History and Origins of the Rat Terrier

History and Origins of the Rat Terrier

The History and Origins of the Rat Terrier is really interesting. The history of the Rat Terrier began during the 19th century, in America, when immigrants began crossing various terriers such as old European Terriers, Toy and Smooth types of Fox Terrier, Manchester Terriers, English White Terriers, Bull Terriers, Whippets, Italian Greyhound and the Beagle. Many different dog breeds took part in the creation of the Rat Terrier. This dog was bred as a multipurpose companion dog that would be used as a farm dog. The Rat Terrier had to hunt rodents, vermin and small game, and this is the where its name originated from as it's a terrier that was used to hunt rats. Hunting involved a lot of hard work both above and below the ground. This task required a small to medium sized dog that was athletic, energetic, alert, dedicated and loving. From around 1910-1930, this was one of the most popular farm dogs. The Rat Terrier belongs to the miscellaneous class of dogs. It is also known as the American Rat Terrier and the Feist.

History and Origins of the Rat Terrier