Grooming
Here’s the good news: The Rat Terrier’s short, compact coat is relatively low-maintenance. Here are grooming tips for your Rat Terrier:
Brushing: They only need a weekly brushing using a curry brush or rubber mitt to keep their coats shiny and healthy. Ratties are considered seasonal shedders so, while they do shed throughout the year, it’s heaviest in the spring and fall. Keeping up with the weekly brushing will prevent tiny Rattie hairs from invading your home.
Bathing: Unless they’ve had extra fun outside (aka Rattie vs dirt pile), you only need to bathe them monthly, but you can use a deodorizing spritz to freshen them up in between.
Dental care: Ratties need an annual professional tooth cleaning with your veterinarian, along with a good daily toothbrushing. This is important because, like their other small breed counterparts, Rat Terriers are more prone to dental disease because there’s not a lot of room in their mouths for all their teeth. Veterinarians can teach pet parents how to brush dog teeth, and starting out as puppies will help them get used to the idea faster.
Nail trimming: Your Rat Terrier’s nails need to be trimmed about once a month because long nails can be painful for them to walk on. Check them weekly, and use your judgement on how often to trim them. But it’s definitely time to get the nail clippers out when you hear the unmistakable tap-tapping on the floor.
Ear cleaning: It’s also recommended to check your Rat Terrier’s ears once a week as excess wax and debris can cause infections. Check their ears for debris and any redness or swelling. If you notice anything, speak to your vet. If your vet recommends at-home cleaning, follow this step-by-step guide on how to clean dog ears.
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Training
Ratties are bright, motivated and fast learners, which makes them easy to train. Do some homework on puppy training, and start them out early with some basic commands like sit, stay and come. Remember that training doesn’t end when they grow beyond puppyhood. These dogs love to please and need mental stimulation, so don’t hold back on graduating them to some fun nose work or performing behavior chains, completing a number of commands before getting that all-important treat or other positive reinforcement.
Rewards-based training works best for the Rat Terrier, so prepare to give them plenty of praise and invest in some dog training treats (within reason, as you don’t want your pooch getting a paunch). They are determined and will do whatever it takes to get them access to the most rewarding outcomes.
The Rat Terrier loves to keep watch, and this makes them more likely to bark to alert you of potential danger (in their eyes). To avoid them causing too much of a racket when the mail arrives, introduce some training to help reduce barking at the doorbell, especially if it becomes a bit of a nuisance or puts off approaching guests.
While this friendly breed is good with kids and other dogs, it’s still advisable to spend time socializing your Rat Terrier while they’re a puppy so they become accustomed to meeting new people and dogs, and even cats, who they can (though not always) be trained to live with.
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Diet
The Rat Terrier breed typically does well on high-quality commercial dog food. Be sure to factor in their age and choose the formula based on their stage in life (puppy, adult or senior). While there is no standard feeding chart, your veterinarian can help you determine the best amount of food, and how often your pup should be eating, to meet your dog’s unique nutrition needs.
Like many other small dogs, Rat Terriers are prone to obesity and can easily gain weight if they don’t get enough exercise or eat too many calories. And yes, treats count as calories!
It’s hard to resist that face when they’re begging for more snacks, and of course, treats can be an important part of your little friend’s training regimen. Just be careful about overdoing it, because obesity can lead to health issues like heart disease and diabetes. You’ll also want to make sure you’re feeding your Rattie foods that are safe for dogs and know what human food your dog should never eat. If you notice your dog gaining unnecessary weight, consult your veterinarian.
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Exercise
Rat Terriers have a lot of energy, but they don’t need a lot of exercise every day. You can typically satisfy their wiggles with at least 30 minutes of daily exercise. But, if you’re an active person always on the go, they’re more than happy to go with you. If sitting on the couch watching movies sounds fun, better move over to share your popcorn—after you’ve taken your daily walk, of course.
If you don’t get their daily walk or run in, these pups can get destructive and turn to chewing shoes or barking when bored. If it’s raining or snowing out, all is not lost! Indoor games of fetch or or hide-and-seek are fun ways to satisfy their need for play. Bonus points if you can provide lots of mental stimulation during playtime. Hey, letting them tug on a rope while you watch TV counts!
If you involve them in dog sports, such as agility, they will thrive with this high level of activity and are impressive athletes. Just make sure you’re then giving them plenty of rest to recover. They also enjoy splashing in water, so think about taking a day trip to the coast or a lake if there isn’t a body of water close home. You can keep them safe by investing in a dog life jacket.
Enclosed spaces are safest for Ratties since they’re prone to chasing a small animal at Mach 3 due to their high prey drive. They also love digging holes, so make sure that fence is extra-secure before setting them free. To make sure your beloved Rat Terrier stays safe when they’re not fenced in, keep them on a leash.
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Environment
Rat Terriers are social butterflies, and they aren’t keen on being left alone for long periods. They do great in families who will include four-legged members in their activities. If weekend hikes and daily neighborhood strolls are your jam, a Rat Terrier is the one for you. Got a lot of love to go around? Even better.
As long as they are raised with children, they do well co-habitating with them. Though if you have small kids, you might be better off getting the standard size Rat Terrier. This size can withstand a little more durability during playtime. As with any dog breed, it’s best to supervise when your two- and four-legged babies are interacting. It’s also important to teach kids how to interact with dogs.
Each Rat Terrier is going to have their own temperament, but they generally can do well living with both cats and other dogs as long as they have been properly socialized from a young age.
Rat Terriers also fit right in whether you live in an apartment or wide-open farm land.
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