HISTORY OF THE RAT TERRIER
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It all began in
England about the year 1820. At this time they were termed "Fyce"
because of their spirited nature when going after prey, in America it is
pronounced " Feist". The American Heritage
Dictionary defines the word as "a small dog of mixed ancestry; mongrel"
They were a cross between a Manchester Terrier and Smooth Fox Terrier
and proved to be one of the best mixtures in the sport of rat baiting.
The Rat actually holds the record for killing 2,501 rats in a seven hour
span in an infested barn.
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These dogs
were first brought to the USA in the 1890's. President Theodore Roosevelt
kept Rat terriers as house pets due to their keenness, intelligence and
perfect self groomed appearance. He often hunted with the breed and was
so taken with the dogs' ability to rat, he coined the name Rat Terrier,
which the breed is so named today. Before this time they were commonly
called Fox Terrier and some people still refer to them by this name today.
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When
they first came to America the breeding process was based on function.
They were almost exclusively black and tan colored, their ears buttoned
over and they were approximately 18lbs, of medium size. They quickly
gained popularity in the Southern parts of the United States. The settlers
found that the Rat Terrier could easily adapt to different climates and
terrain. They had the ability to keep the farms free of vermin (rats, fox)
along with excellent hunting abilities for small and large game, from squirrel
and rabbit to wild pig, deer bear and cougar. They were also quick, fierce
and able to get into small burrows.
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The American
people began to modify the breed for their needs. Enhancing the breed
to include the ability to Rat and Hunt being first and foremost in the
developers minds. The Smooth Fox Terrier was re-introduced setting the
predominance of white coat color. Their inherent abilities were constantly
improved upon by the additions of animals such as Whippet, Greyhound and
Beagle. Adding speed, power, agility, hunting ability and intelligence
would only make them more proficient workers. Function and practicality
came first, beauty last. These dogs carried many different colors and ranged
in size from 18- 45lbs. For those seeking a smaller version of this
mighty hunter, smaller breeds were introduced. Toy Fox Terrier and Toy
Manchester Terrier decreased their size and produced a dog capable of going
to the hole. Toy fanciers further decreased size with the addition of Chihuahua.
Care was taken to keep the natural abilities and produce a smaller version
of the original dog.
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The most solid
attribute of the Rat Terrier is an undying will to please their master
and a need to be near him.
Their intelligence
is far supreme to most breeds; holds extremely keen senses and a loyalty
that transcends them as a family dog. The three qualities that are essential
to the Rat Terrier breed are:
Quality 1. A capable utility/hunting dog.
Quality 2. A wonderful family companion.
Quality 3. A watch dog with keen alert senses picking up intruders very
quickly.
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In summary,
the Rat Terrier is still widely used throughout the USA on farms for any
kind of vermin and for hunting and treeing by hunting individuals. They
work well as a team and are extremely efficient at their jobs. As a house
pet they are unsurpassed, being extremely intelligent, loyal, friendly
and happy to be alive. They have a long life span of 14-18 years, so they
will be around to enjoy. Their coats are short and smooth leaving you with
little grooming if any at all. The expression in the eye of the Rat will
tell story after story and the attentiveness to their master is like no
other. They are natural born entertainers and will be your child's best
friend. Being extremely loyal they make favorable little guard dogs. No
one will enter with out first being announced by your Rat Terrier, but
they stay on their best behavior when company calls.
The Rat Terrier
is now recognized by many registries across the USA.