Overview
The Plummer Terrier was developed in England in the late twentieth century by the writer Brian Plummer, blending Jack Russell, Beagle, Fell Terrier and Bull Terrier to make a working dog for rats and rabbits. The result is a smart, smooth-coated terrier in fiery red and white with a square build and a lot of nerve.
Plummers are not Kennel Club registered and most are owned by working or countryside homes. They are confident, fast and keen, with a strong prey drive and a terrier's habit of going to ground. They are also affectionate and trainable, more so than many terriers.
Exercise and walking needs
An hour a day with a proper sniff and a run keeps most adults content. They enjoy a brisk pace and are good at agility and flyball type activity. Short bursts of fast play are more satisfying for them than a long steady trudge.
Mental work matters. A find-it game in long grass or a tug session can replace half an hour of walking when time is tight.
On the walk
- Recall: Good until a rat or rabbit appears, then nil. Hedgerows, farm yards and riverbanks are high risk. Long line as standard until you have seen the dog around game.
- Going to ground: Plummers will enter holes. Watch for rabbit warrens and drain pipes, and do not let the dog disappear into one.
- Other dogs: Bold and sometimes scrappy with strangers of similar size. Mixed group walks work if introductions are managed.
- Pulling: Lively but light. A harness protects the neck during sudden lunges.
Tips for professional walkers
- Keep the lead short along hedges and ditches, which are prime rodent territory.
- Carry a squeaky toy as an emergency recall aid; it often beats a whistle.
- Check the dog for cuts and thorns after a bramble session, and for ticks in long grass.
- Avoid letting it meet cats or small pets on the route; the instinct is deep.
What to ask the owner
- Is the dog worked, and does it have a history of going to ground or getting stuck?
- How does it behave with strange dogs of similar size, especially other terriers?
- Any known escape routes from the garden, and is it a climber or digger?