Rat Terrier

Guest Reviewer: Sonya Baughman

Notable Variations: The "toy" rat terrier (actually a spotty chihuahua), the Jack Russel Terrier, Smooth Coated Fox Terrier
Habitat: Inside, Outside, Under your bed covers

First Impressions
This dog would initially recieve negative points for it's smallness with the largest of the breed weighing 35 lbs. The average rat terrier weighs 15 to 20 lbs BUT is very lean and muscular. They are a speedy and playful work dog that does not have the ear-piercing yap of other more hiddeous small dogs like the pekinese or the bichon frisee. They are fond of chasing and killing small vermin and are therefore useful on farms, low rent neighborhoods, and the alleys and kitchens of questionable restaurants. One Rat Terrier is reported to have killed over 2,501 rats in a span of only seven hours in a rat infested barn.

They are also excellent watch/guard dogs. My personal rat terrier has alerted me to such menacing situations as door-to-door evangelicals, those guys who only need a dollar for gas money, and protected me with great enthusiasm from threats on the street such as postal workers and pickpockets.

(l-r) Incorrect, correct, superior incisors for vermin/intruder killing

History and Skills
The rat terrier is a mix of a bunch of other really excellent dogs: The Smooth Coated Fox Terrier, Manchester Terrier, Beagle and Whippet. The Rat Terrier was origianally called a Feist, which mean mongrel. Bred for working and not for show, it was not inbred into stupidity (toy poodle) or sterility (english bulldog). They have historically been hunting/farm dogs and packs of them have been used to hunt anything from squirrel and rabbit to bears and cougars (I imaging the scene of rat terriers bringing down a bear to be much like a cartoon of a bear jumping out of a river, covered in viscious pirhanas). They are also used commonly as circus dogs as they are very intelligent and learn tricks well.

Benefits
- blood pressure lowering benefits (as mentioned with dogs in general)
- loyal
- portable
- pointy mouth, eliminating drool factor
- smooth short coat for limited shedding and ease of grooming
- entertaining
- useful
- long lived (14-18 years). No need for frequent replacements as with larger dogs
- available in a variety of colors (you know, to match your imac)

Drawbacks
- has the small dog stigma
- Napoleon complex
- too smart

Good Pet/Bat Pet
Excellent pet.

Celebrity Owners
Theodore Roosevelt
RCA Records ("Nipper")

Overall Score 9.0/10

9/10? Hmmm.

Although, we did like the bit about rat terriers being circus dogs. Or did you just slip that in to charm us and let such a staggeringly high score slip under the radar?

We'd say somewhere in the region of a high 6 - but you have to remember that we've just been looking at Yorkshire Terriers for the past half an hour, so out terrier tolerance is pretty low at the moment.

Still, thanks for the review.

Theo and Max