Jack Russell Terrier vs Rat Terrier – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Jack Russell Terrier vs Rat Terrier" Compare Jack Russell Terrier and Rat Terrier. Which is better: Jack Russell Terrier or Rat Terrier?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Jack Russell Terrier	Rat Terrier
Origins	England	United States
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Hunting Dogs	Hunting Dogs
Popularity Rank	78	97
Reviews	2	1
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Other Names	Russell Terrier, JRT, Jack	American Rat Terrier, Ratting Terrier, Decker Giant, RT, Rat, Rattie
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2012 as a Terrier breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2013 as a Terrier breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Terriers group, in the Small sized Terriers section.	Not recognized by FCI.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Irish Kennel Club Club Espanol De Terriers Jack Russell Terrier Club Of America	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Dog Registry of America Inc. North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club United Kennel Club
Price	$700-$1000	$300-$500

General Appearance - Jack Russell Terrier vs Rat Terrier

Size	Small	Small
Weight	11-18 pounds (5-8 kg)	Standard: 12-35 pounds (5.5-16 kg)
Avg. Weight	14.5 pounds (6.5 kg)	Standard: 23.5 pounds (5.10.5 kg)
Height	8-15 inches (20-38 cm)	Standard: 14-23 inches (35.5-58.5 cm)
Avg. Height	11.5 inches (29 cm)	Standard: 18.5 inches (35.5-58.5 cm)

Hair & Care - Jack Russell Terrier vs Rat Terrier

Coat	Rough	Dense Shiny
Colors	Tan White Black	Tan Brown White Blue Tricolor Black
Grooming	Easy to groom: The Jack Russell Terrier doesn't require a lot of grooming.	Effortless: The Rat Terrier requires minimal grooming.
Shedding Level	Jack Russell Terriers are heavy shedders.	Rat Terriers shed above average.

Characteristics - Jack Russell Terrier vs Rat Terrier

Temperament	Alert Courageous Independent Cheerful Energetic Stubborn	Affectionate Inquisitive Loving Alert Lively
Intelligent Rank	Very smart: Jack Russell Terrier is an excellent dog breed.	Smart: Rat Terrier's has great intelligence.
Trainability	Jack Russell Terriers are quite easy to train.	Rat Terriers are quite easy to train.
Playfulness	The Jack Russell Terrier is a highly playful breed.	Rat Terriers, like any other dog breed, like playing.
Sensitivity Level	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.
Affection Level	Jack Russell Terriers are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Rat Terriers are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Jack Russell Terriers need for social interaction is average.	Rat Terriers need a lot of social interaction.
Barking	High: The Jack Russell Terrier is a very vocal breed.	Average: The Rat Terrier barks occasionally.
Watchdog Ability	Jack Russell Terriers are good watchdogs.	Rat Terriers are average watchdogs.
Territorial	Jack Russell Terriers are extremely protective guard dogs.	Rat Terriers are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The Jack Russell Terrier has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Rat Terrier has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Jack Russell Terriers have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Rat Terriers have lower than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Wanderlust potential of the Jack Russell Terrier is strong enough to escape from home.	Wanderlust potential of the Rat Terrier is strong enough to escape from home.
Prey Drive	Jack Russell Terriers have a high impulse to chase and catch something.	Rat Terriers have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
Apartment Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are not apartment-friendly dogs.	Rat Terriers are very apartment-friendly dogs.
Adaptability	Jack Russell Terriers adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Rat Terriers adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Rat Terriers tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - Jack Russell Terrier vs Rat Terrier

Stranger Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are average friendly towards strangers.	Rat Terriers are stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are average friendly dogs towards children.	Rat Terriers are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are not the most cat-friendly dogs.	Rat Terriers are cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are dog-friendly dogs.	Rat Terriers are dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Jack Russell Terrier is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Rat Terrier is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are commonly okay with elderly people.	Rat Terriers are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers usually don’t get on well with other pets.	Rat Terriers are usually friendly towards other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Jack Russell Terriers are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Rat Terriers are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Yes Jack Russell Terrier breed usually likes being on a boat.	Not really Rat Terrier breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Jack Russell Terrier vs Rat Terrier

Health Issues	The Jack Russell Terrier is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	The Rat Terrier is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.
Health Problems	Deafness Glaucoma Legg-perthes Disease Lens Luxation Patellar Luxation	Eye Problems Heart Problems Hip Dysplasia Legg-perthes Disease Patellar Luxation
Life Expectancy	13-16 years	15-18 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Jack Russell Terriers are high energy dogs.	Rat Terriers are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Jack Russell Terriers need a lot of exercises.	Rat Terriers have an average exercise need.
Sleeping Need	Jack Russell Terriers don't need too much sleep.	Rat Terriers don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	1/4 to 1 cup of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	No set
Weight Gain Potential	Average to High.	Average.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to warm weather conditions	Prefers warm weather
Stinkiness	Medium The Jack Russell Terrier has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Rat Terrier has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Jack Russell Terrier is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Rat Terrier is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Jack Russell Terrier vs Rat Terrier

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	4-8 puppies	5-7 puppies
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