Meet “the rat pack”, the two Decker Rat Terriers, Artemis and Sofie.

What’s a “Decker” Rat Terrier?
In short, the Deckers, or Decker Giants or Giant Rat Terriers, are a variety of Rat Terrier. They are larger than a standard Rat Terrier, usually starting at 20 pounds and upwards — some will even reach the 45-50 pound range.

See the National Rat Terrier Association’s page for more info on the Decker Rat Terrier.

From my own personal standpoint, to put it plainly, I love these little dogs! (And know that when I say “little”, both of my girls are ~ 25 pounds…but I came out of a background of 75+ pound Bouvier des Flandres dogs. These Deckers are not “little” in the traditional {and somewhat derogatory} sense of the term.)

Chewy DW — “Artemis”
09/21/13 – 02/1/22
(Lil Ranchin Hercules x BriarBey Sofie)

bred by Rat A Tat Tat Terriers in Moab, UT

I got Artemis as a tiny little 8-week-old puppy in November of 2013.  She’s the first dog that has been “mine” and it has been an interesting ride at times. She is one of the smartest dogs I’ve been around. Uncannily smart, really, and a big time problem-solver.

She’s also a young, mischievous terrier, so there are a fair number of antics — 98% of them highly amusing, and involving her enormous stockpile of toys and things she’s legitimately allowed to chew/maim/obliterate.

She’s been my running, hiking, and camping buddy — always happy to go, explore new turf, and seek out new sniffs.

My beloved “Droogie” very unexpectedly crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Feb 1, 2022, taking a part of my heart and soul with her. My Velcro dog. My shining star. My best friend.

---

BriarBey Sofie — “Sofie” 10/14/2011

Sofie is actually Artemis’s mama, and joined the family in October of 2015 as a “breeder pack reduction re-homing.” I had been making some noises about eventually getting another puppy to keep Artemis company, since they really are very pack-oriented dogs, but when the opportunity was presented to acquire an adult — already housebroken, spayed, microchipped, current on shots, the whole nine yards — it was not what I had necessarily been looking for, but as it turns out, Sofie is an excellent fit into the family.

Sofie is often called “Sweet Sofie” and she really lives up to the name. She loves to cuddle, especially during tv-watching time or at night. She’s the calm and sensible foil to Artemis’s energizer-bunny ways, but she too has a seemingly-bottomless well of endurance and energy, and an incredible base of fitness from frequently going on 15-20-mile training rides with endurance horses.