Toy Rat Doxie

Exactly when the Toy Rat Doxie became the hybrid breed it is now is still unknown, but both the Dachshund and Rat Terrier have strong histories as hunters for their respective countries of origin. The Dachshund, or “badger hound” in German, was the result of Germanic breeding in the 18th and 19th centuries aimed at creating a dog that was not only the right shape and size to hunt den animals, but one with a strong build and fearless attitude. In the 1800s, Doxies were eventually bred as companion animals, thus producing the later recognized miniature version, a small step away from the standard in terms of size. Both are now recognized and more regularly kept as companions but many still employ them as hunters in Germany, where their size is not measured in weight or stature like it is in America, but rather by the circumference of their chest — the greatest determining factor of what size hole they’re able to squeeze into. Shortly after Dachshunds were coming to fruition in Germany, Rat Terriers gained popularity in the United States. In the mid-to-late 1800s, various European Terriers such as the Manchester and Smooth Fox were bred together in an effort to produce a dog keen on helping to control vermin populations and many were used on rural farms. During their development, they were also bred with Italian Greyhounds and Beagles to improve their overall speed and hunting skills. The end result was a small, well-balanced dog that was not only an excellent hunter but intelligent, co-operative, and endlessly affectionate.