Characteristics of Rat Terriers

A financial professional who is developing a housing project in Peru, Bradley DiTeresi also enjoys training dogs. The two dogs in Bradley DiTeresi’s household include a rat terrier mix.

Legend has it the rat terrier breed was named by Theodore Roosevelt, who used them to rid the White House of rats. Created by 19th century Americans from other terrier varieties, they are energetic dogs and indeed adept at killing rodents.

Excellent farm dogs, rat terriers are best matched with active families who have older children. Their small size appeals to apartment dwellers, but they need to be walked twice a day and given plenty of time to socialize and exercise in a yard. 

Enclosures should include a tall fence that goes deep into the ground; rat terriers can jump very high and burrow rapidly. An independent breed, if they escape the leash while being walked, they will run off despite your commands.

Even so, they make good family pets and reliable watchdogs. The breed warms up to people they know and is among the more trainable terriers, if instructed early.

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