The Rat Terrier is a smart, versatile American working terrier, developed on farms to control vermin and to turn its paw to whatever the place needed. It earned its keep across rural America in the early 20th century and, by popular account, was a favorite of Teddy Roosevelt, who is often credited with the name. What sets it apart from many terriers is its temperament: the Rat Terrier is unusually intelligent, food-motivated, and people-oriented, which makes it one of the more trainable dogs in the terrier group.
That biddability is the key to living with one, but it does not cancel out the terrier underneath. A Rat Terrier still carries a strong prey drive, real energy, and a readiness to bark. Lean into the breed's brains and willingness, channel its drives, and you have a clever, adaptable companion that excels at obedience, agility, and earthdog work. Leave it bored and under-exercised and that intelligence turns into mischief, barking, and escape attempts.
This guide covers what works with a Rat Terrier, week by week, built around how a smart, high-drive working terrier actually learns.
What Makes Training a Rat Terrier Different
Four breed traits shape your approach.
1. Smart and biddable, well above the terrier average. Rat Terriers learn fast and genuinely enjoy working with their people, so reward-based training is efficient and fun. The flip side is that a bored, clever dog finds its own entertainment, so this breed needs regular mental work as much as physical exercise.
2. A strong prey drive. The ratting heritage means a hardwired urge to chase small, fast animals. Recall around movement is the hardest skill you will teach, and off-leash freedom near wildlife or roads is risky. Plan to manage the drive rather than wish it away.
3. High energy and athleticism. This is a true working terrier with real stamina and drive. It needs solid daily exercise plus enrichment, and it shines at dog sports. Under-exercised Rat Terriers get into mischief and become barky and restless.
4. A ready alert-bark. Watchful by nature, the Rat Terrier announces visitors and movement. It is very manageable, but only if you shape quiet from the beginning rather than after the habit forms.
Week-by-Week Training Plan for Your Rat Terrier
Below is the framework we use at TailorPup for a Rat Terrier-specific 12-week plan. Run it at home; the order and emphasis are the point.
Weeks 1 and 2 : Foundation and Socialization
Engagement comes easily with this willing breed, so use the head start. Run three to four five-minute sessions a day with high-value rewards: name, mark eye contact, reward. Socialize broadly so the watchful temperament develops into a confident, friendly one. This attention base is what later competes with a darting squirrel.
Weeks 3 and 4 : Core Commands
Rat Terriers pick up commands quickly. Lure sit and down, mark, reward, and add cues once reliable. Build duration on stay, and add tricks, which this clever breed loves and which sharpen its focus for harder work later.
Weeks 5 and 6 : Leash Work and Prey Drive
Use stop-and-stand for pulling and a comfortable harness. Practice redirecting your dog before it fixates on prey, rewarding a look back at you, so you build a reliable "ignore it and check in" response rather than a chase.
Weeks 7 and 8 : Recall and Barking
Build recall on a long line, starting in low-distraction areas and paying every success well. Never call the dog for anything it dislikes. In parallel, shape quiet: reward calm at the window, manage triggers, and teach an "enough" cue rather than shouting. See our barking guide for the full method.
Weeks 9 and 10 : Channeling Energy
Give the breed's drive and brains real outlets: flirt-pole play, fetch, agility, earthdog, and scent work all suit it. A Rat Terrier with a job is a calm, satisfied dog. Pair these with daily walks and puzzle feeders to cover both body and mind.
Weeks 11 and 12 : Generalization
Prove the skills in the real world: calm loose-leash walking past distractions, recall in a fenced area with mild temptation, settling on cue in busier places. A Rat Terrier that listens at home but not outside is only partly trained, and these last two weeks finish the job.
Common Rat Terrier Training Mistakes
Three mistakes show up repeatedly with this breed.
Mistake 1 : Trusting off-leash recall around prey. Owners see a clever, biddable dog and assume recall will hold when a squirrel bolts. The prey drive usually wins. Until recall is heavily proofed on a long line, keep the dog leashed near wildlife and roads.
Mistake 2 : Underestimating the energy and the brains. A Rat Terrier needs both exercise and mental work. Skimp on either and the breed's intelligence turns to digging, barking, and escape. Treat it as the working dog it is.
Mistake 3 : Reaching for harsh handling. It is unnecessary and counterproductive with such a smart, food-motivated breed, and it erodes the cooperative temperament that makes the Rat Terrier a joy. Keep training reward-based. The full list is in our Rat Terrier training mistakes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Rat Terriers easy to train ? Yes, by terrier standards. They are smart, food-motivated, and more biddable and people-oriented than most terriers, so reward-based training is effective. The main challenges are the prey drive and the energy rather than the learning itself.
How much exercise does a Rat Terrier need ? Around 60 minutes of activity daily plus mental work. The breed is a versatile working terrier with real energy, and under-exercised Rat Terriers find their own mischief.
Can I let my Rat Terrier off-leash ? In a securely fenced area, yes. In open spaces near wildlife or traffic it is risky, because the prey drive challenges recall. Use a long line outdoors until recall is reliable.
Are Rat Terriers good family dogs ? Yes. They are smart, lively, affectionate, and more biddable than many terriers, which makes them good with families who meet their exercise and terrier-outlet needs.
Do Rat Terriers do well in dog sports ? Very. Their intelligence, drive, and athleticism make them excellent at agility, earthdog, scent work, and obedience, all of which double as ideal outlets for the breed's energy and brains.
Is positive reinforcement effective for Rat Terriers ? Yes, strongly, and more so than for many terriers. The smart, food-motivated breed responds well to reward-based training and does not need corrections.
Why does my Rat Terrier bark and dig when left alone ? Usually boredom and under-stimulation in a clever, energetic dog. Increase exercise and mental work, give the breed a job, and shape calm, and the nuisance behaviors typically fade. Our recall and leash pulling guides cover the outdoor skills.
Why TailorPup Was Built for Rat Terriers
A generic plan ignores the very things that define this breed: the prey drive, the energy, and the considerable intelligence. That mismatch is why standard advice underwhelms Rat Terrier owners.
TailorPup builds a 12-week plan around your specific dog: its terrier instincts, its age, and the behaviors you are seeing. For a Rat Terrier that means leaning on its trainability, careful recall work around movement, real outlets for the prey drive and the brains, and an early barking protocol.
Daily 12-minute sessions plus weekly adjustments based on your dog's progress. Free for 7 days, no card required.
Start your Rat Terrier's plan free at tailorpup.com →
Related: Rat Terrier Training Mistakes · Recall Training · Barking Solutions · Leash Pulling