Rat Terrier

Terrier

Small

12–18 y

AKC Terrier group · Derived from the adult weight midpoint (7.9 kg)

Uncited — a general reference figure, not a published one · no measured cohort for this breed

The Rat Terrier is an American dog breed with a background as a farm dog and hunting companion. They share much ancestry with the small hunting dogs known as feists. Common throughout family farms in the 1920s and 1930s, they are now recognized by the United (UKC) and American Kennel Clubs (AKC) and are considered a rare breed.

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Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · reference ranges from the Kintail breed dataset

Adult weight

Reference

Male

4.5–11.3 kg

Female

4.5–11.3 kg

The breed standard (the American Kennel Club)

Spans 2 varieties

Varieties

Reference

Miniature

25.4–33 cm

AKC: 10 in up to and including 13 in (25.4-33 cm); the standard gives no weight for either variety; one range for both sexes

Standard

33–45.7 cm

AKC: over 13 in up to and including 18 in (33-45.7 cm); the standard gives no weight for either variety; one range for both sexes

AKC divides this breed by height at the withers. Pick the variety your dog is for a band that fits.

Weight for age

Stock data

Male

Female

Expected range

Expected range from the breed's own adult weight, kilograms. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (6.5–9 kg band).

Heat cycles · females

Stock data

First heat

8–12 mo

typical

Interval

180 d

typical

Bleeding

~9 d

typical

Proestrus 9d

Estrus 9d

Diestrus 52d

Anestrus 110d

General figures for dogs, not for this breed — individual cycles vary widely.

Questions people ask

Adult males usually weigh 4.5–11.3 kg and females 4.5–11.3 kg. Most are close to their full size by around 17 months, though the last little bit of filling out takes longer. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (6.5–9 kg band).

No Rat Terrier cycle figures are published here yet, so this is general guidance rather than a breed number: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later.

12–18 y — the usual range. Uncited — a general reference figure, not a published one · no measured cohort for this breed. How the later years go comes down to weight, teeth, exercise and regular check-ups far more than to the breed.