Overview
The Rat Terrier is America's farm dog: a smooth-coated, sharp-eyed terrier bred to rid barns of rats, hunt squirrels and rabbits, and then come indoors as family. Unlike many terriers, it was selected as much for sociability and sense as for gameness, giving it a reputation as the terrier for people who think they don't like terriers.
Temperament & personality
Bright, playful, and famously sensible for a terrier. Rat Terriers are affectionate clowns that love their people, are eager learners in short, fun sessions, and usually settle indoors after exercise. They keep the terrier prey drive and independence, but in a milder register — many owners describe them as terrier energy without the terrier chaos.
Appearance
A sleek, muscular little farm dog with a short, smooth coat in pied patterns — white with black, tan, chocolate, blue, or fawn patches — plus tricolour and solid variants. Alert upright or tipped ears, a keen fox-like expression, and two size divisions under one standard. The body is compact and athletic, built for a day of work, not a lap ornament.
Care & daily life
About an hour of exercise a day, mixing walks with the games this breed lives for — fetch, agility, barn hunt, and earthdog all suit it. Rat Terriers are smart and trainable but can switch off when bored, so keep sessions short and varied. The smooth coat needs only a weekly brush. Mental work matters as much as physical: puzzle feeders and training games prevent the redecorating a bored terrier does.
Health & lifespan
The Rat Terrier is generally known for the following health watch-points:
- Primary lens luxation (DNA-testable)
- Patellar luxation
- Hip dysplasia and Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease occur in the breed
- Cardiac conditions and allergies are also screened for by responsible breeders
- Overall a hardy, long-lived breed
Living with a Rat Terrier
A superb all-rounder for active homes: small enough for apartments with enough exercise, robust enough for farm and trail life. Rat Terriers bond closely with family, usually get along with other dogs, and keep a terrier's prey drive toward rodents — small furry pets should be kept secure.
History
Rat Terriers were developed on American farms in the late 1800s and early 1900s by crossing the terriers British immigrants brought — Fox Terriers, Manchester Terriers, and Old English White Terriers — with Whippets and Beagles for speed and scent. They were the farmer's all-purpose pest controller and small-game hunter, famously employed in large numbers to clear a rat infestation at Teddy Roosevelt's properties. The AKC recognised the breed in 2013.