Dog Breed Guide

Rat Terrier

Profile

Size

Small

Country of origin

United States

Origin

19th century

Bred for

Ratting, Small game hunting

Height

25 - 46cm (10 - 18in), Miniature and Standard

Weight

4.5 - 11kg (10 - 24lb)

Life span

13 - 15 years

An American terrier with a lean, muscular body and a short, smooth coat. It comes in many colors, but always has some white somewhere, and every dog's pattern is different. There are Miniature and Standard sizes.

Bright, lively and curious, the Rat Terrier is affectionate with its family and plays energetically with children. It is smart and is said to be more biddable than other terriers, so it takes to training well.

It can jump several times its own height and is an expert digger, so watch out for escapes. It needs plenty of exercise, and daily walks and play are a must. Its coat is easy to care for.

Good to know

In America in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the breed was developed to rid farms of the rats and other small animals that raided their grain. Various terriers brought by immigrants were crossed with the Manchester Terrier, Whippet, Beagle and others. Bred to suit the job, it spread across the country as a handy farm worker.

President Theodore Roosevelt is known for putting his terriers to work catching the rats that infested the White House. Because of this, it is often said that Roosevelt gave the Rat Terrier its name, but there is no reliable record of this, and it remains only a story.

There is also a related short-legged breed named after him, the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier.