Although Rats who aren't used to children should be supervised, most Rats are wonderfully patient with kids, even kids who aren't part of the family. They are extremely fond of their family kids. Parents who don't like the idea of the family dog sleeping under the covers with the kids might be in for trouble.

As with every breed, you should always teach children how to approach and touch dogs, and always supervise any interactions between dogs and young children to prevent any biting or ear or tail pulling on the part of either party. Teach your child never to approach any dog while he's eating or sleeping or to try to take the dog's food away. No dog, no matter how friendly, should ever be left unsupervised with a child.

Although there may be a few disagreements regarding food and sleeping arrangements, the Rat Terrier likes other dogs. He doesn't spar with them and generally is not aggressive towards them.

As a matter of fact, many Rats want to play with other dogs, so you need to be on your lookout for dog-reactive or aggressive dogs. Once an aggressive dog provokes a fight, these terriers return the emotion. Unfortunately, they are size-blind and don't care if the aggressor outweighs them five times over.

Rats are prey-driven so any small, quick moving animal, including a hamster, mouse, chinchilla, and of course, a rat, is seen as prey, and may be chased. If a Rat is raised with a cat, bird, chicken, or other animal in a household, they will generally get along as family members.

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