With inside dogs, how do you get rid of rats safely?

We live near river and farming lands.... How big is a mouse, and a rat; how do you know which is which????With inside dogs, how do you get rid of rats safely?
A mouse is the size of a golf ball, a rat is the size of a kitten. What does having inside dogs got to do with rats in your house?With inside dogs, how do you get rid of rats safely?
What breeds of inside dog do you have? Some terriers are amazing ratters... You may not have a problem if you let your dogs take care of it.
I'd say get a cat, they take care of mouse (rats) and other vermin pretty well.
a mouse is tiny compared to a rat, 2-3'; full grown


a rat is much larger at 12'; if not bigger for some well fed males.





because you have dogs, live, glue or snap traps are best.


poisen is DANGEROUS!





dont leave food out and make sure the dogs food is in an airtight container as to avoid attratching them. if theres no food the mice and rats will leave!
I feel people have answered the difference between the two creatures so I am going to answer about how to get rid of them. I would go with the traps they have been advertising lately. The type where it's completely enclosed and you don't see anything happed. This may be better since your dogs may find a dead rodent a great toy.
You need a cat. Your dogs will learn to live with it if you show them.
i think you should borrow a really large farm get and set your traps outside. if you are concerned with poisons and traps with your dog inside, then put them in cupboards and things where the rats will go but the dog can not.


A rat is much bigger than a mouse. a mouse is about the size of your mouse you use on the computer just not as wide and a rat is 10 times bigger haha. youll know a rat when you see one
Mice are actually pretty tiny, and rats are pretty huge. You could tell the difference. Maybe borrow someone's active cat or get a cat, if your dogs allow that is. Or take the dogs somwhere for a few days and have an exterminator come.
Rats are about the size of a fist (or a bit smaller, depending on the size of your hand). Mice are much smaller. Mice also tend to have larger/more rounded ears.





I have pet rats, and they're very sweet... my dog loves them, and they love my dog.





Poison is dangerous for your dog. Snap, glue, etc... traps are cruel. I suggest getting humane traps (they're also 100% reusable)... once you catch the rats, take them to an abandoned building or some other outdoor area with nearby shelter. If they have shelter, they'll stay there.





EDIT: Both mice and rats are VERY timid and certainly won't attack you or your pets.
Glue traps placed in areas that your dogs can't get to is probably your best option. They are the least likely to harm your animals. Even if your dogs do manage to somehow get into them you can get them off without TOO much trouble or pain. AVOID POISON!!





Mice generally only get to be at most 3 inches long, rats are much much bigger. If you have a rat problem instead of mice then I would suggest an exterminator. Rats actually get big enough to attack and damage some breeds of dogs.
Mice are small (hamster size) and are often brown (10cm long). Rats are up to 20cm long, black, sometimes quite fat, with big long pink tails. All that poison does not work - a few die and then the rest learn to leave it and you have to find something else. My old next door neighbor shotgunned a few of the buggers and left the bodies outside for a few day. When the others saw them got scared and left the area. If you can not shoot them try and use rat traps for some and leave them as a warning for a few day. Air rifles are also a fun way to get rid of them!
If you have rats, Rat Zapper works pretty well, and is safe with dogs as long as the dog can't mess with the trap. It uses an electric shock to kill the rat (works on mice too). You can buy them on Amazon. If you really do have rats, use the larger model because the smaller battery model doesn't always kill them.





We had pack rats in our garage, and the small Rat Zapper model would injure them just enough so they would crawl somewhere else in the garage to die. And smell.





Also go around your house and plug any holes, and cover vents with screen wire.