The words Dog Breed Info with the letter D inside of a black paw print

The Purebred Manchester Terrier and Toy Manchester Terrier

Information and Pictures

A black and tan Toy Manchester Terrier dog is standing in tall grass. Its mouth is open and tongue is out and its ears are flopped over and its tail is up. It is looking down and to the left.

"This is Sadie, a Toy Manchester Terrier. In England it is illegal to dock ears and tails, hence the reason she has a long tail and floppy ears."

Other Names
  • English Toy Terrier
  • Black and Tan Terrier
  • Black and Tan Manchester
Pronunciation

MAN-"chess"-tur TAIR-ee-uhr speaker

Description

There are two varieties of the Manchester Terrier: Toy and Standard. The body of the Manchester Terrier is smooth, compact and muscular. The head is tight skinned, long and narrow, almost flat with a slight indentation up the forehead and a light stop that is visible when viewing the dog from the side. The head is long and tapering. When the ears are kept natural they are V-shaped, semi-erect and have a front flap that folds over. In the Toy variety, the ears are usually naturally erect. When they are cropped they are long and pointed. Note: it is illegal to crop ears in most of Europe. The small eyes are dark, nearly black and almond-shaped. The nose is black. The teeth should form a scissors or level bite. The tail is thicker at the base and tapers to a point. The smooth, short, dense coat is tight and comes in black and tan with distinct starting and stopping points; not blended.

Temperament

The Manchester Terrier is a high-spirited, powerful, agile, very intelligent, cunning dog which is eager to learn. It displays the true terrier nature, is independent and faithful. Extremely lively, sporty, alert, keen and vigilant. Discerning and devoted, it is loyal and a good friend to its master. The Manchester Terrier likes to please its handler and learns quite quickly. These dogs can be outstanding in activities like agility skills and catch and also do well in obedience trials. They thrive on attention from their owners, and need leadership from their humans. Without enough exercise, mental stimulation, and/or if the dog is allowed to be pack leader to the humans, they can get upset when left alone. becoming bored, hyper, destructive, and barking excessively. Pack leaders are allowed to leave the followers, however, followers are not allowed to leave the pack leaders. They very much do enjoy being with their people, and should be taken for a pack walk before they are left for long periods of time to put them in an instinctual rest mode. The Manchester Terrier should be thoroughly socialized when it is young, and be around humans who display leadership towards the dog, along with rules, boundaries and limitations for the dog to follow, to prevent potential aggression. This breed needs thorough, firm training.A lack of human leadership can result in them becoming demanding, headstrong, protective, snappish and/or aggressive. Manchester Terriers should not be trusted with other small non-canine animals, as the hunting instinct in them is strong. They should be introduced to children as young pups and children should be taught how to display leadership toward dogs. Well-balanced Manchester Terriers that have owners who do not let them develop small dog syndrome, human induced behaviors where the dog believes he is pack leader to humans, will not display these negative behaviors. If given what they need as a canine animal, they are wonderful family companions.

Height, Weight

Toy: Height 10 - 12 inches (25 - 30 cm)
Toy: Weight 6 - 8 pounds (2.5 - 3.5 kg) In the United States and Canada the maximum weight is 12 pounds (5 kg).
Standard: Height 15 - 16 inches (39 - 40 cm)
Standard: Average Weight Males 18 pounds (8 kg) Females 17 pounds (7.7 kg)

Health Problems

Some lines are prone to glaucoma. Also some are prone to a bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand's disease, but this is rare and wounds heal quickly. If left out in the sun for long periods, heat bumps may appear along its back.

Living Conditions

The Manchester Terrier is a good dog for apartment living. They are very active indoors and will do okay without a yard. Manchester Terriers prefer warm climates.

Exercise

The Manchester Terrier demands plenty of exercise. In addition to the normal daily walks, let it run and play off the leash regularly. These dogs can run very fast and keep the speed up for a long time. This dog greatly enjoys exercising by running alongside a bicycle, provided the amount of exercise is built up gradually. Do not allow this breed off the leash except in a secure area unless it has been trained, as he likes to chase.

Life Expectancy

About 15 or more years

Litter Size

About 2 to 4 puppies

Grooming

The short, shiny black and tan coat is easy to care for, requiring almost no grooming. This is an easy-care breed. The Manchester Terrier is an average shedder, while the Toy Manchester Terrier sheds little to no hair. Keep the ear passages clean and the claws short.

Origin

The Manchester Terrier is the oldest known terrier breed. Developed as a rat hunter in nineteenth century Manchester, England by a man named John Hulme, it has earned the nickname of "rat terrier" because of its tenacity at catching rats and mice. It is considered to be the best vermin hunting breed. In a British contest one Manchester named Billy was said to have killed 100 rats in only 6 minutes and 13 seconds. The Manchester Terrier was developed by crossing the Black and Tan Terrier and the Whippet. There are two types of Manchester Terrier: Standard and Toy. The Toy variety became popular during the reign of Queen Victoria, when smaller dogs were very popular. The Standard Manchester still retains the ability to be a prized ratter, but the breed as a whole is a companion dog. The Manchester Terrier has gone down in popularity. The Manchester Terrier was used in the development of several breeds, among them the Doberman Pinscher, and the Airedale Terrier.

Group

Terrier, AKC Terrier The Toy variety is AKC Toy.

Recognition
  • ACA = American Canine Association Inc.
  • ACR = American Canine Registry
  • AKC = American Kennel Club
  • ANKC = Australian National Kennel Club
  • APRI = American Pet Registry, Inc.
  • CCR = Canadian Canine Registry
  • CET = Club Español de Terriers (Spanish Terrier Club)
  • CKC = Canadian Kennel Club
  • CKC = Continental Kennel Club
  • DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc.
  • FCI = Fédération Cynologique Internationale
  • KCGB = Kennel Club of Great Britain
  • NAPR = North American Purebred Registry, Inc.
  • NKC = National Kennel Club
  • NZKC = New Zealand Kennel Club
A black and tan Toy Manchester Terrier dog is laying on a tan carpet in front of a brown couch and it has one of its paws over a Zebra plush toy. There is a blue, green, pink and white throw rug in front of it.

Starlette the Toy Manchester Terrier at 2 years old

A black and tan Toy Manchester Terrier dog is laying outside in grass and looking forward. Its ears are flopped over to the front.

Sadie the Toy Manchester Terrier with an undocked tail and uncropped years

A black and tan Toy Manchester Terrier dog is wearing an army green coat with a fuzzy hoody and it is sitting on a blacktop. Its ears are cropped to a point and trained to stand straight up.

"This is my Toy Manchester Terrier Starlette. She loves to go on walks and runs daily, preferably off leash. She has killed several small animals including a rabbit, bird, and mouse. She likes to attack and play within the house. She knows many tricks, including downward dog yoga pose, ballerina dance, high-five and "get low" (dancing to the Flo Rida song), plus all the basic commands. She loves car rides even if it's just moving the car to the driveway from the garage. She doesn't like cold weather at all! She sleeps in her bed with a fleece blanket and a heating pad, but usually joins her owner under the covers in the middle of the night. She is usually in clothes too, which she helps you put on because she knows they keep her warm. She sun bathes as much as she can, even poolside with her mom. She is always the favorite anywhere she goes, especially once she starts doing tricks."

View from the front - A black and tan Toy Manchester Terrier dog is laying on a green carpet in a beam of sunshine. Its ears are cropped to a point and trained to stand straight up.

Starlette the Toy Manchester Terrier at 2 years old

Close up front view - A black and tan Toy Manchester Terrier is wearing an army green coat with a fuzzy hoody standing on a black top and it is looking to the left. It has a long snout.

Starlette the Toy Manchester Terrier at 2 years old

Side view - A black and tan Toy Manchester Terrier is standing in grass and it is eating a chunk of meat.

Starlette the Toy Manchester Terrier at 2 years old eating a chunk of meat

Side view - A black and tan Toy Manchester Terrier dog is standing on a table in a show dog stack and behind it is a person holding its head up.

This is Am/Can. Ch. Wilane's Millennia, photo courtesy of Wilane Kennels Standard Manchester Terriers

Left Profile - A black and tan Toy Manchester Terrier dog is standing in a show dog stack and there is a person behind it holding its head up.

An adult Manchester Terrier at a dog show

See more examples of the Manchester Terrier