Manchester Terrier

The Manchester Terrier is a smooth-haired terrier from England, first bred in the 19th century to control vermin, rats above all. It was so good at the job that it was a regular in the rat-baiting pits until that sport died out at the start of the 20th century.

History

The breed was developed from the Black and Tan Terrier and the Whippet. The Black and Tan Terrier had an almost legendary name as a rat killer, a valued skill in crowded, rat-infested cities such as 19th-century Manchester. Rat-baiting, in which a terrier was timed as it killed a pen full of rats, was popular by the early 19th century, and so was rabbit coursing. The breeder John Hulme crossed a Black and Tan Terrier with a Whippet to get a dog that could do well at both.

Similar dogs were bred elsewhere in England, but by 1860 Manchester was the center for the new terriers, and they took its name. The Italian Greyhound and the Dachshund may also have been bred in. In Victorian times its dignified manner earned it the nickname of the Gentleman’s Terrier.

By the end of the Second World War, in 1945, only 11 Manchester Terriers were registered with The Kennel Club. The British Manchester Terrier Club, formed in 1937, and others saved the breed. The Kennel Club still classes it as a vulnerable native breed. From 2017 to 2021 an average of 177 births a year were registered.

Appearance

A 19th-century description by Walsh still holds: a smooth coat, a long tapering nose, a narrow flat skull, small bright eyes, a chest deep more than wide, and black and tan as the only true color.

The Canadian and American kennel clubs recognize two varieties, the original and a miniature, the Toy Manchester Terrier. The American Kennel Club has treated them as one breed since 1958. In Britain the small dog is a separate breed, the English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan). The Manchester Terrier may have button, erect or cropped ears, while the Toy has erect ears only. Apart from size and ears, the two look the same.

Temperament

The Manchester Terrier is intelligent and inquisitive. It is described as feisty and affectionate as well as courageous and tough, and as a loyal companion that is eager to please.

Care and health

The breed is generally healthy. The Kennel Club’s health survey of 2004 found a median lifespan of about 12 years and 10 months.

Two inherited conditions are known in the breed. One is secondary glaucoma, linked to lens luxation, in which the lens of the eye is forced out of place. The other is von Willebrand’s disease, a blood-clotting disorder that causes nosebleeds and bleeding gums. It is recessive, so both parents must carry the gene for a puppy to be affected, and it is seen more often in the toy variety. DNA tests are available, and The Kennel Club keeps a register of results.

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