Plate 182 · The Americas
Rat Terrier
捕鼠㹴
“The American farm's rat catcher.”
- Origin
- United States
- United States (farm country)
- Country of origin
- An American farm terrier; the sources name no single place, so the marker is the country's reference point.
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Reported common on US farms in the 1920s–1930s
- Today
- Companion · Earthdog
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
United States (farm country)
A small, smooth-coated American farm terrier, related to the feists, kept to clear barns of rats.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Killing rats and other vermin on farms, and hunting small game.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
It shares ancestry with the small hunting dogs called feists and is reported to have been common on family farms in the 1920s and 1930s. The UKC and, in 2013, the AKC recognized it.
04 · Today
Companion · Earthdog
A lively companion and sports dog.
Personality
- Friendly
- Inquisitive
- Lovable
- Sensitive
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Daily walks and ball chasing in a fenced area.
- Grooming
- Minimal: a weekly brush.
- Training
- Very trainable and sensitive; some are stubborn.
Living with one
- Size
- Small
- Lifespan
- 12–18 years
- Coat
- Short, smooth coat, pied with white plus black, tan, chocolate, blue, lemon or apricot
Field note
It comes in two sizes, miniature and standard.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Terrier Group
- Also recognized by
- United Kennel Club
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Terrier Group, recognized 2013.
AKC registrations: ranked 84 among breeds in 2025.
Sources2 references
- Rat Terrier — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/rat-terrier/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Rat Terrier — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Terrier
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · American farm dog, shared ancestry with feists, common on farms in the 1920s–30s, UKC and AKC recognition.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: An American farm terrier; the sources name no single place, so the marker is the country's reference point.
