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[[File:Jack Russell Terrier exits den pipe.jpg|thumb|right|A working Jack Russell Terrier exits a den pipe.]]
A '''working terrier''' is a [[terrier]] bred to hunt small [[mammal]]s, such as [[badger]]s or [[fox]]es. According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the name dates back to 1425 and is derived from the [[French language|French]] ''chien terrier'', 'digging dog', which is from the [[Medieval Latin]] ''terrarius'', ultimately from the Latin ''[[Wiktionary:terra#Latin|terra]]'' (earth).

With the growth in popularity of [[fox hunting]] in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries, terriers were extensively bred to follow the red fox as well as the Eurasian badger, into their burrows, referred to as 'terrier work' and 'going to ground'.<ref>((cite book |last=Marvin |first=John T. |title=The New Complete Scottish Terrier |edition=2nd |year=1982 |publisher=Howell Book House |location=New York |isbn=0-87605-306-1 |chapter=Background and Heritage of the Terrier Family |page=[https://archive.org/details/newcompletescott00marv/page/12 12] |chapter-url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/newcompletescott00marv/page/12 ))</ref> The purpose of the terrier is to locate the burrow of the prey animal, then either intimidate it into leaving its burrow or hold it still so that it can be killed or captured.<ref>((cite web |url= http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence/terrier.htm |title=National Working Terrier Federation, Pest Control With Terriers |access-date=31 March 2008 |date=28 March 2000 |work=DEFRA.gov.uk |author=Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales |publisher=Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs |quote=The terrier's primary role is not to fight with its quarry. The role is to locate the quarry below ground and to bark at it continuously, either causing it to leave the earth, or alternatively to indicate where in the earth the quarry is located, in order that it can be dug to and dispatched. ))</ref>

Working terriers can be no wider than the animals they hunt (chest circumference or 'span' less than 35&nbsp;cm/14in) in order to fit into the burrows and still have room to maneuver.<ref>((cite web |url= http://www.terrierman.com/barryjones.htm |title=Spanning the Jack Russell Terrier |access-date=30 March 2008 |last=Jones |first=Barry |work=The Terrierman))</ref>

Terrier work has been condemned by British animal welfare organizations such as the [[League Against Cruel Sports]], the [[International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)|International Fund for Animal Welfare]], and the [[Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]] because it can lead to underground fighting between the animals, causing serious injuries.<ref>((Cite web |title=Terrier Work ((!)) |url=https://www.league.org.uk/what-we-do/hunting/terrier-work/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=www.league.org.uk |language=en-gb))</ref> The British National Working Terrier Federation denies that underground fighting is an issue, arguing that the terrier's role is to locate, bark, and flush out the hunted animals, not to attack them.<ref name=TerrierFederationevidence>National Working Terrier Federation.  [http://www.huntinginquiry.gov.uk/evidence2/terriers2.htm "Written evidence, second stage"], Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs, UK, 10 May 2000.</ref> Hunting below ground with terriers is largely illegal in Britain under the [[Hunting Act 2004]], unless conducted in accordance with strict conditions intended to protect game birds. Terrier work is legal in the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and much of continental Europe.

== Requirements of a working terrier ==
The primary criterion for a working terrier is that it has an owner or keeper who works it- a terrier is not a working terrier by virtue of its breeding alone. The second most important quality of a working terrier is small chest size. Though the chest size of the working terrier that can be used in any given situation may rise or fall depending on the size of the den pipe, smaller dogs generally do as well as or better than larger dogs. A small dog can get to the quarry without having to dig and arrives at the quarry without fatigue.

If a dog is too large, they will struggle to get past curves in the tunnel and will have to be dug every few feet.  If a dog has to dig deep enough to where the tunnel tightens down, the dog will have to push dirt behind it to progress, which can result in the dog being "bottled" by dirt from behind.  In such a situation, the dog will have a very difficult time getting out on its own if it cannot turn around.

With two animals underground, it is essential that a flow of air be maintained to avoid [[asphyxia]]tion.  The more space a dog takes up in a burrow, the more the airflow will be constricted.  In addition, a small dog has better maneuverability and can more easily avoid being bitten. Because of this, small dogs often receive less injury underground than larger dogs, which are more likely to find themselves jammed in a den pipe, face-to-face with the prey, and unable to move forward or backward.

[[File:workingterrier2.jpg|thumb|right|Working terriers and tools for terrier work.]]

Other important requirements of a working terrier are essential [[gameness]], a good nose, and the ability to problem-solve in order to avoid coming to harm underground.

== Terrier work as vermin control ==
A wide variety of game is worked below ground with terriers, including [[red fox]]es, [[groundhog]]s (also known as woodchucks), [[raccoon]]s, [[opossums]], [[nutria]] (also known as coypu), and European and American [[badgers]].

According to a 1994 survey by the [[British Association for Shooting and Conservation]], 9% of foxes killed by UK [[gamekeeper]]s were killed following the use of terriers.<ref>((cite web |url= http://www.huntinginquiry.gov.uk/evidence/basc.htm#p7 |title=BASC evidence to Burns Inquiry |date=2000 |work=DEFRA.gov.uk |publisher=Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs))</ref>

Terrier work is not a very efficient way of hunting vermin, though in 2006, some 258 members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons argued that it is a comparatively humane way to reduce fox numbers and is quite selective.<ref>((cite web |url= http://www.huntfacts.com/veterinary_opinion_on_hunting_.htm |title= Veterinary Opinion on Hunting |work= HuntFacts.com |access-date= 6 January 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061231203612/http://www.huntfacts.com/veterinary_opinion_on_hunting_.htm |archive-date= 31 December 2006 |url-status= dead ))</ref> Because of these characteristics, terrier work is considered an ideal way to control certain nuisance wildlife in farm countries.

The inefficiency of terrier work means that, unlike poisons and traps, there is no danger that a species can be wiped out over a large area and little chance that an adult will be terminated with an unseen young still in the den.

Though inefficient, a team of terriers, when coupled with an enthusiastic digger, can control red foxes, raccoons, or groundhogs on small farms where their presence might be a problem for chickens, geese, wild bird populations, and crop production. Because terrier work is selective, animals can be dispatched, or else they can be moved and relocated to nearby farms, forests, or waste areas where they will do no harm.

== Early history ==
((More citations needed|section|date=May 2023))
Terrier work, as it is known today, began with the rise of the [[Enclosure Movement]] in the late 18th century in England. With enclosure, people were moved off the land and into cities and towns, and sheep and other livestock were moved into newly walled, hedged, and fenced fields. Vast expanses of enclosed open spaces proved perfect for mounted fox hunting, a sport that had arrived in the UK from France in the late 17th centuries.

The first mounted fox hunts were described by [[Sir Walter Scott]], who also described the first working terriers in the UK. The first true breed of working terrier that bears a resemblance to what we see in the field today is the [[Jack Russell Terrier]]. The Jack Russell Terrier is named after the [[Jack Russell (dog breeder)|Reverend John Russell]], whose long life (1795–1883) encompasses the entire early history of mounted fox hunts in the UK and who is credited with breeding the first fox-working white-bodied terrier used in the field today.<ref>((Cite web |title=Jack Russell Terrier JRTCA: History of the Jack Russell Terrier |url=https://therealjackrussell.com/breed/history.php |access-date=2023-05-29 |website=therealjackrussell.com))</ref>

With the rise of the [[Enclosure Movement|enclosure movement]] in the late 18th and early 19th century came the control of sires and the rapid improvement in livestock herds.  As breeds were improved, livestock shows were held to display these improvements. From these livestock shows grew the first dog shows.

The first dog show appeared in the UK in 1859, the same year that [[Charles Darwin]]'s "[[Origin of Species]]" was first published. Both Darwin's book and the first dog show drew much of their inspiration from the rapid "speciation" of new livestock breeds that had first begun with [[Robert Bakewell (agriculturalist)|Robert Bakewell]]'s efforts to control sire selection. If livestock breeds could be rapidly "improved" through controlled breeding, clearly the same thing could be done with dogs.

Between 1800 and 1865, the number of dog breeds in the UK climbed from 15 to over 50, and it significantly increased further with the creation of the Kennel Club in 1873.

== Rootstock ==
((unsourced|section|date=October 2022))
In the world of working terriers, there are but two roots: colored dogs from the north (Scotland) and white dogs from the south (England and Wales). From these two roots spring a variety of Kennel Club dogs and every type of working terrier commonly found in the field today.

The "[[Fell Terrier]]" is the original non-pedigree-colored working dog of the north. From this diverse gene pool have sprung the Kennel Club [[Welsh Terrier]], the [[Lakeland Terrier]], and the [[Border Terrier]]. Today, only the Border Terrier is occasionally found in the field. This is not to say the working Fell Terrier has disappeared—it still exists by that name among working terrier enthusiasts.

Today's working Fell Terrier may be brown, black, red, or black-and-tan, and may be smooth, wire, or broken-coated.  The dog may be called a Fell terrier or a "working Lakeland" or a "[[Patterdale Terrier]]". A German variety of the Fell Terrier is called the "[[Jagdterrier]]", but the standard for this dog is on the large size, and as a consequence, it is most useful in large pipes, artificial earth, or when it has been bred down to a 12–13&nbsp;inch size.

From the southern part of England have come the white fox-working dogs, whose origins are the same as those of the [[Jack Russell Terrier]].  Kennel Club breeds derived from these mainly white-coated dogs include the Smooth [[Fox Terrier]], the Wire Fox Terrier, the [[Sealyham Terrier]] , and most recently,((when|date=October 2022)) the [[Parson Russell Terrier]] and [[Russell Terrier]]. None of these Kennel Club breeds are commonly found working in the field today.

The absence of white-bodied working dogs in the Kennel Club does not mean that white-fox-working dogs have disappeared. The working [[Jack Russell Terrier]] is still as common as ever, presenting itself in a variety of coats (smooth, broken, and wire-coated or rough), sizes (10&nbsp;inches to 15&nbsp;inches tall, with most working dogs sized 10 to 13&nbsp;inches tall), and coat colors (from pure white to 49 percent colored with tan and black markings). There is even a new type of working Jack Russell_the "[[Plummer Terrier]]", first created by [[Brian Plummer]] in the 1970s.

== Tools and technique ==
The tools used for terrier work have essentially remained unchanged for more than 400 years: a small-chested and game-working terrier, a good roundpoint shovel, a digging bar, a brush hook to clear away hedges and brambles, fox nets, water for the dog and digger, a snare to remove the quarry, or a gun or blunt instrument to dispatch it.

The only "modern" piece of equipment found in a terrierman's kit that would look foreign to a terrierman from the late 18th century is an electronic radio collar used to help locate the dog underground and speed the dig. Locator collars have greatly increased the safety of dogs when underground, and no sensible digger sends a dog into the ground without one today.

==Controversy in the UK==
((criticism section|date=October 2022))
Terrier work has come under criticism from [[animal welfare]] groups in the UK, particularly in connection with [[fox hunting]], where terriers may be used to flush out a fox who has gone underground. This may lead to terriers attacking the foxes rather than flushing them out, prolonging the death of the fox. The [[Countryside Alliance]] has been challenged((by whom|date=October 2022)) on their statements claiming that no distressing or prolonged deaths occur during the digging out or flushing out of foxes.((cn|date=October 2022))

Organizations such as the [[League Against Cruel Sports]] have produced a range of reports on the working terrier.<ref>((cite web |url= http://www.league.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=1701 |title=Terrier work |publisher=League Against Cruel Sports))</ref> In 1994, [[Alan Williams (Swansea West MP)|Alan Williams]], the Labour MP for [[Swansea West (UK Parliament constituency)|Swansea West]], proposed a [[private members bill]], the Protection of Dogs Bill, seeking to ban the activity,<ref>((cite web |url= http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199394/cmhansrd/1994-02-04/Debate-6.html |title=Official Report, Commons |date=4 February 1994 |publisher=House of Commons [UK]))</ref> but it was not banned in the UK until the passage of the [[Hunting Act 2004]]. The Act outlaws terrier work unless it complies with a number of [[Hunting Act 2004#Hunting below ground|strict conditions]] designed for [[gamekeeper]]s.<ref>((cite web |url= https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030630/debtext/30630-17.htm#30630-17_spnew10 |title=Official Report, Commons |date=2003 |publisher=House of Commons [UK]))</ref>

==See also==
*[[Bait (dogs)|Baiting]]
*[[Fox hunting legislation]]
*[[Jack Russell Terrier]]
*[[Patterdale Terrier]]
*[[Sealyham Terrier]]

==References==
((reflist))

== General references ==
* Burns, Patrick. ''American Working Terriers'', 2005. ((ISBN|1-4116-6082-X)) [https://www.amazon.com/dp/141166082X]
* Chapman, Eddie. "The Working Jack Russell Terrier," 1994. [http://www.terrierman.com/terrierbooks.htm]
* Fischer, John. "Vulpicide in South Nottinghamshire in 1865"[http://www.terrierman.com/vulpicide1865.doc]
* MacDonald, David. "Running With the Fox." 1987. ((ISBN|978-0-04-440084-4)) [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0044400845]
* [http://www.league.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=1701 League Against Cruel Sports campaign against terrier work]
* [http://www.sheffieldtoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=58&ArticleID=1108258 "Badger baiter banned after terriers hurt"], ''Sheffield Today'', 8 August 2005

==External links==
((wiktionary))
* [http://www.terrierman.com/hunting.htm Hunting with Terriers:  The Basics]
* [http://www.terrier.com/ Jack Russell Terrier Club of America]
* [http://jackrussellgb.co.uk/ Jack Russell Terrier Club Great Britain]
* [http://www.teckelclub.org/ Teckel Club of North America]
* [http://www.ptca.00go.com/ Patterdale Terrier Club of America]
* [http://germanhuntingterrier.com// German hunting terrier]
* [http://www.terrierman.com/tunneltips.htm Tips for Tunnel Training Terriers]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051025083625/http://www.dirt-dog.com/awta/index.cfm American Working Terrier Association]
* [http://www.terrierman.com/historypics.htm A Pictorial History of Terriers and Terrier Work]
* [http://www.borderterrier.org.uk/ Border Terrier Show Results in the U.K.]

((Terriers))

((DEFAULTSORT:Working Terrier))
[[Category:Dog types]]
[[Category:Terriers]]
[[Category:Hunting dogs]]

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