Dachshund or JRT?

[Joby]

Hi,
I'm thinking of adding a dog to the team. I've been going the traditional route of looking at terrier vs. hound and what my hunting areas are like. I hunt primarily in urban areas (vacant fields, industrial parks, etc.) so there are usually roads nearby. Thus, I don't know if beagles would be a good choice. I also don't want a dog that will go to ground and will work close. I thought about a basset after reading the story in the 2005 year end NAFA journal. But I don't want that big of a dog. So, its down to a JRT and a Dach. I've been on hunts where both of them were part of the same team (with a pair of Harris Hawks above them) and I like the way they work. I'm wondering if the Dach wouldn't be a better choice. They are a hound and they supposedly make better family dogs (we have a 5 1/2 year old son and an 18 month old daughter) than a JRT. Anyway, what are your thoughts? Also, would their training to get them on rabbits differ due to their different approaches to hunting?
-Joe

[Falcon Boy]

mini duachshunds are great, but they WILL go to ground, after all that is what they were bred to do.

[MarkT]

Well my vote is for the JRT. They are a little more high energy that a Dach but that settles down pretty well after they get past puppyhood. I think a mini dach can work slightly tighter cover and are more likely to go to ground but a JRT will be able to get into probably 95% of the places that a dach can. In my opinion the main advantage of a JRT is I think they have fewer health issues and will last quite a bit longer. I just had to put my JRT to sleep a few weeks ago. She was almost 18. I got a real good 15 years of hunting out of her before I retired her. You can't ask for more than that.

[Joby]

Well, I've decided to go with a mini Dach. I've settled on an already started female out of WELL established hunting lines and I'll be getting her sometime in early July. Then, I start the socialization process.
-Joe

[hawkstir]

Great! If your half as pleased with her as I am with mine, you'll love it.

[Joby]

Thanks Hawkstir, I'm really excited about what this little girl will bring to the team. She's out of Teddy Moritz's breeding line, although I'm getting her from another breeder that Teddy helped me locate. Did you get any of yours from Teddy? I'm still a little concerned about losing them underground, but I've been told not to worry too much about it. I want to run her with my current FRT, who is up for her first moult. I'm going to start the socialization process in July when I get her and hopefully we'll be able to start chasing bunnies together sometime in September.
-Joe

[Falcon Boy]

I have seen Moritz's dogs run, they are very good

[doxiefalconer]

Teddy's dogs are good, I also breed doxies for falconry. i socialize my pups with a european eagle own that I have here at the house, so they don't need much manner training around birds. my owl usually helps raise the pups so when they go to their new homes they are completely comfortable around large species raptors, sometimes too comfortable....lol