Did you know Valencia has its own breed of dog? Say hello to the Gos Rater Valencià.
The Gos Rater is a small, agile dog which was bred in the Communitat and first documented in the 16th century. As their name indicates, they were bred to be rat-catchers — something they’re extremely successful at. In fact, the Gos Rater is the world’s best canine rat-catcher. In doubt? Check out the video of a crew in action:
Besides being useful for rodent removal, the Gos Rater is a friendly and lively dog, though it can be overly nervous.
I’m not sure I’ve seen any Gos Raters running around, but will start keeping my eye out for them. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve guessed that Valencia’s official animal is the French Bulldog — you see those slobbery things everywhere (including our apartment).
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I thought those dogs were pathetic rat catchers.
No wonder there arent many of those dogs left.
The valencia rats must think they are a joke.
Any half way decent jack russell would have dispatched that rat in seconds.
We actually think that the Gos Rater looks pretty cute and they are still very popular in Valencia. So you will see them pretty often.
I agree with Jack Russell. It took three of those strange looking creatures 3 minutes and 1 second to get that rat…and that was only because it was not the brightest rat. It came back to give them another chance.
Those dogs are not very good rat-catchers, and would be better suited to being lap-dogs and dressed in frilly outfits and being spoon-fed by their owners. I would not like to see them have to survive on their own.
A few weeks in a JRT training camp somewhere in the North East of England may help them a bit….