Life Span:	15-17 years, though some have lived to be 20.
Litter Size:	5-7 puppies with the average being 6 puppies
Group:	Terrier
Recognized By:	AKC, UKC
Color:	Most are dual or tri-coloured with white as the base colour. This may include several colours of brown, tan, yellow and black
Hair Length:	Short
Size:	Toy/Small
Shedding:	Lite Shed
Male Height:	14-18 inches (36-46 cm)
Male Weight:	15-25 pounds (7-11 kg)
Female Height:	10-15 inches (25-38 cm)
Female Weight:	8 -16 pounds (3.6-7.3 kg)
Living Area:	While they do like a great deal of activity, rat terriers can be adapted to apartment living as long as they get plenty of walks, attention and quite a few toys to play inside with. They are, however, best suited to farm life and they love having a large yard or barnyard to lord over. Rat terriers are happiest when they have a job, and if you don’t have one to give them, they'll improvise. Keeping them well distracted will keep them from becoming problem barkers.

About this Breed

This little farm dog is now an American breed that's been assisting with keeping vermin down to a reasonable level for over 150 years, though they have yet to be recognized as an actual show breed by the largest kennel club in their home country. Today, rat terriers are used to herd and guard flocks of chickens, ducks or geese in some areas. In fact, they can be trained to protect just about any type of livestock, making them the smallest herding dog, though obviously their size gives them a disadvantage with larger animals. With an alert demeanour and keen senses, the rat terrier also makes a fine guard dog. They are now kept largely in apartment or urban settings, given their size and generally agreeable nature. They make especially good companions for children over five. Rat terriers are perhaps best known for being playful as well as useful. Since they've been inbred for such a short period of time, with several purebred parents, they are rather sturdy and not prone to the neurotic behaviours that so many other small dogs display. Given how playful they are, they're a favorite among children. With a tenacious and precocious nature throughout their lives, rat terriers make fine companions, following your child all over the neighborhood and playing with their friends while keeping everyone safe. The breed is long-lived-some rat terriers have lived as long as 20 years! Rat terriers also have few congenital disorders, so they don't often have large vet bills. They're a small dog that isn't so small that they can be injured by a falling toddler. They have upright ears, as a testament to their beginnings as farm mongrels, which are very sensitive. The rat terrier also has very keen eyesight that is very well matched to their primary role as the scourge of rats. The eyes are alert. Though very rare today, there are many enthusiasts that have kept the breed alive in the latter half of the 20th century. They are very good at obedience and Earth dog trials when allowed to compete.