Mini Foxy Rat Terrier

Designer dogs are part of a fairly new trend that began a few decades ago. There is often not much documented on these dogs, and because of this we have to turn to the information that is available on the parent breeds in order to make an accurate guess on what the babies will look and act like. The Mini Foxy Rat Terrier is the result of breeding between an American Rat Terrier and a Mini Fox Terrier. The first parent breed was actually named by Teddy Roosevelt and originates from Great Britain. The first of the American Rat Terriers were made in 1820 by crossing a Smooth Fox Terrier and a Manchester Terrier. It was in the 1890s that the breed first made an appearance in the United States, when the only available color combinations were black and tan. Eventually, the American breeders mixed these dogs again with Smooth Fox Terriers, Beagles and Whippets. The new breeds that were introduced brought new traits and colors to the dog. The Beagle added hunting and trailing skills, made the dogs bulkier and gave access to the red color gene. The blue and brindle colors were available thanks to the Whippet, along with an increased speed and agility. Mini Fox Terriers have been found in Australia since the 1800s. The ancestors of these dogs are the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Manchester Terrier, which were both brought to Australia by early settlers, although they were originally from England. The Whippet, English Toy Terrier and Italian Greyhound were added to the ancestry, which gave these dogs their fast and light characteristics.