Rat Terrier
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Rat Terrier | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Other names | American Rat Terrier Ratting Terrier Decker Giant | ||||||||||||||||||||
Common nicknames | RT, Rat, Rattie | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Dog ( domestic dog ) |
The Rat Terrier is an American
Description
Appearance
The Rat Terrier ranges from about 10 to 25 pounds (4.5 to 11.3 kg) and stands 10 to 18 inches (25 to 46 cm) at the shoulder. The miniature size—13 inches (33 cm) and under as defined by the
The Rat Terrier comes in a variety of
Ear carriage is erect, but can also be tipped, or button, all of which contribute to an intelligent, alert expression. The tail has been traditionally docked to about 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm), but the bobtail gene is very common in Rat Terriers and can result in a variety of tail lengths. Today, some breeders prefer a natural, undocked tail, which is accepted in the breed standards.
Rat Terriers tend to be both intelligent and stubborn, knowing how to get what they want when they want it. They are also considered good family pets because of their energy and compatibility with kids. They are playful and require much exercise.
Temperament
The social sensitivity of Rat Terriers makes them very trainable and easier to live with for the average pet owner, but it also means that extensive socialization from an early age is critical. Proper socialization of a Rat Terrier puppy includes exposing the animal to a wide variety of people and places, particularly during the first three months of life. Like most active and intelligent breeds, Rat Terriers tend to be happier when they receive a great deal of mental stimulation and exercise. Rat terriers are usually loyal to their owners and are very respectful if they receive the proper amount of training at a young age.
Health
Due to regular outcrossings throughout the Rat Terrier's history, overall it is a very hardy breed. However, with its growth in popularity in recent years some issues are becoming more common. The Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) recommends that Rat Terriers be tested for
History
The earliest-known record of a rat-catching dog is that of "Hatch", whose remains were recovered from the Mary Rose, the flagship of Henry VIII, sunk in 1545 and re-raised in 1982. Hatch is thought to have been a mongrel, and was brought on board to control the rat population.[4]
The breed name comes from the occupation of its earliest ancestors brought to the US by working-class British migrants as the dogs were used in
Rat Terriers were cherished as loyal hunting companions and efficient killers of vermin on 20th-century American farms: as a result, they were one of the most popular dog types from the 1920s to the 1940s. However, the widespread use of chemical pesticides and the growth of commercial farming led to a sharp decline in the breed from the 1950s onwards. Breed loyalists maintained the bloodline, leading to the modern Rat Terrier.
The genetic diversity of the Rat Terrier has contributed to the overall health, keen intelligence, and soundness of the breed. Most modern breeds were developed from a few founding dogs and then propagated from a closed gene pool. In contrast, the Rat Terrier has benefited from a long history of refinement with regular outcrosses to bring in useful qualities and genetic variability.
In the current times, the Rat Terrier is becoming popular not only as a family pet but as a working dog in several fields.
Their affectionate and calm temperament along with small size has made them popular as service dogs in hospice, treatment for depression, in Assisted Living, and other human-care jobs.
Police departments have started using them as contraband search dogs as their intelligence level shortens training to as little as three weeks which is much shorter than for traditional police service breeds. Also, their small size allows search of cars, homes, and prison cells without causing the major damage a large German Shepherd or other traditional police service breed would do during a car search and lessening the chances of major financial settlements if there is nothing found during a search.
One source claims that a single terrier killed 2,501 rats in a seven-hour period in a rat-infested barn (an average of one rat every ten seconds).[5]
Breed recognition
Rat Terrier organizations exhibit the typical disputes over the course of action to be taken for the promotion and preservation of the breed. As usual among
The Rat Terrier Club of America is the official breed parent club for the American Kennel Club (AKC). Rat Terriers were accepted into the AKC's terrier group June 2012. Rat terriers have been competing in the United Kennel Club events for over 15 years. UKC is a family-friendly group that promotes many different venues for dogs to compete. The National Rat Terrier Association is the largest independent registry and has maintained lineage records for decades. Feeling the working terrier nature of the breed will suffer, it is the most prominent of those clubs and associations opposed to Kennel Club closed-registry breeding rules.
The Decker Hunting Terrier Registry was created specifically for the Decker Giant. This registry's mission is to keep all the qualities that set the Decker aside from the standard Rat Terrier, while retaining and improving upon the hunting ability.
The UKC officially recognized the breed on January 1, 1999. The AKC recognized the Rat Terrier as a breed on July 1, 2010; however, it allowed them to compete in companion events beginning January 1, 2006 in sanctioned AKC Companion events (Obedience, Agility, Rally). The first Rat Terrier to earn a title under AKC Sanctioning was in Agility on January 14, 2006 in
See also
References
- ^ Kane, Alice J. Rat Terrier: a Comprehensive Owner's Guide. Kennel Club Books, 2004.
- ^ Sipe, Roger (editor). Popular Dog Series Vol. 2006
- ^ "Rat Terrier". Canine Health Information Center website. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
- ^ Irvine, Chris. "Mary Rose's dog unveiled for the first time". The Telegraph.
- ISBN 0-86622-855-1.)
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