Ratonero Murciano

The Ratonero Murciano or Ratonero Murciano de Huerta is a Spanish breed of dog from the Region of Murcia. It was traditionally kept in Murcia as a mouse and rat hunter. It is claimed they descend from dogs introduced to the region by the Romans who imported them from Egypt. In 1997 a breeding program was established to save the breed; by 2009 the program was up to its third generation, with 80 breeding specimens and a DNA testing program.
The Ratonero Murciano is described as a compact, short-haired, active dog, well suited to its role as a rat hunter.