10 Things You Didn’t Know about the Ratcha
The Ratcha is one of the hybrid dogs that have become popular in recent decades. Those who are curious should know that the “rat” comes from the American rat terrier while the “cha” comes from the Chihuahua. On the whole, Ratchas are supposed to be playful but low-maintenance, thus explaining much of their appeal. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about the Ratcha:
1. Small Dogs
Both the American rat terrier and the Chihuahua are on the smaller side of things. As a result, it should come as no surprise to learn that Ratchas tend to be small dogs as well. This should come as welcome news to interested individuals who live in apartments as well as other homes that have less space available. However, this also means that interested individuals should treat Ratchas in a different way from their counterparts.
2. Unpredictable Mix of Characteristics
Like other hybrid dogs, each Ratcha is an unpredictable mix of the characteristics from both sides of their heritage. Thanks to this, it can be difficult for interested individuals to get exactly what they want out of Ratchas, which is one of the reasons that there is so much interest in multi-generation crosses. After all, if interested individuals want a particular characteristic from one side of the Ratcha’s heritage, it makes sense that breeders would breed a first-generation cross with that purebreed to stack the odds in their favor.
3. Tends to Have Short Hair
Hair length is an excellent example of how Ratchas can be unpredictable in this regard. In short, most of these hybrid dogs have short hair, which is one of the reasons that they tend to be low-maintenance. However, there are some Ratchas that have inherited the longer hair of the American rat terrier instead. Not every characteristic can be seen with a single glance, thus making it very important that interested individuals learn about a particular Ratcha’s lineage when that is possible.
4. Good with Seniors
Different groups of dog owners have different needs from dogs. For instance, seniors tend to be less active while having more time on their hands. This combination makes Ratchas very suitable for them as a household companion. In part, this is because these hybrid dogs are so low-maintenance. However, it should also be mentioned that they are both playful and affectionate. Of course, it is very common for people to have different desires than the theoretical average of their demographic, meaning that Ratchas are by no means guaranteed to be suitable for every senior out there.
5. Not Good with Young Children
Ratchas can do just fine in households with children. After all, while they can be suspicious of strangers, they tend to be fond of their family members. The issue lies in the Ratcha’s small size. Young children can be rather rough without meaning anything bad about it, so this is something that can get these hybrid dogs hurt. Something that can cause them to lash out in turn. Fortunately, this is an issue that will go away as young children grow up.
6. Some Are Easier to Train than Others
No one would consider Ratchas to be a particularly difficult breed to train. Indeed, the process should be perfectly manageable even for first-time dog owners so long as they are willing to put in the effort. However, some Ratchas lean more towards American rat terriers than Chihuahuas, which is important because the former is much more trainable than the latter. In any case, early training as well as early socialization should pay handsome dividends when it comes to making a Ratcha the best household companion that they can be.
7. Not Very Inbred
Inbreeding is a serious issue for some breeds. This is unsurprising because a lot of breeds started out with a small number of founding dogs, thus resulting in a small gene pool that is worsened by the deliberate decision to close it off. Ratchas don’t suffer from this issue much. To an extent, this is because they are hybrid dogs, meaning that they are less inbred than purebred dogs by definition. Besides that, it is interesting to note that the American rat terriers were less closed-off than most purebred dogs while Chihuahuas came into existence before such practices became the norm.
8. Working Roots
Based on the name, it should come as no surprise to learn that American rat terriers were working dogs. Nowadays, people tend to see mousers as cats, which is based in fact. However, a lot of them are unaware of the potential for dogs to perform in the same role, particularly when they have been bred for size as well as speed. Furthermore, American rat terriers were also popular hunting companions, though for smaller prey animals such as rabbits and squirrels for obvious reasons. Due to this, Ratchas can claim working roots.
9. Pre-Columbian Roots
The indigenous peoples of the Americas had dogs before the Columbian Exchange. However, most modern breeds from the Americas are descended from dogs brought over from Europe rather than dogs already living in the Americas. The Chihuahua is interesting in that it can claim some heritage from Pre-Columbian dogs, with the exact source suspected to be the Techichi. Dogs were one of the very few domesticated animals that were available to the Mesoamericans. Naturally, this means that they played an important role among the Toltec, the Mexica, and other cultures in the region. For instance, the Mexica believed that their dogs would serve as guides for them in the underworld. Indeed, the dog-headed God Xolotl had sinister connotations but was nonetheless very helpful to humans.
10. Comes in a Wide Range of Colors
Some breeds come in a very limited number of colors. Meanwhile, others benefit from coming in a much wider range in this regard. Ratchas fall into the latter rather than the former. Moreover, this variation isn’t limited to the color of their coat because they can also have all sorts of markings on their coat, thus making for countless potential combinations.