How do I make my Rat Terrier happy? Does having a dog make you happy? It truly does for me. I should be extra happy because I actually have three dogs living with me at the moment!
But having a dog isn’t a one-way thing though. We can’t just bring them into our homes and just expect that their only purpose is to make us happy.
They do have needs! In today’s topic, I am going to give you ten tips on how to make your Rat Terrier happy.
How Do I Make My Rat Terrier Happy
Okay, to start, I will warn you: This list goes beyond just taking your Rat Terrier out for work once and throwing a ball around a few times.
Sure those activities are good, but to truly have a relationship with your Rat Terrier that allows him or her to thrive, it will take a bit more than that. Let’s dive in.
The following are top tips for making your Rat Terrier happy:
1. Respect your Rat Terrier’s space.
This means that your Rat Terrier should have one or more “safe spaces”, where she can go and not be bothered.
The crate is definitely a spot for this, but you must also have a particular bed or spot that she picks as a quiet space.
Then, this means teaching other family members, especially children not to bother her when she is in that spot, it is going to be important.
That will become her comfortable home to retreat to if she’s feeling anxious or needs a break.
This will definitely be useful when you have guests over and your Rat Terrier might like to get a little distance from all the activity.
In addition to physical space where your Rat Terrier can be alone, be sure to listen to her body language when it comes to picking your Rat Terrier up.
2. Understand your Rat Terrier’s body language.
Dogs don’t speak our language, and yet they are living in a human world, where they have to adjust all of our behaviors to fit in our world.
So taking some time to understand your Rat Terrier’s communication will be really important as part of your relationship.
That can help bridge the gap between your Rat Terrier’s language and yours.
Take sometime to really study what she looks like when she’s saying things like “I love it when you do that”, or “I’m scared”, or “I’m tired”, or “I’m confused “.
Knowing these signals will really help you to build up a solid relationship. After all, relationships are built on communication.
Now, these signals can be pretty subtle, like a flick of a tongue that may look like a dog is licking their lips or the air.
Or, even the position of their head and where their eyes are looking. It can take sometime to really understand your Rat Terrier’s body language.
3. Fill Your Rat Terrier’s emotional cup.
This might be something you have heard when it comes to marriage, or, even human relationships.
It is important not to apply every human concept to your Rat Terrier, that is called anthropomorphism.
But, we can definitely look at things from our human perspective and see how it can help us with our Rat Terrier.
Dogs have specific behaviors that they love to do. This includes things like shredding, digging, chasing, foraging, sniffing and so much more.
You might think of these things as unwanted behaviors, but in reality, they’re actually natural dog behaviors that our Ratties just love to do.
Not every dog loves all of those things, but with a keen eye and putting on your Rat Terrier detective heart, you will notice the things your Rat Terrier loves.
Be sure your Rat Terrier gets to do them as often as possible.
You will probably notice that when she has an outlet for that species-specific behavior, she settles better when it is time for you to do your human things, like chores or working, or relaxing.
The breed of dog can also plays a role in what they like to do. Giving working breeds something to do with that active brain is so important!
Think of things your Rat Terrier was bred for, are you providing an outlet for those instincts? Alright, next tip;
4. Introduce new things to your Rat Terrier.
Dogs only get to enjoy the things we offer to them. They can’t read news, articles about a museum open in town and head down there on a day off.
It is up to you to provide them with that novelty for them. So take some time to explore a new park, find a new playmate who has a similar temperament and size, or go to a new trial for a sniffari walk.
Even rotating the toys and treats can keep your Rat Terrier’s excitement level higher.
Novelty is good for your Rat Terrier, and understanding your Rat Terrier body language will let you know when he or she is actually enjoying the new thing.
5. Feeding your Rat Terrier well.
So what to feed your Rat Terrier is actually going to depend on your budget, her size, and also her age and activity level.
I encourage you to do some research into good quality foods. Read more; What should Rat Terriers eat? You can also offer your Rat Terrier new foods for treats, especially human foods that are safe.
6. Train your Rat Terrier.
This is near and dear to my heart. Did you know that most of the dogs that end up in shelters haven’t received much, if any, training?
I’m going to imagine that those owners might be pretty frustrated with some behaviors.
Those behaviors are normal because your Rat Terrier doesn’t know what you haven’t thought of her!
So teach your Rat Terrier what you would like her to do in situations that are challenging.
If she is jumping on your guests, teach her to go sit on her mat until she’s released, or to probably go say hi.
If your Rat Terrier is getting into the trash, teach her to dig in her busy box, or dig box instead.
There is a way to teach these skills that build your relationship with your Rat Terrier and also result in a well-mannered one who fits nicely into your home. Read more; Are Rat Terriers Easy To Train.
7. Build your Rat Terrier’s confidence.
The world around your Rat Terrier can be unfamiliar and scary to a young pup.
Your Rat Terrier can also go through fear imprint periods where the world, even though familiar, might be really frightening for a short period of time.
Your job is to help your Rat Terrier build her confidence in the world and all the things she might encounter.
The best way to do this is to start when she is young, usually between 8 and 16 weeks.
Exposing her to new things in a way that keeps her comfortable, and not stressed, is really going to set the foundation for a lifetime of healthy curiosity.
As a part of building her confidence, it’s important to provide for her comfort, including quiet spaces away from loud noises or lots of stimulation, as I mentioned earlier.
Making sure that your Rat Terrier’s space is neither too warm nor too cold, and limiting her access to intimidating pets like other dogs via play dates, group classes, or cats that hiss or scratch can be very important as well.
Now if your Rat Terrier is consistently in an environment that creates fear, uncertainty, or stress, this is not going to build confidence.
You can also plan ahead for things that will naturally be challenging, like the vet or a groomer.
Taking the time to do some victory visits, where you simply visit these locations without any scary things happening, will be very important.
8. Make planning for your Rat Terrier’s needs.
Your Rat Terrier is a big responsibility, just like a child. You will definitely experience some inconveniences as you change your schedule and life to meet her needs.
This includes things like her frequent potty breaks and enrichment as a young puppy, and a cost of a veterinary visit.
Finding the right care for your Rat Terrier while you go on a vacation or out of town, and of course, managing the space in your home to keep her safe is also necessary.
9. Assign a task to your Rat Terrier.
You may assign your Rat Terrier little tasks throughout the day that will make them happy and meet their needs.
Given that Rat Terriers were developed to work with people, they will benefit and enjoy being given some tasks to do.
You may get your Rat Terrier to work on a variety of tasks, which is a great approach to keep their minds active.
You may train a Rat Terrier to get your slippers, bring the mail, or assist you in picking up sticks around the yard since they like pursuing.
They’ll be happiest and adore it the most. They will like doing all of those tinier duties throughout the day.
10. Meet relatives while taking your Rat Terrier.
Your Rat Terrier will be happy if you can let them accompany you as you travel toward a social event because they are a pack animal.
As you prepare to meet with family or friends, you may also tag your Rat Terrier.
By the time you start letting your Rat Terrier socialize and engage with others in safe, regulated environments, it will be a pleasant place for your Rat Terrier to hang around.
As a sociable animal, your Rat Terrier will like going for a ride. If you can surprise him with a fun social event, it will be a wonderful bonus and will make him a happier dog overall.
According to AKC, in “Learn About Dog Culture“: Most “bad” dog behavior is actually normal dog behavior performed in the wrong situation. For example, terriers don’t dig up the yard to ruin the garden, they simply love to dig.
FAQs
What do Rat Terriers like to do for fun?
You may play a wide range of entertaining games with your Rat Terrier. Being an athletic breed, rats may perform well in physical activities like jumping.
As a breed that has outstanding tracking and hunting skills, the Rat Terrier will thrive at scenting games.
You may give him tiny chores throughout the day, such as practicing leaping over hoops.
With physical and mental exercise, these activities will satisfy their demands while also making them happy.
Do Rat Terriers like to be held?
Although most Rat Terriers will enjoy being carried, some may not, and this might cause them to become frightened or aggressive when being held.
Your Rat Terrier may occasionally feel imprisoned in your embrace if you want to pick them up or snuggle with them. They may perceive a threat while you are holding your Rat Terrier and your face is so near to hers.
However, if you need to train your Rat Terrier to enjoy being held, you must have patience.
You shouldn’t rush it since it can take some time and there’s a chance you’ll hold them up.
However, a terrible past event might be one of the reasons your Rat Terrier dislikes being carried. It’s possible that they’re afraid of you holding them, in any case.
Do Rat Terriers need a lot of attention?
Ratties, of course, need a lot of care to be properly maintained.
Ratties seem to need to be watched constantly. They will only spend, on average, 16 to 18 hours a day playing with toys.
However, they will want you to spend time with them playing and teaching them.
Rat Terriers are social animals who frequently use their paws to grab at your neck or make demands for attention.
The Rat Terrier has a high hunting drive and rapid reflexes, yet he is often fine with other dogs and cats in his own home. Squeaky things won’t stand a chance against him.
Related articles:
Rat Terrier Behavior Problems.
