How can I tell if my dog is a toy fox terrier or a rat terrier?

I really have no idea, they're so similar.


I looked it up, and I read that Rat terriers have the exact same qualities as toy fox terriers, but there are some qualities RTs have that TFTs don't.





And my dog has the qualities so that he could possibly be either.





The only thing I know about him is that he's purebred and neutered.|||If you talk to the TFT club, they'd insist that these are two totally different breeds. Officially it's descended from the Smooth Coat Fox Terrier but if you look at that versus a Rattie, you can see which one it (TFT) more closely resembles in coloration, coat and appearance. In terms of appearances, the Ratties and TFT breeds look remarkably similar. And most rat terrier owners (who know dogs) would tell you that TFTs probably got their start from small versions of rat terriers.





Here is what I can tell you from a discussion that just took place on a rat terrier list serv I belong to. A key contributor on this issue is a longtime breeder of both TFTs and rat terriers.





1. Rat Terriers have more of a "nose" meaning they're better trackers, better scent and field work ability.





2. Rat Terriers are thicker boned (and thus sturdier) than TFTs. As a result, a TFT will likely be 4-6 pounds while a toy rat terrier will usually not be that small. Maybe there are bigger TFTs but none of the ones I've seen have been the same size as a rattie.





3. TFTs tend to be a bit more likely to pick a fight with a larger dog--there's a bit of attitude there about "anything you can do, I can do better you big lug".|||If he is purebred what do his papers say his breed is?





Edit- How do you know he's purebred then? They should have disclosed this information to you when you bought him.