Manchester terrier

Smooth-haired, black and tan medium-sized Manchester terrier, lightweight, with semi-folded ears and a long tail. Active, lively, with a predisposition to watch, moderately dominant. Very strongly attached to the owners.

Nature

Manchester is strongly attached to the owners, sometimes they do not want to step aside their master. They are affectionate and friendly towards the whole family. They approach strangers with a certain degree of distrust, but they accept friends at home fairly quickly.

They are intelligent, sensitive and have a good memory. They feel good in the dog flock. Unlike many terriers, they do not come into conflict with foreign quadrupeds. However, in some situations they can show great courage, for example, defending the herd.

Manchester can live with cats, but you should not trust them when dealing with small animals such as rodents or rabbits. Most of these dogs get along well with older children, but are not recommended to accompany toddlers.

Manchester terriers alert with barking about the presence of an intruder, but they do not do it too insistently. At home, they are calm and sleep a lot. However, you must remember that they love outdoor activities. For physical and mental health, a representative of this breed should be able to run free for at least half an hour a day.

Skills

Manchester is good at agility. In Belgium, they are even trained as rescue dogs. A well-socialized Manchester can even work as a therapist.

Manchester terrier. Training and education

They are susceptible to training, but it is important to train them from a puppy. Most of them are greedy, which facilitates work, but unfortunately is associated with a predisposition to gaining weight and collecting garbage. Representatives of this breed also have a possessive attitude towards food or toys.

Intelligence, human focus, hunting instinct that can be redirected to toys, and construction type make Manchester the perfect material for an athlete in such competitions as agility, flyball or frisbee.

Who is this race for?

Manchester can be recommended to most people. It is a relative terrier that is easy to raise and shape.

Manchester terrier. Advantages and disadvantages

Disadvantages

• has a strong hunting instinct
• some individuals may be aggressive towards other dogs
• scum, in winter requires clothes

Advantages

• easy to raise (for a terrier)
• attached to owner
• easy to care for
• suitable for dog sports

Health

This breed is rather healthy, and genetic problems are very rare. There is von Willebrand disease, aseptic femoral head necrosis, thyroid problems and allergies.

Feeding

Manchester terrier can be fed with ready-made food as well as food prepared at home.

Care

Manchester care is not a problem. Molting moderately twice a year. Just brushing with a rubber brush or glove with insets designed for short-haired dogs.

Manchester likes warmth, so it’s worth giving him a dress in cold weather, especially if you plan longer walks. Lack of undercoat precludes keeping it out.

Manchester terrier. History

Hundreds of years ago, black and tan terriers were known in the British Isles. They were especially popular with professional rat-catchers. In the 50s-60s. In the nineteenth century, breeder John Hulme came up with the idea of ​​crossing these dogs with the ancestors of today’s whippets – he wanted to get quadrupeds faster and more elegant. The intention was successful and other breeders followed in his footsteps. This is how the breed was born, which at the end of the 19th century was called the Manchester Terrier.

The peak of interest for her fell in the Victorian era. Manchester terriers began to act as elegant companion dogs. They were considered suitable for gentlemen. At that time, a miniature version for ladies, now known as the English toy terrier, was bred.

Manchester also played ‘popular’ sports in the 19th century, consisting of… strangling rats in time. They were too delicate to deal with foxes or badgers, but they were used to hunt rabbits. Already then they were described as dogs slow to skirmish with other quadrupeds, spontaneous and agile, with a strong hunting instinct. This characteristic is still valid.

Extremely also the breed has changed little. The difference concerns mainly the color – currently, only one is recognized, although in the nineteenth century there were also white, blue and red terriers. Until 1897, British men had their ears copied (unfortunately they are still cut off in America today, but fortunately this is no longer practiced in Europe).

When the Kennel Club banned copying, interest in the breed diminished. However, after a dozen or so years, it began to regain popularity when breeders were able to obtain the desired ears broken in front of more and more dogs.

The number of Manchester fell sharply during World War I. They survived only thanks to the efforts of several enthusiasts. After the war, the breed was rebuilt. (In the 1920s, the Kennel Club recognized the miniature version as a separate breed – a toy terrier). In 1924, the name Manchester Manchester was officially adopted, and in 1937 a British breed club was created.

Her future began to appear in bright colors, but World War II meant that she was in danger of extinction again. In 1946, there were only 11 thoroughbred Manchester – in addition, most were too old to be reproduced. In the 1950s, crossings with toy terriers were carried out under the supervision of the Kennel Club. Fresh blood was also obtained thanks to the import of quadrupeds from the United States.

Despite these efforts, the genetic pool is still very narrow, which makes a selection of partners difficult. Even in Great Britain, this breed is still not popular – only about 100 dogs are registered there annually. In this situation, the Manchester Terrier was entered by the Kennel Club on the list of endangered breeds.

Currently, Manchester is the most popular in the Benelux countries, especially in Belgium – they are even trained as rescue dogs. They are also gaining more and more lovers in Germany. 

Template

Manchester terrier – group III FCI, section 1, model number 71

• Country of origin:  Great Britain
• Character:  lively, smart, cheerful, alert and devoted to the owner
• Size:  40-41 cm, bitches 38 cm
• Weight:  7-10 kg
• Coat:  short, without undercoat, hard, smooth and close-fitting
• Color:  black and tan
• Lifespan:  about 15 years
• Vulnerability to training:  high
• Activity:  he likes running a lot, but he is calm at home; adapts to the owner’s lifestyle, but should be allowed at least half an hour of free movement per day
• Resistance/susceptibility to diseases:  generally a healthy breed, genetic problems occur sporadically; sensitive to cold and moisture

Interesting facts

In Australia, Manchester Terriers are trained to detect in the luggage of people arriving on the island of Groote Eylandt toad aga, posing a threat to the local fauna.