Poppy

Fox Terriers come in three varieties: Smooth, Wire, and Toy. All Fox Terriers are outgoing, curious dogs that enjoy watching over the family, digging, and being near their owners. The Toy variety is smaller and tends to be a better fit for seniors and apartment living. Full-grown, they typically weigh 15-19 pounds and stand 12-15 inches tall.

Fox Terriers are generally good with kids, especially when raised together. Smooth and Fox Terriers tend to pick fights with other dogs and need to be socialized. They’re playful with kids, but they may bite if provoked. They're moderate barkers — they'll alert you when something's up but aren't excessive.

Smooth and Wire Fox Terriers need regular exercise, long walks, and plenty of playtime. Toy Fox Terriers are lower maintenance when it comes to exercise but still need to run around the house, fool around with toys, or play games to get their energy out. Without enough exercise, these dogs will get bored and may act out. Overall, their exercise needs are very high.

Each of the Fox Terrier varieties has a different coat. Wire Fox Terriers have a rough, broken coat that is mostly white with black or brown markings. They don’t shed much and are good dogs for people with allergies. Grooming-wise, this breed is low-maintenance.

Fox Terriers are best suited for apartments and smaller homes. On the other hand, Toy Fox Terriers aren’t a good fit for homes with children, because of their small size and sensitivity to roughhousing. All Fox Terriers are prone to barking and digging if they don’t get enough exercise and attention, so they prefer homes where they can be inside and around people most of the time. They are highly trainable and eager to learn.

Rat Terriers, also known as “Ratties,” can barely contain their huge hearts in their tiny bodies. Unlike the name suggests, these dogs are social, affectionate pups who love being around people. They crave your companionship and will be happy in any situation as long as you’re together. Full-grown, they typically weigh 8-25 pounds and stand 10-18 inches tall.

Rat Terriers are generally excellent with children of all ages. In fact, Rat Terriers love sleeping with people, especially kids. This breed is pack-oriented, so they enjoy the companionship of kids, adults, and other pets as long as they’re raised together. They're moderate barkers — they'll alert you when something's up but aren't excessive.

Rat Terriers thrive on activity and will be destructive if they get bored. Keep your Rattie busy with walks, runs, playtime, training, food puzzles, or sports. These dogs are particularly good at agility, rally, flyball, and tracking. Overall, their exercise needs are high.

Rat Terriers have short coats with a “pied” pattern (large patches of one or more colors with white). You may find Ratties with black, brown, tan, red, apricot, fawn, blue, white, or lemon coloring. Their coats tend to be low maintenance. Grooming-wise, this breed is low-maintenance.

Rat Terriers are best suited for apartments and smaller homes. Ratties need to live indoors and be surrounded by people. They are highly trainable and eager to learn.