Life Span:	12-16 years
Litter Size:	2-3 puppies
Group:	Terrier
Recognized By:	CKC, FCI, AKC, ANKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR
Color:	Red (all shades), Black/Tan, Gray. White marks are considered unacceptable by the AKC breed standard.
Hair Length:	Medium
Size:	Toy/Small
Shedding:	Lite Shed
Male Height:	9-10 in (24-25.5 cm)
Male Weight:	11-12 lbs (5-5.4 kg)
Female Height:	9-10 in (24-25.5 cm)
Female Weight:	11-12 lbs (5-5.4 kg)
General info courtesy of terrificpets.com. Additional information about this breed can be found on their website.
Living Area:	Like many terriers, the Norwich Terrier is at its best in an urban setting, surrounded by people. Because of the breed\'s inherent energy (and because of its genetic predisposition for hunting and chasing small rodents), the Norwich Terrier will also do well in suburban areas with enough yard space for running, playing, and chasing, but as a rule the dogs won\'t be as happy in larger rural areas or in any area with a great deal of local wildlife.

Description

The Norwich Terrier is one of the smaller terriers, standing only about ten inches tall at the withers. It has a distinctive double coat, which can appear in several hues (although red is by far the most common.) The dogs are known for their excellent ratting skills, as well as for their extremely companionable personalities, high energy levels, and generally willful and intelligent terrier personalities. The breed is not to be confused with the Norfolk Terrier, who are closely related but who differ in terms of ear shape: the Norfolk Terrier has drooping ears, while the Norwich Terrier\'s ears are always "pricked" and straight.

Coat Description

The Norwich Terrier\'s coat is as a rule kept short all across its body. The fur is straight, fairly thick, and wiry, with slightly smoother and longer regions around the eyes and mouth. The neck and shoulder regions are longer still in order to protect the Norwich Terrier from the weather or from other problems. The Norwich Terrier also has a softer, downier undercoat, meant to insulate it against the cold.

History

The Norwich Terrier was first recognized in East Anglia in the mid-1800s. Believed to be a descendant of the Irish Terrier through unknown channels of cross-breeding, Norwich Terriers were used as ratters and hunting dogs from their earliest years, and by all reports were thought to excel at both duties. Norwich Terriers were most commonly relied on to flush foxes out of underground hiding places (when the foxes had "gone to ground"), allowing horses and other hunting dogs to continue the hunt.

Curiously, the Norwich Terrier has actually declined in value over time--in a manner of speaking. When the breed was first recognized by the Kennel Club of Great Britain in 1932, it came in two varieties: dogs with drooping ears and dogs with sharper "prick" ears. The common practice was simply to crop the ears of the droop-eared Norwich Terriers--until the legislation against ear cropping in England made this impossible. The ultimate solution was simply to split the Norwich Terrier into two breeds: the drop-eared dogs would be newly designated the Norfolk Terrier, while the prick-eared dogs were designated Norwich Terriers. So the name "Norwich Terrier" now refers to fewer dogs--hence the apparent drop in value, although the actual value of the Norwich Terrier to happy owners worldwide is certainly not in question.

Temperament

As far as terriers go, the Norwich Terrier combines some of the principal virtues of the type--intelligence, friendliness, cautiousness--while avoiding some of the principal faults--the tendency toward nervousness, the tendency toward isolation, the tendency toward barking at everyone and everything in sight. Norwich Terriers are slightly more "outdoorsy" than some other terriers, having been bred for both hunting and ratting, which makes the breed often a joy to be around--yet which makes it also problematic in some crucial aspects.

For one, the Norwich Terrier is difficult to trust off of its leash or in an unsupervised environment. This is simply because the Norwich Terrier has historically been very, very good at what it was bred to do--which is to chase and hunt other animals. If let off its leash or let out of its yard or house, the Norwich Terrier will proceed to do exactly that. Training can alleviate this problem to a great extent, but basic drives can\'t be trained away--and this indelible aspect of the Norwich Terrier\'s personality may make the breed unattractive to some people who aren\'t comfortable with this particular flavor of terrier aggressiveness.

Norwich Terriers are not the best breed in the world for socializing with other household animals--for the same reason, of course. The earlier other household animals are introduced, the better as far as general harmony between dog and animal companions is concerned. Children are another matter, and as long as your children are well-behaved around your Norwich--meaning that they respect its independence and intelligence--you can integrate a Norwich Terrier into a family with children without a great deal of trouble.

Apart from these concerns, however, the Norwich Terrier is an ideal blend: the intelligence of a terrier without the nervous caution (and nervous barking), plus the friendliness of a terrier without the jealous tendencies toward destruction if the Norwich is left alone for too long. Although the Norwich--like any dog--will get upset if isolated, the Norwich is also capable of existing on its own for short spans of time without neuroticism or negative behavior--which can make it the ideal, friendly, energetic breed for busy people with lives of their own--but also a healthy amount of time for their dog.

Thyroid Disease - Low Risk

The Norwich Terrier ranks #111 among all breeds for autoimmune thyroiditis prevalence. This is considered a low risk breed so your chances of obtaining a dog with the disease is small. It is still suggested that dogs meant for breeding still be tested to help bring the incidence of disease even lower (or even eliminate it). 

Rank Among Breeds	Number of Dogs Tested	Percent of Dogs With Disease
#111	142	2.8%

You can download the full report (on all breeds) by the Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. Here

Other Health Problems

The most serious health problems that can affect the Norwich terrier are epilepsy and a collection of respiratory ailments, prominently including narrow or collapsing trachea. These conditions are both genetic, and young Norwich Terriers should be checked by a veterinarian regularly for early warning signs of these potentially very damaging problems. Apart from these conditions, the breed has a slight susceptibility to hip dysplasia, but otherwise good health.