Description

The Manchester Terrier can be of a standard size or also comes in smaller toy varieties. Considered to be one of the most easily identifiable breeds around, the Manchester Terrier is also one of the oldest breeds around today. With smooth black hair, a long tapered nose, small bright eyes, and a flat narrow skull, this is not a large dog by any means.

The chest of the Manchester Terrier is set deep into the body, rather than being wide when measured. The short black hair with lighter brown patches at the feet and muzzle areas allow this dog to be quickly identified in comparison to other dogs. What\'s impressive about the appearance of the Manchester Terrier is that it has not changed in quite a few centuries.

There are two varieties of the Manchester Terrier according to its native England, these are known as the Manchester Terrier and the English Toy Terrier. The Toy breed is much smaller than the \'regular\' breed and has become quite the stylish dog to carry around.

An easy to train and highly lovable breed, the Manchester Terrier always has a focused expression on its face and can have several different types of ears - cropped, natural erect, and button.

Coat Description

The Manchester Terrier has a short coat that is short, smooth, and shiny when healthy. It is black and tan, with the tan focused on the legs, stomach, and muzzle area. The coat should be short and dense, glossy, but never soft in feel.

History

The Manchester Terrier has a dual history in both England and in the United States, making it a well-traveled breed.

In England, the Manchester Terrier was first used as a way to hunt and kill all the rats that were filling up the streets in the 1800s. A man name John Hulme bred a dog by crossing a Whippet and a cross bred terrier to help the \'sport\' of rat killing. The result was a dog that was perfectly suited for hunting and killing rats, and thus became a successful dog breed.

Also called \'rat terriers\' in those days, the idea of breeding smaller dogs was conceived in order to keep up the sport of rat killing. But they were also used in traditional hunting to climb through grasses and thickets that the larger versions could not get through. These smaller dogs were often referred to also as the \'Gentleman\'s Terrier.\'

In the United States, the Manchester Terrier was quickly inducted into the American Kennel Club shortly after the club\'s inauguration.

Temperament

With a lot of energy to spare, the Manchester Terrier is a great companion for active owners. Outside, this breed of terrier is happy to run around and play, but indoors, they can be calm and sedate.

With their energy, the Manchester Terrier is quite capable of being agile and athletic. They might have a slight mischievous streak, but they are also willing to listen to commands from their owners. Loving to please their master, they will respond quickly to training if they are handles in a constant manner with consistent discipline as needed.

While the Manchester Terrier is good around children and other pets, they will still need to be watched. It is simply not a good idea to leave this dog alone with smaller children and animals. This terrier still exhibits aggressive tendencies when they are in a situation where they don\'t feel they are the dominant one or that they need to assert their dominance.

Another consideration for those looking at the Manchester Terrier is that they can have troubles when they are left alone for long periods of time - especially when they are young. They can begin to crave this alone time and can become irritated when they are not left to their own devices. It is important to allow younger Manchester Terriers to socialize and interact with others as often as possible to begin to create a healthy demeanor.

They will become bored and irritated when they are left alone for long periods of time as they are quite dependent on attention from their owners. This may not be a suitable breed for someone who is gone a lot of the time, or who has to leave the house for extended periods during the day.

Sometimes stubborn, proper training can help to manage the Manchester Terrier and make them more suitable for household living. If the dog was improperly trained in its youth, it will need strong training to curb these aggressive tendencies. But you can train them with consistent training exercises and goals.

A Manchester Terrier that is not constantly attended to can also exhibit signs of hyperactivity, destructiveness and loud barking.