Rebel Raven Ranch

Made in America!

The Rat Terrier is an all-American breed, developed in the 1800s from crossing Smooth Fox Terriers, Manchester Terriers, Old English White Terriers and Bull terriers, and later Toy Fox Terriers, Chihuahuas and Feists. The goal: Vermin control.

In the early 1910s, rabbits were devastating crops in the Midwest, and farmers in the area who owned a Rat Terrier bred them to Whippets and Italian Greyhounds to enhance the speed necessary to catch a rabbit. Elsewhere, farmers in the Central and Southern regions bred their Ratties to Beagles to heighten prey drive which gave the breed its nose.

These dogs became prized for their good disposition, but they also brought speed, agility, and a nose for catching rats.More on that later.

Photo of Valli by Meraki Rat Terriers and shared by Jennifer Chappell