Wondering how many people really know what a Rat Terrier is? Well to start its a dog! Recognized first by the United Kennel Club (UKC), Kalamazoo, MI. Rat Terriers were accepted in the American Kennel Club (AKC) Foundation Stock Program (FSS) several years ago and are awaiting full AKC recognition.
I wanted to take time to introduce the Rat Terrier to those who don't know much about this relatively new breed. They are in the Terrier group and are amazing!
Let me tell you a bit about how I came to adore this breed of dog. I have had Rat Terriers since 1999. My first Rat Terrier was a little rescue named Gomez. He was miniature in size, standing about 11" and weighing just 9 lbs. HE was a black tuxedo and was super sweet. I then adopted Sierra a standard piebald rat terrier. In 2000 I purchased my first Rat Terrier show dog, Amber. Amber would later be hit by car and be buried on the farm. I sure do miss her everyday.
I have since grown to love this breed of dog for their loyalty, behavior traits and for everything that makes up the Rat Terrier. I have a web site ...WWW.RiverRidgeRatTerriers.com where you can see the dogs I own and have breed. Some of the dogs are ranked highly in the Nation. This year I was blessed to have the #1 dog in UKC Top Ten in the Conformation Ring. But our dogs are not bred for just beauty alone. We breed for performance as well.
Rat Terriers are wonderful athletes, they can Terrier Race, run Agility, Rally, Obedience and even Go-to-Ground. Don't let their size fool you. Rat Terriers range from Minature (no taller than 13" to Standard no taller than 18". I myself prefer a Rat Terrier in the height range of 14 - 15 1/2". But no matter what the height I adore them all! I just find those moderate standards can really hunt!
A Rat Terrier is considered a working Terrier. Oh yes they hunt. You may ask ... "What do they hunt"... they hunt, mice, rats, goundhogs, tree squirrels and chase rabbits. As the Rat Terrier becomes more popular, it will be tough on breeders which are true to the breed traits and produce working terriers to keep those standards in their breeding program. Soon the pet market will push for a Rat Terrier to be more of a house/companion. A breeder must find balance in their program to produce a Rat Terrier litter that is not too "over the top" that they can't find terrier homes to place those non-show or performance puppies. It's a fine balance.
Well that is where I will stop this Blog today. Look for more on the Rat Terrier coming soon!
