Puppies are all adorable regardless of their breed. And because they are most endearing, most pet owners tend to do one of two things. They either spoil them silly to the point of the puppy undergoing tyrannical unreasonableness or to overwhelm the animal with too much attention that it grows wary of human contact.
Caring for a Rat Terrier puppy need not end up with a headache. In fact, a Rat Terrier puppy can do better later on in life if it grows up with other pets in the home, which will make your "parenting" a bit easier. This is called socialization training.
Perhaps the very first thing you should do for your puppy is to bring it to the vet for a check-up. Even if you hand-raise a Rat Terrier puppy on your own, a trip to the vet is still needed. Vaccination, spaying (or not), and a list of your puppy's dietary needs all must be acquired at the vet's. Plus, you need to ask your vet what food should be avoided.
Like all terriers, a Rat Terrier puppy is born with a sense of fearlessness. It will explore its world without question and may even approach larger animals without hesitation. It may be suspicious of strangers, but its cheery disposition will help it disregard all its distrust given enough time. Also, like most puppies, during its "discovering" stage, it will tend to taste (and unfortunately, swallow) small objects it encounters. Puppy proofing your house is an important assignment you should undertake.
A very young puppy should not stay outdoors for long periods of time. If you decide to bring your Rat terrier puppy outside, keep a very sharp eye out for it. Since it is tiny, it just might go through that hole in the fence or get trampled on by people and larger animals. It does have this tendency to roam and wander about. And yes, most young puppies can be naughty and stubborn so try to keep a longer leash on your patience meter.
Some owners of a Rat Terrier puppy find themselves looking at one or two broken pieces of furniture in the house like gnawed corners or thrashed upholstery. This destructive behavior in the puppy is caused by sheer boredom. You have to remember that a Rat Terrier puppy is a smart little dog. Instinctively, it wants to expend energy by chasing after game in a large open field. So if you can't supervise it outside, at least make sure that there is a toy it can play with, another pet to keep it company, or some form of training it can look forward to.
Keeping it cooped up in the house (or worse, in a pen) will trigger many behavioral problems in the puppy. It is essential to let the dog "explore" its surroundings and that you supervise this exploration so that the puppy does not fall into harm's way. If you have children in the house, make sure you also oversee their interaction. Remember two things when you put children and puppies together.
One: Children, no matter how young, may inadvertently hurt the puppy.
Two: Puppies, no matter how young, can retaliate by biting.
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