Milton wanted to get his philosophy on his breed down on paper......

"For years I have felt an injustice to the breed of Rat Terrier was evident because the AKC didn't recognize this best of all breeds.  My thinking changed when I saw the fate of the working breeds that were AKC recognized.  Most of these breeds no longer can do what they were originally bred to do.  Many breeds no longer look the same, act the same or think the same.  My quest for resurrecting this great breed included close consideration, and owning Smooth Fox terriers, Jack Russell terriers, Manchester terriers, and Toy Fox Terriers.  I found that none of these AKC recognized breeds had the disposition, the brains or the HUNT that I deemed most important for the perfect Rat Terrier.  I gave away dogs that I had paid good money for.  They just weren't worth breeding in, although they quite possibly could have improved the looks of my dogs at that time. To me, looks come last, but I ceratinly do like and always bred towards a more beautiful dog.

The realization that lack of AKC recognition, was the reason that I could find dogs with almost everything I wanted and thought the breed needed, was years coming.  The AKC had done a tremendous favor to this breed, by ignoring it.

Even the family that produced Henry was a study.  Frosty Dew, the mother of the four younger dogs, was a purebred Smooth Fox Terrier.  Jock, the father of the rest, was old line Oregon bred hunting terrier.  Jock was about 30 pounds, which was larger than any I had ever known, and quite laid back.  Henry and Spunky were litter mates and Spunky, (reddish tan and white) looked much like a huge (over 30 pounds) smooth Fox Terrier.  He also acted more like the Smooth Fox-----very high strung and nervous.  Smiley, a black and white male, was a year younger and also looked and acted like the Smooth Fox at about 28 pounds.   Lindseth's big female sister to the rest, looked and acted more like Henry.  She was a bit more high strung, but if she hadn't been spayed, I would have loved having a puppy from her.

So that left Henry, and Lindseths assured me that taking him would be doing him a favor.  He was too slow to anger and was taken advantage of until the rest needed him to kill predators and nutria. So, while I would have gladly taken any of these four young dogs for hunting, I hardly think the other males would have been the base for the breed that made Henry (34 pounds) so perfect.

People interested in continuing this great breed, should think carefully about AKC recognition and especially in breeding toward show standards.  Written standards can't quantify brains, disposition and HUNT.     Milton"