Rat Terriers - Puppies - Care and Training

Photo source: Double Diamond Standard Rat Terriers

Rat Terriers - Puppies - First Steps

After you have brought a puppy home, give it some time to adjust to a new atmosphere and choose a sleeping place. The first days at home will evidently fix the order of things. Hence, try to make your Rat Terrier puppy act like you want it to behave in the future.

Rat Terriers - Puppies - Importance of Training

Photo source: Groups MSN com

Rat Terriers are generally playful dogs that need much exercise both physical and mental. Natural ratters, they will hardly deny the pleasure of chasing a cat or other small living being. Some people will probably find this habit quite harmless when it is revealed in their Rat Terrier puppy. Indeed, cats have always been sworn enemies of canines. Yet, such behavior is considered inappropriate in a good canine citizen and your neighbors will hardly find such incidents touching.

Here a question arises: "Can a Rat Terrier ever be trained to get along with other pets on friendly terms?" In fact, it can. All you have to do is to start early. Rat Terriers do make friends with pets if raised together from an early age.

Photo source: Groups MSN com

The importance of obedience training for Rat Terriers cannot be overestimated. It is necessary if your Rat Terrier will make great success in the field or when performing in canine sports, such as agility, go-to-ground, and others. These inquisitive dogs can be easily distracted which may cause much trouble.

Rat Terriers - Puppies - Training a Squirrel Dog

Rat Terriers - Puppies - General Information Links

Adventures of a Little Dog - Fun page for Rat Terrier lovers. Have a look at a little dog wandering in a cave.

American Hairless Rat Terrier Club - The club welcomes all who wish to help make the club grow and who wish to exhibit their dogs in the spirit of Good Sportsmanship.

American Rat Terrier Kennel Club - Offers resources for Rat Terrier fanciers worldwide. Find a breed history, registries, tips on care and links to other canine pages.

Connecticut Rat Terriers - Rat Terrier owners brag about their dog. Breed information and fun pages.

National Rat Terrier Association - A wonderful resource for the Rat Terrier. Detailed breed history, standards with picture examples, photos of Rat Terrier sizes and colors, breeder links and Rat Terrier registry.

Photo source: Wishbone Kennels

Rat Terrier - The official UKC breed standard.

Rat Terrier Club of America - Become a member of the RTCA and have a look at the Rat Terrier breed standard, pictures and the calendar of events.

Rat Terrier Dogs - Breed history, personality traits, appearance, advice on upkeep, and a photo gallery. Contains links to breeders, clubs, and rescues.

Rat Terrier Exercise Needs - Read recommendations from the Continental Kennel Club.

Rat Terrier Profile - Contains breed information and links to breeders, clubs, and rescues.

Rat Terriers & Universal Kennel - The largest breed registry with tips on registering and history information.

Rat Terriers - Puppies - Other Rat Terriers sites

Rat Terriers - Rat Terriers are medium-sized working dogs. They have a compact body build and a tiny head proportionate to the body. The head is slightly doomed with a pointed muzzle. The ears are erect or button. The Rat Terrier's tail is either docked or carried in a slight curve over the back. Although dogs with docked tails are preferred, natural bobtails are not a fault.

The Rat Terrier has a short coat that is easy to groom. These dogs come in solid white and other solid colors, white and red, white and blue, and other color patterns. There are three sizes of the breed. Breeders distinguish between Standard, Mid-sized, and Toy Rat Terriers. Their heights are 14-23, 8-14, and 8 inches accordingly. Rat Terriers weigh from 4 to 35 pounds.

Rat Terriers Breeders - Rat Terriers can be said to have started their history in Great Britain. Yet, the true motherland of the breed is America. The Rat Terrier is one of America's native breeds due the efforts of breeders who tried to improve the quality of dogs brought by settlers to the New World.

Interesting enough, Britain has produced the majority of terrier breeds due to a centuries long tradition, hunting. This favorite sport and consequently a great demand for good hunting dogs allowed breeders to experiment in producing dogs for various purposes. Long-legged terriers were good in hunting game around a farm or an estate. They kept up with horses and were suited for hunting the otter.

Rat Terriers Information - Rat Terriers are small dogs that have preserved their working qualities over time. Bred to be ratters and hunting dogs, Rat Terriers were considered second to none in destroying vermin. Therefore, they were frequently seen on farms.

With the development of agriculture and various means of controlling the population of vermin, the number of Rat Terriers diminished some. This was accompanied by a heightened interest in purebred dogs. Hence, Rat Terriers lost a lion's share of their popularity.

Rat Terriers Pictures - Rat Terriers were bred in America as vermin dogs and hunting companions. Their ancestors originated in Great Britain and were brought by emigrants to the New World to help them manage the hardships of life. Terrier dogs were found mostly on farms and served their owners as devoted companions and watchdogs.

The Rat Terrier was bred by the means of crossing the Fox Terrier and the Manchester Terrier. Their traits can still be traced in the modern Rat Terrier. The breed was developed later through crosses with the Beagle, the Italian Greyhound, and some other breeds. As the result, breeders have produced a good hunting dog with a wonderful sense of smell, very agile and hard working.

Rat Terriers Rescues - Rat Terriers are known for their amiable personality and good working qualities. These dogs have been bred for ratting and hunting small game such as the fox. They originated in America and entertain close ties with the Fox Terrier, the Manchester Terrier, the Beagle, the Whippet, and some other breeds of dog.

The Rat Terrier has experienced some ups and downs in popularity in the course of history. The breed was rather common at the rise of the 20th century and was found practically on every farm. The dog was especially widely spread in southern parts of the United States. However, Rat Terrier numbers had declined by the 1950s, which was caused by an increased interest in purebred dogs. Besides, the improvement of industrial ways of controlling vermin population provided for diminished demand in Rat Terriers.