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About the Valencian Terrier

Typical life span
12-15 years
Size
Small — from its typical weight
Weight
6-8 kg
Height
Male
30-40 cm
Female
29-40 cm
FCI status
Provisional
Origin
Valencia, Spain
Also called
Ratonero Valenciano
Known hereditary risks
Not researched yet

About

What is a Valencian Terrier?

A small to medium-sized, agile terrier from the Valencian Community in Spain with a lean, well-proportioned body, smooth coat, and alert, intelligent expression. Known for its history as a proficient hunter of rats and other vermin.

Valencian Terrier history and origins

Also known as Gos Rater Valencià or Ratonero Valenciano, developed in the Valencian region of Spain for vermin control on farms and stables. Recognized by Real Sociedad Canina de España and provisionally recognized by FCI in 2022 in Group 3.

Valencian Terrier appearance and size

Males typically stand 30-40 cm at the shoulder and females 29-40 cm.

What the breed standard says

Bred for
Ancestrally dedicated to the traditional hunting of the water rat, rabbits, and moles. Besides, he is a guard dog for his capacity to warn by means of the bark. Currently, he is also companion dog
Behaviour and temperament
Lively, happy and active. Affectionate and faithful, reserved with strangers. Brave, not only in hunting but also in the defence of his owners’ properties. Learns fast

Quoted from FCI standard n°370. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.

Breed reference from The Dog API.

Characteristics

Size
Small
Exercise needs
Easy to train
Amount of shedding
Grooming needs
2 of 5
Good with children
Cost to keep
Tolerates being alone
Intelligence
Health of breed
Not researched yet

Pros & cons

Pros & cons for the Valencian Terrier

What you get with the Valencian Terrier

  • Purpose stated in the standard: “Ancestrally dedicated to the traditional hunting of the water rat, rabbits, and moles”
  • The standard describes the breed as: “Lively, happy and active”
  • Low grooming needs, fitting for a busy owner — the coat is “Thin and short, no longer than 2 cm”

What you are taking on

Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.

Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.

Characteristics

FCI standard · Valencian Terrier

Coat and colour

As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.

Coat

Thin and short, no longer than 2 cm

Colour

  • Preferred
  • Permissible
  • Undesirable
  • Disqualifying

Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.

Base colour

Spotted coats dominate over the uniform ones

  • Among the spotted coats the most abundant is the tricolour (black-tan with white spots), followed by black-tan.
  • It can also be seen the black-white, cinnamon-white, chocolate-tan, and chocolate-white coats.
  • Within the solid coats colour, it can be seen in cinnamon and black.
  • The colour of nose, lips, and eyes rimes, black or blending with coat colour

Shortened from FCI standard n°370 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.

What the breed standard says

Size
Height at the withers: Males: 30 to 40 cm, the ideal is 36 cm Females: 29 to 38 cm, the ideal is 33 cm In both sexes it is tolerated one cm if the subject is balanced. Weight: 4 to 8 kg, males and females
FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.

Quoted from FCI standard n°370. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.

What the standard penalises

What a judge marks the Valencian Terrier down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.

Severe faults

Marked heavily against a specimen in the ring.

  • ∙ Overshot or undershort bite. ∙ Missing more than 2 PM. ∙ Not completely upright ears.
  • Long and/or curly hair

Disqualifying faults

Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.

  • Any dog clearly abnormalities.
  • Any coat colour different from the standard.
  • Albinism showing physical or behavioural

FCI standard n°370

Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Valencian Terrier in general; any individual animal can differ.

Health guide

What to ask for in a Valencian Terrier

No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Valencian Terrier on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.

Puppies

No puppies listed right now

No Valencian Terrier breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.

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