The key word is "quality"...

Look at a "quality" Rat Terrier and a "quality" TFT and the differences are VERY obvious.

Look at some toy rat terriers and some tft's and even chihuahuas and they are very hard to tell apart. I will bet you a dollar to a dog biscuit that their owners and breeders will tell you things like "we do not believe in showing" "we believe testing is just stupid" "we just make pets" "we only supply the pet market"

Have a quick look at their "toy Rat Terrier" and you can see why they avoid show rings and knowledgeable breeders..lol

UKCI uses the word "toy".. for one reason... Small puppies sell like hot cakes.

UKCI also recognises tiny tot toys,,, My translation is Crappy Mutts... crosses between TFTs and Chihuahuas.... look them up.. do a search for toy rat terriers or tiny toy rat terriers... or write me at info@kndkennels.com and I will show you links. Have a look at the 4 pound dogs they call Rat Terrirs. See if you think they are rat terriers. See if you feel they can even kill a rat...lol

These breeders are rushing to register these tiny dogs with AKC,, again because AKC dogs sell.... but these tiny dogs are disqualified as per the AKC standard..... no rat terrier can be under 10 inches at the withers.... but AGAIN,,, these dogs would not be taken within 100 miles of an AKC show... they are just making puppies to sell.

Jeff is correct,,, UKCI is a pet registry... they collect fees and issue papers. You send in money and a picture of a goldfish,,, They will maybe register it as a rat terrier for you. They hold ZERO shows or performance events at all for Rat Terriers... they ONLY issue papers...... if that is not for profit.. You decide what they get out of it.

ALL registries are a business.... they are in business to make money.

As for the Decker Rat Terrier,,, it is no more than a "line".. a breeder named Milton Decker strived to produce a dog he "preferred"... no difference to Fire Mountain line dogs etc.. they are lines. Today's Decker breeders are aiming at one day making the Decker line Rat Terriers they prefer into their own breed. They are working and will continue to work with UKC to make them the Decker Terrier...BUT today,, They are standard sized Rat Terriers... from the Decker lines.

If people have any questions about Ratties... you are very welcome to write us at info@kndkennels.com and myself or Darla will happily discuss ratties all day every day.

Ken Jones

www.kndkennels.com

Ok,  I rescued Trixy from the local animal shelter.  I realize that she is probably not "purebred anyting" .  When I got her,  she was about 3 months old and the Shelter called her a Chi,  I knew she was not a chi, so I went on a little quest to try and figure out what she was,  people were asking me constantly.  I looked up the TFT, but found that because they are supposed to be over 50% white that she was out of the catagory, and the height and weight was off too. Then I was told by my vet that she looked like basenji and chi.  She looks nothing like that, only the coloring.  And my vet looks at me funny when I say TRT or MRT, like she doesn't believe me, lol.  I also read that is Austraila and in european countries they actually call "TRT's, Toy Foxies.  the thing that got me it that the TFT stanadards, from what i was reading,  are much higher than the RT.   I see, trix's charactistics as more of a RT than anything, she weighs between 8-9 lbs right now and she is about 8 months old. 

TFT's are frail, they can brake bones jumping off the back of the sofa. They are also yappers! Most of them at shows we go to have been de-barked.

I have a little six pound girl here that mixes it up with her 25 pound uncle. This girl  may make it to eight pounds, but she is all Rat Terrier. She will be spayed before we place her in a pet home.

I will tomorrow.
We are taking pictures of the two pups we have available.
Just have not had the time.

Hi, everyone! We've been trying to figure out what our dog is. He's a shelter dog, a mix. Originally, we thought primarily Chihuahua. Then we saw some TFTs, and we thought, TFT mix. I volunteer at the shelter where we adopted him, and yesterday I met a miniature Rattie, and now I'm thinking mini-Rattie mix! Whatever he is, we adore him!

he looks rattie to me.  When I look at the shelters i always look for Chi's because for some reason they always list ratties, here as chi's! both of mine were listed as chi's.  i still don't see it. lol!