Dog Breed Guide

Manchester Terrier

Profile

Size

Small

Country of origin

United Kingdom

Origin

19th century

Bred for

Ratting, Rabbit hunting

Height

male about 40cm (16in), female about 38cm (15in)

Weight

5 - 10kg (11 - 22lb)

Life span

14 - 16 years

A terrier with a beautiful short, sleek coat of black with crisp, rich rust (tan) markings. Its lean, racy build calls to mind the Miniature Pinscher or the Doberman, but they are all separate breeds.

Active, curious and very smart, the Manchester is affectionate with its family and bonds closely with its owner. Brave like any terrier, it has a strong instinct to chase small animals.

Its coat is very easy to care for, needing only an occasional brushing. It needs plenty of exercise, so daily walks and play are a must. It feels the cold, so keep it warm in winter.

Good to know

The breed is said to have been created in 19th-century Manchester, England, by a fancier named John Hulme, who crossed the Black and Tan Terrier, an expert ratter, with the sharp-eyed Whippet. His aim was a dog that could excel both at killing rats and at hunting rabbits.

In Britain at the time, "rat pits," where people bet on how many minutes a dog would take to kill a large number of rats released into an enclosure, were hugely popular. Legend has it that one dog, Billy, killed 100 rats in about six minutes.

At the end of the 19th century, when small dogs came into fashion, the breed was crossed with the Italian Greyhound and others to create the smaller Toy Manchester Terrier. Today its numbers in Britain have dwindled, and it is listed as one of the native breeds in need of protection.