My name is "Bacardi", and do you know what I am?  I know that you know that I'm a dog, silly, but do you know what kind I am?  Well, I'm a Rat Terrier. Now I can hear you saying, "you're a what?".  Yes, you heard me right - I'm called a Rat Terrier! But more about how I got that name after I tell you a few things about myself.

I'm a little boy only about a year old.  I love everyone - other dogs, cats, men, women and children.  Small children may be a little out of bounds for me, as while I love them, I can be rather exuberant at times and may unintentionally jump on them in my excitement to see them, and knock them down.  Then I'd really be in the 'dog house'!  I don't guard any of my belongings, and the only time I bark is to let you know that someone is at the door.  Which is a good thing, right?

I sound perfect, don't I?  Well, of course, no one is perfect, so I do admit to one bad habit.  I love to dig.  So be sure that the fence in the yard has no place that I can find to dig under, okay?  I would hope that I wouldn't be left alone in the yard, anyway, as I want to be an important part of the family.  As I said before, I love people and am a very affectionate little
guy!

Speaking of not only me, but my entire breed, we're very intelligent, eager to please, and fast learners. So we're easy to train.  If you live in an apartment, that's okay, but we do need at least one 30 minute walk a day besides some short ones.  If you like to run or jog, that's even better!  Or just give us some play time to release some of our energy, because we have a lot of it!

I told you I'd tell you how we got our name.  Well, actually, we were named by Teddy Roosevelt, our 26th  President!  He loved animals and had practically every kind of animal, including dogs, cats, horses, birds, guinea pigs, snakes, bears, wildcats, hyenas and birds.  The list goes on and on.  He had a regular zoo at the white House! 
 
Well, back to my story about us Rat Terriers!  We were given our name because we used to live on farms and would rid infested barns of rats.  I guess you already figured that one out all by yourself!
 
Did you know that we come in three sizes?  The Toys are between 4 and 6 pounds, the Mediums are between 6 and 8 pounds, and the Standards are between 12 and 35 pounds.  I'd be considered a Standard, because I'm probably about 15 pounds.

We were originally bred in Great Britain from a Smooth Fox Terrier and a Manchester Terrier.  When we were brought to the United States we were crossed again with the Smooth Fox Terrier, as well as the Beagle and the Whippet.  The smallest of us was bred with the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Chihuahua.

One more piece of trivia for you!  Did you know that the Teddy Bear was name for Teddy Roosevelt?

See how smart I am?  Now that I've given you some information about my background and have shown you how intelligent I am, I hope that you will come to see me - soon!

Oh, yes, one more thing.  There are days that we don't have enough volunteers to walk us dogs.  So, if you have even an hour or two once in a while, we would love to see you and walk with you. My kitty friends, who I love, don't want to be left out, either.  I know that they can't go for walks, but they do need their litter boxes cleaned and to be fed and loved. So please don't forget about them.

Note:  I just heard a devastating story on the news. I try to impress upon everyone not to leave your pet alone in the car for even for a minute.  A couple got out of their van to take a picture and were just a few steps away from it.  They were on a very quiet road in Hemet.  They left the motor running and the air conditioner on for their dog, as it was very hot.  A car came up behind theirs, some one jumped out and into their van and sped away. The van was found the next day with the windows all rolled up, and I'm sure you know the rest of this heartbreaking story. So please, no matter how safe you think it is to leave your pet for even a minute - DON"T!!!
 
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