small-to-medium breed
Rat Terrier
An American farm terrier, assembled from the ratting terriers immigrants brought with them and crossed with Whippets and Italian Greyhounds for speed. Rat Terriers are small, smooth-coated and almost comically durable - bright, funny, affectionate with children, and far easier to live with than the job description suggests. What comes with that is a dog who digs, climbs, squeezes through gaps and hunts anything small that moves.
Pup Height
10-18 in
One breed in two separate size divisions: Miniature, 10-13 in, and Standard, over 13 in and up to 18 in, measured at the withers. A dog over six months that measures under 10 in or over 18 in is disqualified, and the standard sets no weight. Built slightly longer than tall, and shortness in leg is a serious fault. The coat is short, smooth and shiny. Always pied - white with patches of black, chocolate, red, apricot, blue, fawn, tan or lemon, with or without tan points - and a dog with no white, or less than an inch of it, is disqualified, as are brindle, merle, cropped ears and genetic hairlessness. Tails may be docked, a natural bob or left long. Recognized by the AKC in the Terrier Group in 2013. Source: AKC breed standard.
Pup Weight
10-25 lb
Pup Lifespan
12-18 years
Your pup, at a glance
What’s Life With This Pup Really Like?
High. Rat Terriers are busy outdoors and happy to burrow under a blanket beside their person once the day is done.
Very good. Sturdy, playful and tolerant with children who are gentle, though the smaller Miniatures need supervision with toddlers.
Mixed. Usually friendly with other dogs and fine with cats raised alongside them, but rodents, rabbits and birds are prey.
Moderate. They bark at arrivals and anything moving outside, and a quiet cue helps.
High. A quick, athletic working terrier who needs daily exercise and games, not just a stroll.
Moderate. A short coat that sheds steadily, with heavier spells at seasonal changes.
Very playful. Clever, funny and always ready to chase, dig or invent a game.
Very low. A tidy, dry-mouthed dog.
Good. Quick and more cooperative than many terriers, but easily bored and distracted by prey.
Good. Alert and vocal about strangers, though their size limits them to raising the alarm.
Low. A weekly brush, occasional baths, and regular nail and tooth care.
Good. Handles apartments and travel well if exercised, but boredom and a weak fence cause trouble.
Lifestyle fit
Could This Be Your Best Breed?
A Rat Terrier fits an active household that wants a small dog with no grooming schedule - a fenced yard helps, an apartment works if the hour of exercise happens. They cost $1,100 to $1,900 a year and can live to eighteen. Skip this one if there is a hamster or a pet rat in the house; the drive is real and it does not negotiate.
Living Space
Small enough for an apartment and happiest with a securely fenced yard. Rat Terriers settle well indoors once exercised, but they are diggers, climbers and escape artists, and a gap under a gate is an invitation.
Pup Experience
A reasonable choice for a first-time owner who wants an active dog and is ready for terrier habits. Rat Terriers are more cooperative than many terriers and learn quickly; the work is in the digging, the barking and a prey drive that does not switch off.
Daily Pup Time
About an hour of exercise and play a day, split between walks and games that let them chase and search. Grooming takes a few minutes a week.
Allergies & Coat
The Rat Terrier scores 5/10 for shedding and 1/10 for drooling. No dog is truly hypoallergenic. The allergens come from dander and saliva, and a dog that sheds this much will leave plenty of hair behind - especially on your furniture, floors, and clothes.
Quirks & challenges
The Not-So-Easy Stuff
Strong Prey Drive
Bred to catch rats and still very good at it. Hamsters, rabbits and birds are not safe with them, and recall fails when something small bolts.
Digging
A Rat Terrier who is bored will excavate the yard. A digging box or a patch where it is allowed saves the flower beds.
Escape Artists
Quick, agile and willing to dig under or climb over a fence. Check gates and fence lines before bringing one home.
Alert Barking
They announce visitors, delivery trucks and squirrels. Teach a quiet cue early rather than trying to stop the habit later.
Wary of Strangers
Many Rat Terriers are reserved with new people. Early, steady socialization keeps caution from becoming nervous snapping.
Needs a Job
Under-exercised, the energy turns into chewing, barking and inventing games. Daily activity matters more than yard space.
The good, the bad & the hairy
Health, Care & Costs
Understanding the health risks and ongoing costs of a Rat Terrier helps you plan for a happy, healthy life together.
12-18 years
$30-$50
per visit (bath, nails, ears) if you use a groomer, every 6-8 weeks - most owners do it at home ($0-$400/year)
$1,100-$1,900/year
all-in (food, routine vet, dental care, insurance, incidentals)
Health Risks
Conditions this breed is prone to.
The fibers holding the lens break down and the lens slips out of place, which is painful and can cause glaucoma and blindness. It is caused by a known ADAMTS17 mutation and there is a DNA test, which the Rat Terrier Club of America requires for health-tested breeding dogs - ask for both parents' results.
The kneecap slips out of its groove, causing a skipping step or a hind leg held up for a few strides. Mild cases are managed with weight control; severe ones need surgery. Breeding dogs should have a patella evaluation.
Loose hip joints lead to arthritis, and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, where the head of the thigh bone loses its blood supply, causes hind-leg lameness in young dogs and usually needs surgery. The breed club asks for hip and Legg-Calve-Perthes screening on breeding dogs.
Environmental and food allergies are common, showing up as itching, paw licking, ear infections and red skin. They are managed rather than cured, with diet changes, medication or bathing routines.
Misaligned bites and crowded teeth occur, and like most small breeds Rat Terriers build up tartar quickly. Daily brushing and regular dental checks prevent extractions later.
The breed club requires a cardiac evaluation on breeding dogs, and valve disease is a common late-life problem in small breeds. A murmur found early is usually managed with medication for years.
Insurance & Health Coverage
A long-lived small dog, and a policy may need to last fifteen years or more, so check how premiums rise with age before you choose one.
The claims to plan for are orthopedic and eye problems. Knee surgery for a luxating patella and surgery for Legg-Calve-Perthes both run into the thousands, and lens luxation is an emergency that can cost as much and take the eye if treatment is delayed.
Allergies are the quieter risk. Once itching or ear infections appear in the records, many insurers treat them as pre-existing and exclude them, so cover taken out while the puppy is young and the record is clean is worth the most.
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Care needs
The Daily Routine
Grooming
A short, smooth coat that sheds moderately year-round and more at seasonal changes. A weekly once-over with a rubber curry brush keeps it under control, and a bath every month or two is plenty. Trim nails, check ears and brush teeth regularly - the teeth need more attention than the coat.
Exercise
About an hour a day of walks, running and games. Rat Terriers love chasing a flirt pole, nose games and dog sports like agility and barn hunt. Keep them on a leash or long line outside a fenced area, because the prey drive beats the recall.
Food & Weight
Measure meals and count training treats, because extra weight shows quickly on a small frame and adds strain to knees and hips. A lean, fit Rat Terrier with a visible waist is the goal. Puzzle feeders slow eating and give a busy mind something to do.
Similar breeds
If This Isn’t Quite the One
American Hairless Terrier
Descended from a hairless Rat Terrier puppy and still the same busy, bright, affectionate terrier. The American Hairless Terrier trades brushing and shedding for sunscreen, winter coats and a skin care routine.
Jack Russell Terrier
Another small, athletic working terrier with a huge prey drive. The Jack Russell is usually more intense, more independent and harder to live with; the Rat Terrier tends to be more biddable and easier with other dogs.
Standard Manchester Terrier
One of the terriers behind the Rat Terrier, with a similar sleek build and ratting history. The Standard Manchester comes only in black and tan and is often a little more reserved and sensitive.
Miniature Pinscher
A comparable size to a Miniature Rat Terrier, with a smooth coat and a vermin-hunting past. Min Pins are bolder and more headstrong, and less forgiving with young children.
Teddy Roosevelt Terrier
The short-legged half of the same registry population, separated into its own breed through the 1990s and fully AKC recognized in January 2026. Teddies are low-set, broader in skull and heavier in bone, with the disc risk short legs bring.