The Andalusian Terrier
Fédération Cynologique Internationale, 2024. Retrieved Sep 7th 2024. (''Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz'') or Sherry Terrier (''Bodeguero Jerezano'') is a Spanish

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

of the

terrier Terrier () is a Dog type, type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many Dog breed, breeds or landraces of the terrier Dog type, type, which are typically small, wiry, Gameness, game, and fearless. There are fi ...

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...

. Its Spanish name reflects its main occupation: hunting

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoo ...

s and

mice A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

hidden between barrels in the

wineries A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

in Spain. It was recognised as an indigenous Spanish breed in 2000 by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and by the Spanish Kennel Club, the''

Real Sociedad Canina de España is the Spanish kennel club. It was founded in Madrid as the on 27 June 1911, and became a legal entity on 12 July 1911; on 1 December 1911 it received the royal patronage of Alfonso XIII, and the word 'Real' was added before the name. It has ...

''.Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz from the Spanish Kennel Club in Spanish
The Bodeguero Andaluz has been declared ‘Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial’ (which translates to intangible cultural heritage) by the city council of Jerez de la Frontera in 2020 due to the value of this breed and their connection to the cities and the wine cellars

Appearance

The Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz is of medium-sized breed, measuring between (37 - 43 cm, the ideal for males being 40 cm and for females 38 cm) at the

withers Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, catt ...

. Appearance-wise, they look like enlarged Jack Russell Terrier with longer and more elongated limbs, to the extent that it has on occasion been called the Spanish Jack Russell. The breed is an agile dog with a lean and athletic build; the head is triangular with a semi-flat skull. The eyes are very dark and the Ratonero has a long muzzle, and high set ears that bend over at the tip. The tail is traditionally docked to one quarter of its length, however they may also be born with a

natural bobtail A natural bobtail is an animal's tail which due to a mutated gene grows unusually short or is missing completely. The genes for the shortened tail may be dominant or recessive. Because of legislation restricting or preventing docking, natural bob ...

. The

coat A coat is typically an outer garment for the upper body, worn by any gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners (AKA velcro), ...

is short and dense, which is typically white. Its facial markings are a mixture of brown, white and black markings (known as tricolor), usually with tan-colored eyebrows.

Temperament

The breed is lively and brave with strong hunting instincts. It must also be friendly and according to the

breed club Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members ...

this breed is good with children. This breed is lively, intelligent and has strong hunting instincts, highlighting especially their tenacious skills and attentiveness, which are needed when hunting for rodents. They have an impeccable sense of smell and sight, can coordinate their movements, and are extremely agile. They are known for their loyalty, friendliness, and their capability to adapt to environments.

History

English wine merchants settling in the

Sherry Sherry ( ) is a fortified wine produced from white grapes grown around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is a drink produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versio ...

making region of Spain, Marco de Jerez, brought with them the ancestors of today's

Fox Terrier Fox Terriers are two different breeds of the terrier dog type: the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier. Both of these breeds originated in the 19th century from a handful of dogs who are descended from earlier varieties of United Kingdo ...

breeds as long as several hundred years ago, where they were crossed with local dogs and used for vermin control of

s and

in the wineries. In the 1900s, the Toy Terrier was crossed into the breed. In 1993, the first breed club, the ''Club Nacional del Perro Andaluz Ratonero Bodeguero'', was formed, and a breed standard was written. In 2000 the breed was recognised as a native Spanish breed by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture. In September 2024, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale accepted the breed. The breed is recognised by numerous minor kennel clubs - such as the Nordic Kennel Union - and dog registries, especially in North America.

Health

No diseases specific to this breed, or claims of extraordinary health, have been documented for the Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz, though an undescended testicle is not uncommon in male pups.

Care and necessities

Although the Bodeguero is small in size, it is just like any other dog, the Bodeguero needs a lot of exercise. The ideal is to take them on walks three to four times a day, preferably for an hour so that they can burn all their energy. Their short hair makes it easier to take care of, when it comes to bathing and care, they should not be bathed more than once a month so that they don't lose their fatty layer (protective). Grooming their coat is also important as it allows the spread of natural oils to and helps the coat become waterproof. Being a dog with so much energy and nervousness, they tend to eat really quickly. It is recommended that you divide their daily food so that they eat less anxiously.

Similar breeds

Breeds similar in appearance to (but not the same as) the Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz include the Jack Russell Terrier, the

Parson Russell Terrier The Parson Russell Terrier is a breed of small white terrier that was the original Fox Terrier of the 18th century. The breed is named after the Reverend John Russell (dog breeder), Jack Russell, credited with the creation of this type of dog. It ...

, and the

Rat Terrier The Rat Terrier is an American dog breed with a background as a farm dog and hunting companion. They share much ancestry with the small hunting dogs known as feists. Common throughout family farms in the 1920s and 1930s, they are now recognize ...

. Differences and similarities between the Terrier Brasileiro and the

Japanese Terrier The is a small terrier Terrier () is a Dog type, type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many Dog breed, breeds or landraces of the terrier Dog type, type, which are typically small, wiry, Gameness, gam ...

are detailed on the breed club's website. The breed has been compared with other ratting dog breeds that originated in Spain: Ratonero Murciano de Huerta, Ratonero Valenciano and Ratonero Mallorqui. Their traits, intelligence, trainability, sociability, and behavior are all similar, but they differ only in size, color and conformation. None of these breeds are recognized by the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The (; FCI; ) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs and purebred registries. The FCI is based in Thuin, Belgium and has 98 members and contract partners (one from each country). History The FCI was founded in 1911 un ...

or the

American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit breed registry, registry of purebred dog pedigree (animal), pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions eve ...

References

{{Terriers Terriers FCI breeds Dog breeds originating in Andalusia