# Ratting behaviour in border collies



## vicksey (10 January 2014)

Does anyone else have a BC that displays ratting behaviour?

My little rescue has come on in leaps and bounds quite literally. With his new found confidence and knowledge of the world has come some behaviours I wouldnt associate with collies and my old collie certainly never     He stalks the long grass, much like a cat and then bounds and leaps along trying to catch whatever he thinks is there. He often surfaces with lumps of grass all over his head! 

He is turning out to be a very obedient and affectionate dog and havent got great concerns with this behaviour. His recall is coming along nicely, and he leaves if I tell him to and stops the behaviour when commanded to and shows no agression to people, kids or other animals. 

I was just curious really if anyone else had experienced with their collies.


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## Dobiegirl (10 January 2014)

Not Collies but all my Dobermanns catch rats,mice etc the only drawback they eat everything they kill. I am fostering a Manchester Terrier a breed renowned for their mice and rat catching abilities and my Dobe bitch has taught him the delights of vole hunting, prior to this he didnt have a clue.

I think with your dog and mine they must have an innate ability to catch vermin.


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## PolarSkye (10 January 2014)

One of mine does - but he is crossed with a jrt .  He looks very much like a collie, but sometimes behaves quite a lot like a jrt - not always a good thing.

P


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## Dry Rot (10 January 2014)

My GSD does this. Stalks, then vertical leap coming down hoping to catch a mouse within the circle of all four feet at once! It is instinctive behaviour just the same as used by foxes and other canids the world over but rather fun to watch!


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## Oenoke (10 January 2014)

One of my Border Collies brought me a dead rat once, but I think she found it dead, the problem was that she gave things to hand and couldn't understand why I screamed at her and wouldn't take it!

Another one of my Border Collies cornered a rat once and was nipping at it, I told him to leave it, which he did and I killed the rat.

Border Collies just haven't got the terrier grab and shake, I'd be scared that a rat bit them on the nose or even worse on the eye (which I've seen on a Terrier), rats carry too many diseases, so it's not a behaviour I'd encourage my Border Collies to do.


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## milo'n'molly (10 January 2014)

PolarSkye said:



			One of mine does - but he is crossed with a jrt .  He looks very much like a collie, but sometimes behaves quite a lot like a jrt - not always a good thing.

P
		
Click to expand...

My jrt x collie is much better at ratting than working sheep


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## MurphysMinder (10 January 2014)

Nearly all of my GSDs have done this, a couple have caught and dispatched rats very efficiently.


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## kerenza (10 January 2014)

My border collie x springer is a very good ratter. Does the quick grab and shake and then drops them and displays no more interest.


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## Potato! (10 January 2014)

All of our Colllies are good at ratting, which is really good having 5 collies and a JR roaming the farm.


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## wench (10 January 2014)

My lurcher had a good dose of collie in him. He was the best ratter and mouser dog we have ever known!


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## lizness (10 January 2014)

My OH's old sheepdog used to catch rats, but was a brilliant sheepdog.
His old old sheepdog ended up blind and deaf and still sometimes caught things in his kennel!
Present sheepdog wouldn't have a clue about rats!


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## Alec Swan (10 January 2014)

Believe it,  or don't,  but the best ratter that I ever had,  was a pure bred whippet.  He was quicker and more determined than any terrier that I ever had.

My sheepdogs have never really bothered with rats,  and the spaniels,  well that would be a most definite no no!

Alec.


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## blackcob (10 January 2014)

I think the instinct is there in all breeds but as Oenoke says I'd think a collie less likely to carry it through effectively if they ever caught anything! 

One of my sibes has never caught a thing but the other is ruthlessly efficient with mice and rats. Stalk, spring, pounce.


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## mynutmeg (10 January 2014)

blackcob said:



			I think the instinct is there in all breeds but as Oenoke says I'd think a collie less likely to carry it through effectively if they ever caught anything! 

One of my sibes has never caught a thing but the other is ruthlessly efficient with mice and rats. Stalk, spring, pounce. 


















Click to expand...

Thats awesome - looks exactly like the artic foxes pouncing down through the snow for voley type things


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## Alec Swan (10 January 2014)

Excellent pics!! :wink3:

We had a lurcher bitch,  and she'd treat moles like that,  with five seconds of frantic digging!

Alec.


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## vicksey (11 January 2014)

blackcob said:



			I think the instinct is there in all breeds but as Oenoke says I'd think a collie less likely to carry it through effectively if they ever caught anything! 

One of my sibes has never caught a thing but the other is ruthlessly efficient with mice and rats. Stalk, spring, pounce. 


















Click to expand...



Love these pics, its exactly what my BC does. Yes fun to watch and its likely he's been on a farm so its probably instinct. Thanks for the replies guys! x


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## Adopter (11 January 2014)

My border collie gets lots of exercise chasing rabbits out of the paddocks and field, he has yet to catch one.  A previous border we had did actually catch a baby rabbit.  Most effective hunter at this house is our ginger tom cat, he is always working!


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## p87 (11 January 2014)

My collie done this when she was a pup but she soon grew out of it!

I also had a whippet x lab and she was a better hunter than the cat!


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## Molasses (11 January 2014)

My collie cross is ruthless about mice and rats, she'll tear down the place to get at one. she's very efficient and dispatches very neatly. And rabbits don't stand a chance her record is 5 rabbits, one mouse and one pheasant - all in one day!!
note she'll the kindest gentlest soul but anything on her patch will die!


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## SatsumaGirl (12 January 2014)

My collie pup was out in the garden the other day and I heard a yip yip yip- I'd literally turned my back for 2 seconds. I shouted and he came over proudly carrying a rat in his mouth! It was dark so thankfully I couldn't see much of it. The next morning, I disposed of it - once it was light and I could see what I was doing. 

This morning he woke me up at 5am; went outside for a wee for all of a minute and came down the steps to the courtyard and deposited a dead rat right in the middle of the steps (my way out and the dogs' way in). :-/ Getting the shovel, brush and disinfectant out at that time of day when it's pitch black and you've got a sickness bug isn't the way I usually like to spend my first 5 minutes after I've woken up. Aren't animals fun?!


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## be positive (12 January 2014)

My first border collie was a good ratter, she shook them just like a terrier would, I have no idea where she picked it up but she disposed of a fair few in her life. My current BC is more like a cat, she will spend time stalking rabbits watching them without moving waiting to pounce, then missing but she did manage to catch a few one summer much to my surprise, I thought she had found one dead but an hour later she appeared with another so pleased with herself.


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## Goldenstar (12 January 2014)

Most of my labs have done this .
My old boy now was an ace ratter in his youth .


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