Ratonero Mallorquín

Temperament:

Smart, Lively, Sensitive
Size: Small
Height: 29 - 36 cm
Weight: 3 - 5 kg
Lifespan: 15 - 17 years
Coat: Shorthair
Colors: Black and tan (fire colors)

The Ratonero Mallorquín is a Spanish breed not recognized by the FCI. However, it has been recognized as an independent breed by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries since 2002. Another name for it is "Ca Rater Mallorqui".

Ratonero Mallorquín
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Characteristics

The Ratonero Mallorquín is available in the colors black and tan. There may be white patches on the chest, belly and paws. It is also available in chocolate and tan, possibly with white patches on the chest, belly and paws, and in white with black patches. More rarely, this breed is completely black or only tan.

According to the Spanish breed standard, the Ratonero Mallorquín weighs between 3 and 5 kg. Females are slightly lighter than males. The shoulder height is between 29 and 36 cm. Here too, the bitches are slightly smaller than the males.

The Ratonero Mallorquín can live to be 15 - 17 years old. There are also Ratonero that can live up to 20 years.

According to the breed standard, males are "as long as high", bitches rather longer. According to the breed standard, the tail is docked after the first vertebra. Tail docking is prohibited in Germany. However, docked dogs may be imported into Germany (not into Switzerland).

A purebred Ratero must have erect ears after 1 year. Crooked ears would be a "mistake". In terms of temperament, the Ratero is lively, curious, clever, playful - and independent.

Like all dog breeds, he is only fond of children if he has had positive experiences with children during the imprinting phase (3rd to 12th/16th week). If he has no experience with children during this sensitive phase, he will remain fearful of them for the rest of his life. In the event of negative experiences, this courageous little hunting dog is not afraid to make his displeasure loudly known. This dog needs to be kept mentally and physically busy and can be trained if he sees an advantage for himself, e.g. a reward.

The studbook is kept since 1990 by the "Club del Ca Rater Mallorqui", with most of the rateros coming from outside Mallorca.

Coat care:

Little
Medium
Intensive

Shedding:

Little
Medium
Intensive

Energy level:

Little
Medium
High

Trainability:

Little
Medium
Good

Children suitable:

Less
With supervision
Perfect

The right food

When choosing food, make sure that it contains high-quality ingredients, is balanced and meets your dog's requirements. Age, size or weight, activity and health status play an important role. You should follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the amount of food.

Treats should only be fed in moderation and deducted from the basic diet to avoid obesity.

Puppies can be fed 4-6 times a day. The number of meals should be gradually reduced to 2 per day until the dog is fully grown. A rest period should be observed after meals.

Fresh drinking water should be available at all times.

Health & Care

The Ratonero Mallorquín's short coat without undercoat requires no special grooming. However, this southern dog freezes very quickly as it has no subcutaneous fatty tissue. Added to this is its proximity to the ground, from which the cold radiates. It therefore needs a coat even in the fall, otherwise it would freeze very quickly and catch a cold.

Breed-specific diseases are not known. As with all small dogs, heart failure and tracheal collapse can occur with age. This is a weakness of the windpipe that can be treated very well with medication.

Attention must be paid to dental health and appropriate care must be taken in good time. This can be tooth brushing or chewing bones.

Suitable accessories

The Ratonero Mallorquín is not only a guard dog that conscientiously announces every letter carrier. It is also a hunting dog that immediately kills its prey such as mice, rats and rabbits. It follows from this:

A good dog school with a behavioral biology approach should be sought out so that he does not set his huge ears to hunting on the 1.5 - 2-hour walks. Because he will quickly tear his prey to pieces. This also applies to toys made of fabric or wool. Plastic toys are more suitable for this dog.

Other accessories for your dog include a collar or harness with lead, dog basket or dog mat as a place to retreat, water and food bowl, tick tweezers, claw clippers, mild dog shampoo, possibly a brush and comb, toothbrush and toothpaste for the dog, transport box for transportation in the car and a first aid kit. It is best to ask your vet what should be in the first aid kit.

Origin & History

The Ratonero Mallorquín (its Spanish name) originally comes from Mallorca, where it was bred around 170 years ago from small native breeds and various terriers (Toy Terrier, Manchester Terrier) on farms. He kept the farms free of mice and rats and went rabbit hunting with his owners in the evenings. He works independently.

In Northern Europe, this affectionate little whipper-snapper is often kept as a companion dog that is perfectly at home. It can be trained if its sensitive nature is respected. Then he is tenderly devoted to his humans. It should not be forgotten that this dwarf is also a real dog. After 16 to 18 hours of sleep a day, he wants to be kept busy and have adventures with his humans.

 

Author: Agnes de Villafranca.