Breeds / Small
Rat Terrier puppies
Alert, intelligent and friendly, the Rat Terrier is an American farm dog bred for vermin control and comes in a miniature and a standard size. This is a smooth coated, long lived breed.
The facts
- Size class Small
- Country of origin United States
- Adult weight 4.5 to 11.3 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 10 to 25 lb
- Adult height 25 to 46 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Moderate
- Coat type Short smooth
- Shedding Moderate
- Typical lifespan 12 to 18 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
About the Rat Terrier
The Rat Terrier is an American farm dog, assembled from British terrier stock and later crossed with Whippet and Beagle blood to produce a fast, biddable vermin killer for smallholdings. They are small, 4.5 to 11.3 kg, and the height range of 25 to 46 cm covers both the miniature and the standard size. The short smooth coat sits over a compact, muscular frame. Alert and busy, they are genuinely affectionate with their people and keen to be involved in whatever their people are doing.
This is a high energy dog that suits an active household. Daily walks plus ball chasing in a fenced space keep them level, and they take readily to training. Grooming is a weekly once over with a soft brush, with more during the seasonal shed. They rate five out of five with children, though supervision and socialisation still apply. The prey drive is what owners underestimate: most Rat Terriers will not resist a squirrel, so off lead freedom is a bad bet. They are also long lived, 12 to 18 years.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Rat Terrier puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get them socialised before the vaccination course finishes. They will still need four meals a day. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Patellar luxation, graded by a veterinary orthopaedic exam
- Hip dysplasia, screened by a hip evaluation of breeding stock
- Legg Calve Perthes disease, a malformation of the hip joint in young dogs
- Primary lens luxation (PLL), detectable by DNA test
- Heart disease, screened by a cardiac exam
Your Rat Terrier puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Rat Terrier.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 4.5 to 11.3 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 24 inch (24 x 18 x 20 in, 61 x 46 x 51 cm) for an adult of up to 11.3 kg; chew toys made for small breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other small breeds
More on the Rat Terrier
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type, country of origin and health notes
- Health notes from Rat Terrier breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/rat-terrier/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: Jadenschaul, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.