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The Rat Terrier is an American dog breed that was traditionally more of a type of dog than a specific breed.  The name Rat Terrier comes from their earliest ancestors who were brought to the United Stated by working class English immigrants in the 1800s.  They gained fame for being tough and quick in rat pit gambling but they were mainly bred for speed to help control vermin and assist in hunting small game.

Rat Terriers were cherished as loyal and efficient companions on 20th century American Farms and as a result they were one of the most popular dog types from the 1920s to the 1940s. Unfortunately the increased use of pesticides and the growth of commercial farming led to a rapid decline in the breed from 1950 onward.  Fortunately loyalists to the breed maintained record of bloodlines and worked to keep the breed flourishing and eventually gained recognition from the AKC on July 1, 2010.

The foundation of the breed is almost indistinguishable from another small hunting breed known as feists, which eventually separated in the 1930s.  These breeds were both developed from cross breeding among dogs such as the English White Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Whippet, Beagle, Italian Greyhound, Miniature Pinscher and Chihuahua.  Unlike many breeds that were developed from a closed gene pool, the Rat Terrier has benefited from a long history of refinement and genetic variability.  This genetic diversity has led to the overall health, keen intelligence and overall soundness of the breed.

Fun Facts about Rat Terriers

In Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, Rat Terriers take on the vampire after he manifests into a plague of rates

Harper Lee mentioned a Rat Terrier in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird

In the movie The Great Train Robbery Sean Connery attends a rat baiting match featuring a rat terrier

Shirley MacLaine's beloved rat terrier, Terry, is featured in her 2003 book Out on a Leash.