Rat Terrier vs Toy Fox Terrier

A Rat Terrier
Photo: Dlarm112
A Toy Fox Terrier
Photo: Jagrolet at English Wikipedia

Side by side

Rat Terrier
Toy Fox Terrier
Adult weight
4.5–11 kg (10–25 lb) (breed club figure)1
1.8–4.1 kg (4–9 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
No sourced figure
Males 21.6–29.2 cm; females 21.6–29.2 cm3
Lifespan
No sourced figure
Median 12.9 years4
Fully grown
10 months, both sexes5
Group
Terrier (AKC)
Toy (AKC)
Class
Companion
Lap dog

Which suits you

Size
The Rat Terrier is far larger: about 7.9 kg (17 lb) as an adult, against 2.9 kg (6.5 lb) for the Toy Fox Terrier.
Temperament
They differ most on activity (Rat Terrier: needs lots of exercise; Toy Fox Terrier: a good daily walk and play) and on loyalty (Rat Terrier: bonded to its family; Toy Fox Terrier: sticks close to its people).
Alike
Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Rat Terrier
Terrier · Small

In temperament it is lively, alert and quick to learn, affectionate with its household and reserved with strangers.

Toy Fox Terrier
Toy · Toy

In temperament it is alert, bright and lively, bolder than its size suggests and closely attached to its household. It learns quickly and is often watchful and quick to bark at anything unfamiliar.

The Rat Terrier page →The Toy Fox Terrier page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Rat Terrier
Toy Fox Terrier
Activity
Differs
Needs lots of exercise
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Needs daily brain work
Needs daily brain work
Handler demand
Needs steady training
Needs steady training
With people
Rat Terrier
Toy Fox Terrier
Affection
A lap or leaning dog
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Rat Terrier
Toy Fox Terrier
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Very vocal
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour6. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home7,8.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Rat Terrier grows to the heavier adult, about 7.9 kg against the Toy Fox Terrier's 2.9 kg.
Rat Terrier
Toy Fox Terrier
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More comparisons

Compare the Rat Terrier with
Jack Russell Terrier vs Rat TerrierAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·