Manchester Terrier

The breed grew out of the old English Black and Tan Terrier, the working rat-killer of the industrial north. In the 1800s a Manchester fancier named John Hulme is credited with crossing Black and Tan Terriers with Whippets to produce a dog that could do both jobs of the working man's weekend: kill rats in the pit and course rabbits. The result was faster and cleaner in outline than the old terrier, and the city's name stuck to it.

Rat-pit contests and rabbit coursing were both popular entertainments in nineteenth-century Britain, and the breed's early fame rests on them. When those sports were suppressed and vermin control moved on, the Manchester Terrier survived as a smart town dog, earning the nickname the gentleman's terrier for its neat appearance and undemanding habits.

Ear cropping was widespread until it was banned in Britain in 1898, after which the natural button and erect ears of the modern standard were fixed. The breed came very close to extinction around the Second World War, with only a handful of registrations recorded in 1945, and was rebuilt from a tiny base by a small group of enthusiasts. The Kennel Club still lists it as a vulnerable native breed.

In North America the American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club treat the Manchester Terrier as one breed with two varieties, Standard and Toy, the Toy distinguished by its smaller size and naturally erect ears. In Britain and under the Federation Cynologique Internationale the small variety is registered separately as the English Toy Terrier.

The Standard variety stands roughly 15 to 16 inches at the shoulder and weighs about 12 to 22 pounds. The silhouette shows the Whippet influence clearly: a slightly arched loin, a deep narrow chest, tucked-up underline and clean, well-angled legs, all built for speed and turning rather than digging.

The head is long, narrow and wedge-shaped with a flat skull, small dark almond eyes and a tapering muzzle. Ears may be naturally erect, or button ears folding neatly forward; in North America cropped ears are also seen in the Standard variety, while the Toy variety must have erect ears.

The coat is short, dense, tight and glossy and comes in one colour only: jet black with rich mahogany tan in a precise pattern, including tan spots above each eye, tan on the muzzle and throat, tan pencilling on the toes and the characteristic thumb marks above the front feet. Any smudging or running together of the two colours is a fault under the standard.

This is a bright, watchful and highly responsive dog that keeps track of everything happening in its household. It bonds intensely, often choosing one person as its centre of gravity, and it likes to be near that person, frequently under a blanket. Manchester Terriers are markedly sensitive for terriers and shut down under harsh handling.

With strangers the breed is naturally reserved rather than hostile: an unfamiliar visitor is watched carefully and greeted on the dog's own terms. That reserve makes it a genuinely useful little alarm dog, and the trade-off is that thorough early socialisation matters if you want a dog that copes calmly with a busy street or a full house.

The prey drive is undiminished. Rodents, small pets and anything scurrying in the undergrowth are fair game, and a Manchester will hunt a hedgerow with complete absorption. It is generally sociable with other dogs it knows, though some individuals can be pushy with unfamiliar dogs of the same sex.

It suits older children who understand that a fine-boned dog is not a toy; the breed can find rough handling or unpredictable toddlers stressful. It is quieter than many terriers but will bark at genuine arrivals.

The original job was vermin control, and the breed remains an outstandingly efficient ratter where that is still needed on farms and stables. Modern owners channel the same drive into earthdog and barn hunt trials, lure coursing, agility and fast CAT runs, all of which suit a dog with terrier tenacity and sighthound speed.

As a household dog its combination of size, silent coat and clean habits makes it a strong apartment candidate, provided the exercise and mental work are genuinely provided. It also does well at obedience and rally with a handler who keeps sessions short and rewarding, and its alertness makes it a natural watchdog without any of the bulk of a guarding breed.