The Rat Terrier a very fine coat and it’s a single layer coat to boot with no extra hair or tufts to groom. They are very susceptible to the cold therefore, so many people dress their dogs, not to be cute, but simply to let them survive a cold day. Rat terriers are also clean dogs by nature, so they rarely roll in anything too gross which needs to be cleaned off. The coat of a rat terrier needs to only be brushed with a rubber brush or a stiff bristle brush very occasionally; generally it’s best to brush them after they have had a bath which means you’ll probably only be brushing your dog a couple of times a year. Overbathing and overgrooming can lead to skin problems such as mange, so unless the dog is filthy, it’s best to leave it alone.

A Healthy Rat Terrier Coat

Rat terriers are also susceptible to skin allergies from coat products such as colognes and many flea products, so if you want to maintain your dog’s glossy coat, you should talk to your vet about what to use and what not to use. Some people find that using a small amount of olive oil every once in a while is sufficient for keeping their dog’s coat healthy and glossy, but don’t use too much or the coat will become oily.

What should be done routinely is nail clippings so that your dog stays comfortable while walking around and you should check your dog’s ears for things like earwax and mites, especially if your pet spends a lot of time outside. You can also brush your dog’s teeth daily or at least every other day in order to remove tartar build up before it turns into plaque and worse problems.

Rat Terrier = A Low Maintenance Dog

Rat Terriers are extremely low maintenance dogs as far as grooming goes and this makes them very desirable as pets because you don’t have to spend a lot of time caring for their coats. In fact, it’s advisable to spend little time grooming because overgrooming can damage your dog’s skin and hair with ease. Rat terriers also prefer to be clean, so they’ll largely manage themselves.

Rat terriers come in many different types of colors and multiples of colors for you to choose from such as: black tan point with piebald spotting (black tricolor), also common are blue and brown tricolors as well as red, sable (orange-red), pearls, brindle and lemon. Ticking in the coat can occur (light flecks of color) and they are known to be brindle (black and brown).

Rat Terrier is Not a Jack Russell

A Rat terrier’s weights usually ranges around 12 – 35lb (5.5 – 16kg) and are 14 – 23in. (35.5 – 58.5cm) in. In terms of appearance, the Rat terrier is often mistaken for Jack Russell terriers even though their temperaments and profiles are completely different. Rat terriers always have a short single coat, making them very simple to groom, it only requires occasional brushing (about once per week). They are cheerful dogs by norm and at times calmer and more sensitive.

They are an ideal pet for almost any living situation as long as they get their daily exercise which is a short 30 minute walk.

If they have a fenced in yard for a play area, this breed of terrier have been known to be diggers so extra caution is necessary if you are leaving your Rat terrier outside unsupervised.
The Rat terrier has an average lifespan of 13 – 16 years, and has been known to live an excess of 18 years if well taken care of.