson wrote:Lol. Frosty has killed a few rats. It is a great way to get rid of vermin. Thankfully mine weren't ever inside. None made it alive though. He isn't very gentle.

None of them were alive, Just didn't have puncture wounds, whether he crushed then or they died of shock I'm not sure.

Chiara wrote:I wouldn't like my girls to hurt or kill another animal. Lily wouldn't bother but Lola given the chance would like nothing better than chasing and biting a little furry creature

It's not great having rats in the garden as they were in the compost bin and the rubbish bins, The problem with poison is it's not a quick way to dispatch them and if the dead animal gets into the food chain it can poison other non-target animals including the dog. Mice were in the house and whilst I did try humane traps I couldn't trap them as quick as Storm could. They can cause damage by chewing through electric cables etc. And if one dies naturally and you don't find it they stink...

Rachel33 wrote:Biscuit's got a pretty high prey drive also, but doesn't get much chance here. The two I had when I was a kid were massive hunters, Jake especially, got his head stuck in a rabbit hole once

Aww Bless, Storm came across a load of fox cubs just outside their burrow once, their mother must have been off somewhere else, he sniffed wagged his tail and treated them like he would puppies, he didn't come into contact with them because of a wire fence made of 6" squares but was within 6" of them. It was one time I really wished I'd picked up my camera. Another time the JR, Pippa, woke me screaming in distress, I have a pine framed bed with spindles in cutouts at either end, she must have stretched out and managed to get her head through between two spindles. There was no way I could get her head out and she was a bit distressed so didn't try for long before getting a saw to cut through the top of one of the spindles to release her. I've never got around to fixing the spindle and when I notice it, it reminds me of her and brings a smile to my face.

Hayley wrote:Staffs are renounced for their ratting ability, the best competition ratters have all been staffs. I wholly disagree with the competition ratting but if someone has a rat problem, theres no better dog than a staff! Lexi loves a mouse or two for breaky lol

Competition ratting, didn't know that existed to be honest, Storm would love it, I wouldn't though. I know they're vermin but that sounds too much like a blood sport for my liking. If they're creating a problem and he catches them that's fair enough but to catch or breed rats to release them for bait isn't very nice.

Have tried to encourage my 4 cats to be a bit kinder to wildlife but they pay no heed! funnily enough I haven't noticed as many carcasses. Think Lola has probably gobbled them up

Chiara wrote:Have tried to encourage my 4 cats to be a bit kinder to wildlife but they pay no heed! funnily enough I haven't noticed as many carcasses. Think Lola has probably gobbled them up

They only way to stop a cat catching much is to put a bell on it's collar. but with four cats they'll be playing tunes to you

Good story

iamajc wrote:

Chiara wrote:Have tried to encourage my 4 cats to be a bit kinder to wildlife but they pay no heed! funnily enough I haven't noticed as many carcasses. Think Lola has probably gobbled them up

They only way to stop a cat catching much is to put a bell on it's collar. but with four cats they'll be playing tunes to you

We tried that with our 2 and the bell was hooooooooge however they both went out and teamed up to remove their bells and collars