i Love Dogs presents The Rat Terrier, created exclusively for i Love Dogs by writer, pet trainer and expert, and pet industry consultant Nikki Moustaki. Fore more information about Rat Terriers: www.ilovedogs.c...
I had a rat terrier for 16 years, lost her in 1998 and to this day people remember her fondly. She was the most loving, mischievous, and intelligent dog ever. Miss her!!!
I adopted Louisa elizabeth (weezy) from the shelter at 9 weeks old. I worship her. She started out flea infested, swollen tummy from worms and parasites, but now she is healthy and she will never have another bad day in her life. I cry when I think about how scared she must have been alone living in a culvert. I thank God everyday for my hyper baby girl.
Our rat terrier pomeranian mix is spoiled senselessly. Got me cooking liver and bringing her ribs. I call her "my little dinner companion" who only shows up for meals. Precious little girl!
My rat terrier Lucy lasted 12 years, She ended up with glaucoma and congestive heart failure in her last year and a half. She was absolutely wonderful. I loved her so much. Hardest day for me was having to put her down I sobbed like a baby. I still miss her. I cant seem to bring myself to get another one. The loss was too much and I don't want to go through that again. Lucy was so smart she loved to sing. She knew certain songs I listened to and would try to sing with them. lol she hated other dogs and was such a princess. I was super protective of her because she was so small. The vet couldn't believe she lasted 14 months after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I said she loved me and didn't want to go. lucy was raised with a cat BooBoo and they used to wrestle. The day lucy died 5 days later my cat booboo died too. No warning I think he was heartbroken
Got my boy at a shelter who said he was a jack russel. He spent his first couple of uears with me not knowing his breed till I met other rat terrier owners who told me what he is! Totally lucked out with my dog, he's amazing and everything I could ask for. Rat terriers rock!
As a farm boy I've "owned" many dogs, the first, and smallest, my Wife and I "rescued" together was Snoopy, a Rat Terrier. He chose us, and we proudly, were his humans. 🙏🏻
I have a rat terrier. Got him from the pound 7 years ago. Smart, funny, loving. I absolutely love him. I got re married 3 years ago and he loves my wife or his new step mom as it were. His name is Lenny and he is the best.
My dad came home really late like in 2006 and we where worried (me and my mom) but when he came home he surprised both me and my mom when he walking through the door with a rat terrier i instantly fell in love with the color and how she was tiny so i decided to name her Chiquita (small in Spanish) and shes been with us for the longest. i love her to death
They are fantastic dogs. I love that they are such great companions and have an "off switch". Happy to be on the couch with you or out for a very long walk or hike. Very adaptable. Whatever you want to do, they want to do. I have had mine for over 7 years and she is amazing.
They have an "off" switch? Well, that's news to me.....I never found the "off" switch on mine. She had such boundless energy, that if you harassed her, she could probably power NYC.... ,😂
I loved my rat terrier he lived for 17 yrs.. he was so loyal & spoiled & could run win he was younger..Deano was his name, he was named after my moms.....Dean. I miss him so much...
They are IMHO incredible dogs I am on my 4th one and each of the last 3 I lost were my kids and I cannot even describe how heart broken the loss of each one was. If you like a dog to do stuff with and is also loyal and loving the rat terrier is the dog to get.
Great video; our rat terrier did suffer a knee problem and had surgery, but he had put on weight. And he eventually died of an immune disorder... but he had a great life and made our life great!
I have a mini Rat Terrier, but she has the heart of a Pit bull. She goes after my Argentina Dogo, trying to protect me. The look on his face is classic.
We have an older puppy 11mos old. We’ve had him for a little over a month. Our ratty is so smart that he is super stubborn. Such a personality. They are great pups to have. Ours had bad habits from its first owner but we are fixing those. Very intelligent breed and yes very cuddly! We crate ours too at night and when we have to leave. Generally if we can take him, he goes with us. He is fawn and white! So cute!
I loved my Rattie. I only got to be with him for 2.5 years though because he was killed by a motorcycle. He thought he was brave enough to take it down but unfortunately it took him down. Our family was so devastated, but we decided to get another Rattie because they are just the perfect companions. Literally the sweetest and happiest breed I've ever seen. I can't see myself with any other kind.
Alejandra Murillo ...Agreed! Had no clue til an abused & dumped rattie pup fell in my lap. Fast forward 1 year.... and in love with the breed!She's SO amazingly loyal & SO fun!☺
Alejandra Murillo I get it! Domino is my first Rat Terrier, and in much the same way as my first Calico cat, I'm totally stuck on the breed. After my little Calico passed in 2007, I adopted twin Calico kittens. Domino came into the family about 4 1/2 years ago, and was the perfect fit. I hope my wife and I can finally be reunited with my mom and dad and the pets. I've been in Philippines with my wife most of the time since late 2015. I was home again for five months in mid 2016, but haven seen any of them since late that year.
Exceptionally nice dogs. Very sensitive, loyal and intelligent and anxious to please. Also very brave dogs. This makes them easy to train. My fellow goes from sleeping soundly in my lap, next second he hears a raccoon, and he bursts outside to chase it back down the hill, nipping at it's tail. Then he returns to the laps and falls asleep. Great companion, good watchdog and ranch dog.
We just adopted Lola, a 2-year-old rattie. She's so cute and lovable. We've had her less than a week, and don't ever want to give her up! She is the best dog!
This is a perfect description of beloved Rat Terriers...after our JRT died we rescued a sweet, beautiful RT, uninformed about the breed, and it has been an unfolding story of true mutual love ever since the first time I saw her! She is highly intelligent, intense and observant, very sensitive to everyone especially us
We have a rat terrier, pretty bad immune system. But that's because he was born with puppy strangles. He's recovered now and despite nearly $6,000 worth of vet trips all within the first years of having him... it was money well spent. When people say my dog is like family no one fits that bill better than rat terrier. When my wife is sick and at home not feeling well, our obnoxious little rascal will actually mellow out for the day and lay in bed with her to keep her company. They're very people friendly. Great dogs to have. They're actually very attached dogs, they'll never want to leave your side.
My rat terrier, Molly, is my marathon training buddy. She LOVES to run and does all of my training runs with me, even the 22-mile ones! She's smart and very affectionate, too. I love her and the breed. They're great dogs for an active, outdoorsy family.
I love this video. I got Fetch, my RT, one year ago as a 6-year-old rescue. He is the personification of every description presented here. It took him a little while to trust me, but now he is super affectionate, trusting, and very content in my home. I couldn't ask for a more perfect companion.
My little Roscoe is a spoiled brat and I hope I can keep him that way his whole life. He barks at anything and sings and wrestles and chases squirrels and possums and swims and rides in the back of the truck and goes for walks and watches TV - nature shows are his favorite. He's my little buddy. Get those denti sticks going at an early age. Keep those teeth clean.
i just got a 8 week old ratty. he is so energetic and he waste all his energy then goes to sleep. he's the cutest little puppy ever. he loves nerf darts and chew toys in general. His name is Jaeger (german for hunter) and I love him to death :)
we rescued our rat terrier from a shelter...i would have NEVER considered a rat terrier before we adopted our dog..i just wanted something smaller so my son could handle him and with a short coat so that it would be easier to care for..we took our little dog home and he quickly became part of our family..This is a wonderful breed: full of energy and love! LOVE our dog..LOVE him!!
rat terriers are AMAZING dogs, I had one named jasmine, she lived til she was 19 years old and died in September from authritis, this occurred LATE in her life, she was an extremely healthy dog until she was 15 years old and then everything went downhill, one of the best possible dog to own, u live your lives around them, u get over their behavior, and eventually their family, this breed of a dog is a top 10 recommendation for sure and I plan on getting one again once I am older and moved out
I love my little asshole ratty Ditka. We've had him for four years now and he's the sweetest most amazing precious bean I've ever had. He loves cuddling and lazing around and sleep with his peoples. He learns really quickly and easily and since he grew up in my moms home daycare he is incredible with kids. He's never bitten anyone and would never even think of hurting a fly. He's truly loyal and he's my service dog when we realized how good he was at helping me even without training I got him certified. He doesn't cause any trouble except being an attention hog and sitting on my homework when he's decided that he deserves my attention more than it.
We have a Jack Russell/Rat Terrier too! His name is Jack and was a rescue. He has the spots of a Jack Russell and body of a rat, but doesn't have the high energy of a JR. He has the sweetest personality with everyone--a huge cuddlebug and I couldn't recommend them enough :D
my lil tug went missing for 4 days in the jungle. she came home with a viper bite , she is a wonderful being. runs five miles along with my bike easy . i love her.
I love my grouchy little old rat terrier. 17 years had my dog and still running around like a wild animal. That mutt keeps me laughing at him. I have found my dog of choice.
We have 5 rat terriers we did have 6 but one past away July 28th :( she lived to be 14 and a half. Our oldest is 16 in Nov :) next one is just past 15 now. The others are 14. BEST dogs ever!!
We have a half rat terrier half chihuahua. She will stay little forever and max out at around 7 pounds. Love this little puppy. She is only 3 months old.
My rat terrier Cricket is simply amazing! And handsome too! Very intelligent and always happy. He is 11 now but acts and is just as healthy as he was as a puppy :) very muscular and LOVES running
I love Rat Terriers my Nelson lived to be 17 years and his sister Sara and now I have a baby RT Maggie I just can't get enough of this breed. Dig the video
I just lost my little rat terrier Kileigh 4 days ago and I have loved many pets over the years but she was so special. The vet is still baffled at what was wrong with her. she developed a cough but seemed healthy other than that he ran tests and could find nothing wrong. she ate and drank very well and was active. 2 weeks ago the cough stopped all together and she started breathing fast. the vet took x rays and she was showing signs like she had pneumonia still ate very good and was very active with a normal temperature. He put her on predizone (sp?) seemed to help until the last 3 days then she started breathing hard again (still eating and drinking very good but could not walk short distances without panting hard). he put her on antibiotics and did a bronchial wash - 5 hours after the bronchial wash she passed away. The vet said he has never seen anything like it and asked permission to remove part of her lung to send off to be tested. my whole family is heart broken she was by far the best pet ever had.
All dogs can swing but not all dogs take to water right away. I have a three year old rescue dog, rat-terrier chihuahua mix. I've had her for 7 months. She was afraid to go in water water until a couple months ago. She finally decided to go in after she watched a duck eat her treats I threw in the water. Ever since then she's happy to jump in after toys or me. You might want to get a swimming vest at some point. Really lean dogs like mine work extra hard to stay afloat.
Sweetie, my rat terrier (the one in my profile picture) lived a happy 12 years with us. She was my baby. Now we have a wire-haired terrier/schnauzer mix named Benji. He is a lot wilder than Sweetie but we love him to itsy bitsy pieces.
That's a Mini Fox Terrier, and they were bred in Australia for hunting vermin. When I was a kid in the 70's, the local council had a team of "Mini Foxies" and handlers that would come to your house if you had a rat problem. I have my own now, and he's a little champion, always "hunting" for things in the garden.
Believe me Nathan it was the hardest thing i have ever done in my life, he was in pain and could hardly stand up, was falling down and urinating while on his side, had siezures every few days......he was in pain and i could not let my little guy suffer. I have many great memories with him and i will always hold him dear to my heart. He was a wonderful companion and .....:(
What a great video! I grew up with 4 rat terriers on my family farm and I have had my own rattie- Bella- for 5 years now! This is my favorite dog breed they are small, smart, agile and playful! Also, the best nap buddy you could ask for. We are preparing to have our first child in the next year or so and I have started exposing Bella to babies and toddlers to see how she acts and all has been well so far!
i have 2 rat terriers, bella and bond, and they are my absolute joys. they're well-behaved, patient, and sweet and they are constantly ready to go! i will never have any dog except a rat terrier!
Just adopted two brother and sister 7 year olds..so sweet..great little dogs. Mine are tiny at ten pounds each. Their other mommie had a baby who was allergic to dogs...I thank god Bailey and Brutus found me. My BBs...
I miss my old lady. Beautiful little dog, she was a good girl. Only made it to 13 due to diabetes and cancer. Both were surprising given she had plenty of exercise and a strict healthy diet for her entire run. So... I guess these things just happen. But I would absolutely recommend a rat to anyone who can handle one.
My rattie is so amazing. He's my little shadow!! He seriously follows me everywhere I go. He loves my husband too, but he loves me more lol. He only snuggles when HE wants to. He doesn't really like being held unless he's scared or in a different place. He'll lay with me on the couch all day if he could. I love him so much he has the best personality!!!!! I do definitely have to crate him when I'm not home or he'll get into things lol. I love him so much :)
I have a rat terrier chihuahua mix named banjo he’s cute but he hates water and idk why he loves cuddles under the blankets and getting tummy scratches ❤️
I have a rat terrier/jack russell named Lilly. She has the face and colouring of a rat terrier, but short legs hahaha. She's adorable, and very loving. I totally recommend these dogs. Caution around young kids, and note that these can be sensitive dogs. Other than that, with proper training, they make amazing pets!!
They are the most fun and lovable dogs we have ever owned. Everything mentioned on here is accurate! Our Joey is a great dog who we love so much. He has enriched our lives immeasurably.
I found the cutest pup ever and I think he is a Ratcha. He is definately mixed with chihuahua but he has something else small in him! I think it is a Rat Terrier! I thought he was a very small chiwheenie, but he is a mystery.
Pretty accurate video👍 Love my rescue rattie!💕 Mine was abused & dumped (covered in ticks) at about 6 months old. I've had her for 1 year now (Lyme disease is 100% gone!!), and with a bit of continual training she is amazingly fun (& funny!), active (but LOVES to cuddle), & smart little thing. My 2nd dog ever & so glad she came into my life. Always makes ya laugh, & when u come home she's Dino & ur Fred!😃🐾. Would definitely recommend a rattie as long as u want an active dog🐕(they NEED to burn their energy daily!) Great vid!