Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz

The Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz, known in English as the Andalusian Terrier or Sherry Terrier, is a Spanish terrier. Its name describes its job: catching the rats and mice that hide between the barrels in the wine cellars of Andalusia.

History

English wine merchants who settled in the sherry country around Jerez, as much as several hundred years ago, brought the ancestors of today’s Fox Terriers with them. These were crossed with local dogs and put to work controlling vermin in the wineries. In the 1900s the Toy Terrier was added to the mix.

The first breed club, the Club Nacional del Perro Andaluz Ratonero Bodeguero, was founded in 1993 and wrote a standard. In 2000 the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and the Real Sociedad Canina de España recognised the dog as a native Spanish breed. In 2020 the city council of Jerez de la Frontera declared it part of the city’s intangible cultural heritage, and in September 2024 the FCI accepted the breed.

Appearance

Males stand 37 to 43 cm, ideally 40 cm, and weigh 10 to 12 kg; females stand 35 to 41 cm, ideally 38 cm, and weigh 8 to 10 kg. The dog looks like a larger, longer-legged Jack Russell Terrier, and has sometimes been called the Spanish Jack Russell. It is lean, athletic and agile. The head is triangular with a fairly flat skull, a long muzzle, very dark eyes and high-set ears that fold over at the tip.

The coat is short and dense. The body is typically white, and the face is marked in black, brown and white, usually with tan eyebrows. The tail was traditionally docked to a quarter of its length, and some pups are born with a natural bobtail.

Temperament

This is a lively, intelligent dog with strong hunting instincts, and it has the tenacity and attentiveness a ratter needs. It has sharp sight and a keen nose and is extremely agile. It is also known as a loyal, friendly dog that adapts well to new surroundings.

Care and health

No diseases particular to the breed have been documented, though an undescended testicle is not uncommon in male pups.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.