10/02/2026
A ratting terrier is exactly that — a ratting terrier.
They are not digging dogs, not rabbit dogs, and not big-game dogs — and they’ve never claimed to be.
These dogs are bred, trained, and worked for one specific purpose: controlling rats.
Well-worked ratting terriers are fully stock-broken, allowing them to operate safely around livestock such as cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, deer, and other farm animals. This is essential for responsible pest control in both rural and agricultural settings.
Ratting terriers usually work in small, controlled packs of around four to six dogs, although in certain situations a single dog may be used depending on the location and conditions.
The most commonly used ratting terriers today include:
• Patterdale Terriers
• Lakeland Terriers
• Plummer Terriers
• Jack Russell Terriers
These dogs are among the fittest and hardest-working terriers, capable of operating in heavy, rough terrain, tight farmyards, derelict buildings, and built-up environments where rats thrive.
Ratting is not a sport — it never has been.
It is a long-established, effective form of pest control, used for generations to protect livestock, feed stores, and property from serious rodent damage and disease.
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