lalaland

I'm going to be a bit more candid. I had a standard male rat terrier, pure bred, averaged 18 lbs. I got him when he was 6 months old to be a companion to my chihuahua mix female. From day one she let him know she was boss and he did everything she told him to do. We named him Jack.

Of all the dogs I've had, he is the one I miss the most. He was smart, funny, had one heck of a personality, and everyone loved him. He gave us 15 years of unconditional love, laughter and companionship.

That being said, I knew nothing about the breed so contacted a gentleman in Georgia who bred standard rats and he sent me a video and recommended a book. Thank goodness.

There is not a chew toy in the WORLD big enough to satisfy a rat (especially a youngster). They are high energy and smart as a tact, and easy to train, but in a heartbeat they will throw all that training out the window to pursue something (I referred to it as getting a bee in his bonnet). They do not react well to anger, loud voices or conflict so when you train them, you must be upbeat when you scold. They are tremendously curious and will stick their nose in your business, as well as everyone elses. They are friendly but if you are threatened, they will protect you. And if they are threatened, they may attack. Our dog was people friendly but very selective about the dogs he would be friendly with.

Now, not all rats are the same I realize, but they do have common characteristics. Do your research. We are a pretty easy going bunch so when Jack ate a recliner down to the wood, we took pictures, grinned and took it in stride (it was an old chair, there was some loose fabric, he tugged at it, it tore, and the rest was history). If I had known more about the breed before I got him, I probably would have passed and it would have definitely been my loss.