Dogs That Hunt Mice, Rodents
Affenpinscher The Affenpinscher is part of the Toy Group, but its origins are more like that of a terrier. They were bred to exterminate rats and other vermin from German stables in the 1600s.
American Hairless Terrier The American Hairless Terrier (the only hairless dog native to the U.S.) is a newer breed but comes from 19th century Rat Terriers. In the late 1800s, British miners brought Rat Terriers to rural America where the breed was stabilized by crossing it with the Smooth Fox Terrier.
Brussels Griffon Like the Affenpinscher, the Brussels Griffon (or Griff) is part of the Toy Group but its origins were closer to that of a terrier. The Griff arose from Brussels, Belgium in the early 1800s as a rat dog who controlled rodent populations in the stables.
Cairn Terrier The Cairn Terrier is one of the smallest and oldest terriers. They originated in Scotland as rat exterminators for farmers. The exact origins are unknown because several types of terriers were categorized together as "Scotch terriers" for years.
Dachshund The Dachshund (also known as the Doxie, Wiener Dog and Sausage Dog) originated in Germany, dating back 600 years or so. Their name translated means “badger dog,” which was their original purpose - hunting badgers.
German Pinscher German Pinschers originated in Germany around the 1800s. They were bred to be farm dogs who's main job was to exterminate rats and other rodents. The German word "pinscher" means "to nip or seize," which is what they did as ratters thanks to their agile movement and prey drive.
Jack Russell Terrier Jack Russell Terriers originated as fox hunters in England in the early 19th century. But their small stature and speed (running up to 38 miles an hour) enabled them to excel at hunting small animals.
Manchester Terrier Manchester Terriers originated in Manchester, England in the mid-1800s as rat exterminators. In fact, they were so good at ratting that they were often used in the sport of rat baiting (where a terrier was put in an enclosure with rats and timed to see how long it took to kill them all).
Miniature Fox Terrier The Miniature Fox Terrier (not to be confused with the Toy Fox Terrier from the U.S.) was developed by Australian hunters who desired a smaller hunter for rats, rabbits and snakes.