Seen a number of rabbits with myxi when out running in the peaks, and the little fella finally got hold of one the other day but i managed to get him off it.

With the rabbits suffering so much from the disease , i am almost convinced that a quick death would be the best option, however I also dont want to wake the beast within and have him chasing after everything that moves.

What are peoples thoughts and experiences?

He already chases them.
Chewed by Jack Russell is hardly a quick death.
You'll have lots of blood to clean up.
Your dog might get more violent.
He'll also chase healthy rabbits

that wouldn't be hunting with dogs would it???????

SSShhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh they'll be after you 😉

yes they will die anyway

I was under the impression that Jack Russels were pretty quick on the kill ie. a quick shake of the head to break it's neck with rats anyway.

One of my neighbours trains his whippets that way when he sees a myxi rabbit. More humane than a slow death IMO

More humane than a slow death IMO

Yup – IMO too

Rabbits aren't quite as easy to kill as rats.

The classic terrier headshake will most certainly kill rabbits in a trice. My lurcher / terrier cross despatches mixie rabbits this way. Bit of a bogger getting the carcass off him though – he likes to prance about, proudly displaying his prize for the next half hour, past all the shocked looking old dears with their pampered Westies and handbag dogs 😳

Seems a shame to spoil his glory by taking it off him…

EDIT; after a quick re-read of the OP, just make sure you're able to recall him when you don't want him to chase sheep / other dogs / rabbits crossing motorways etc. I did this over the course of a month using a hard rubber ball. Got fed up of him tearing off after other dogs, no matter how far away they were or what was between them.

I'd throw the ball and alternate between calling him back mid-chase and letting him 'follow through'. He got rewarded for abandoning the chase on command and totally ignored for failing to do so. A bag full of chopped up sandwich ham works wonders but it does take time and a massive amount of patience.

EDIT #2; ….and if you can do that with a lurcher, you can do it with any dog – their recall is notoriously bad and he's absolutely obedient now – almost 100%.

Yup, much better giving them a quick death rather than a long drawn out one from myxi. And if he does end up chasing healthy rabbits so what – they are major pest

Rabbits aren't quite as easy to kill as rats.

I beg to differ, rats bite back rabbits don't. My old dog when I was a kid used to retrieve both live. You certainly dont want your dog bringing you live rats.

Hunting rabbits with dogs is legal, your russel would be unlikey to catch non mixi rabbits anyway so I wouldnt worry. Some form of hunting as a release would IME calm them down around non prey. The beast is in them its a matter of controlling it not hiding it.