Titan – the Rodent Catching Dog!

You’ve heard of dogs sniffing out bed bugs, right? What else can their noses do? You should be asking what can’t their noses do! Our newest addition to the Waltham team is Titan – the rodent sniffing dog.

What is the Best Dog for Catching Rats

There are several breeds of dog that are bred for this purpose, but by far the best is the terrier family. Titan is a Patterdale Terrier. This dog gained notoriety in the north of England as a hunting terrier and is often used for badger control in addition to other pests. And we all know how nasty badgers can be. So, this breed must be a BOSS. And they are. Titan’s jaw is so strong, his handler can only give him the Kong Jumbler Ball to play with or he will destroy it.

Can Dogs Get Sick from Catching Rats

Nope! We love Titan. We wouldn’t put him in harm’s way like that. Titan is adept at sniffing out active rat burrows (he will walk right by one that has been abandoned – that’s how smart he is and how sensitive his sniffer is). So, finding where the rats are coming in and where they’re living is his main job. His teeth never puncture the rat in any way, and Titan is so strong and fast, he’s in no danger to be hurt by a rat.

Can Dogs Catch Rats

This may sound like a new strategy, but ratting has existed for centuries – especially in Europe. Rats and mice are known to indirectly or directly transmit 35 diseases including salmonellosis, typhus, Hantavirus, and even the plague. They can also damage building and electrical wiring with their constant gnawing. It’s no wonder people have been trying to take care of these disgusting pests using whatever method they can. During World War I, ratting dogs were even used to control rat populations in trenches. So, yeah. Dogs can catch rats.

Why Control Rats with Dogs

We can’t speak for all dogs, but Titan is amazing. He has earned the Certificate Class Advanced Award from the American Working Terrier Association. Only 9 other terriers in the United States have that certificate! He is also certified by the highly respected Joe Nick Canine Training for gameness and rodent elimination. Canine rat detection is especially good for large facilities, buildings that have a lot of rooms, places where there’s clutter or lots of dumpsters, or where there have been rats or mice that have been difficult to catch. There doesn’t have to be an actual rat there for Titan to find the active burrow. We can target treatments quickly and efficiently with that knowledge. Thanks, Titan.

Dogs clearly have a highly developed sense of smell. Some can even detect the odor signatures of various types of cancer. They have shown dogs can detect colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma. So, sniffing out some bed bugs and rats should be a piece of cake. Well, for Titan it is.