During the sixteenth century the Manchester district of England was noted
for two "poor man's sports," rat killing and rabbit coursing.
In order to produce a dog that would succeed at both, an Englishman named
John Hulme mated a female Whippet with a crossbred dark brown male dog known
for its rat-killing ability. This produced the Manchester Terrier. For a
time, he was referred to as the Black-and-Tan Terrier but the name of Manchester
Terrier was reestablished for the breed in 1923. There are two sizes of
Manchester Terrier, the Standard and the Toy. Except for size and ear options
(described below), there are no differences between the Standard and Toy
varieties of the Manchester Terrier.
In Victorian times, The Manchester Terrier was referred to as "the
Gentleman's Terrier. He is a keenly observant and devoted dog. He is lively,
good natured, with minimal grooming necessary. All of these factors make
him an ideal companion.
The Manchester Terrier's head is long and narrow with the skull and muzzle
being of equal length. The eyes are nearly black and almond shaped with
black eye rims. The expression is keen and alert. The jaws are powerful
with a full and well defined underjaw. The bite is either scissors or level.
The neck is slightly arched and graceful. The topline has a slight arch
over the loin that falls slightly to the tail set. The tail is moderately
short and reaches no further than the hock joint. It is thick at the body,
tapers to a point at the end, and is carried in a slight upward curve. The
legs are straight with compact, well arched feet. The toes are cat-like.
The bone and muscle should have sufficient mass to ensure agility and endurance.
The coat is smooth, short, dense, tight and glossy. It should be jet black
with rich mahogany tan markings. In the Standard Manchester Terrier, the
ears are either carried naturally erect, cropped or button shaped. They
are wider at the base, pointed at the tips and carried well up on the skull.
The Toy variety has a naturally erect ear. The height is between fifteen
and sixteen inches. The weight of the Standard variety is between twelve
and twenty two pounds while the toy should not exceed twelve pounds.
brokenglass@pei.sympatico.ca of Canada writes on 11/14/99:
A low maintenance, loving and loyal breed.
The standard Manchester Terrier is one of the forefathers of the Doberman,
and many people beleive that they are diminutive versions, but this is not
the case. As well, the standard Manchester is very much a terrier, and has
been in existance, although not as we see the breed now, for around five
hundred years. They were vermin killers, and were used for a time as rabbit
coursers. Called the "Gentlemen's Terrier", these small dogs (12-22
lbs.) are one of the more sedate terriers, and are generally socialble with
other dogs of any breeds. They are portable, and keep themselves quite clean,
so they are very little maintenance compared to most terrier breeds. Although
small, these dogs can be very protective, and are usually fiercly loyal
to their families or the ones that they are most familiar with. Aloof with
strangers, these dogs may not be what you are looking for as not all breeds
are right for all people. Ears may be left natural or cropped, and the lifespan
of these dogs generally stretches to around 15 years. VWD is one of the
main concerns in the breed but reputable breeders are working hard to eradicate
this from the breed. These dogs make great companions and adapt easily to
your lifestyle whether it is sedantary or very active. They make great agility
and flyball competators, as well as obedience trials, earth trials, and
therapy dogs. They are a lot of dog in a small package, and their abilities
can seem endless at times. Once bitten by the "Manchester" bug,
many wouldn't dream of having anything else sleeping on their couch or under
their covers!