The Manchester Terrier is a compact, lithe bodied dog, smooth coated, agile and very intelligent. Refining the breed over its long history has given us a clean, robust dog that looks much like a small undocked Doberman.
They have an eager, spirited temperament and given due cause are ready to defend their home and friends with great courage. They are quick to voice their disapproval of events with their loud, penetrating bark. They are not yappy dogs and are seldom noisy without good reason (in their opinion).
They have a mischievous nature and bore easily. With regular exercise and constant companionship they become loyal and devoted members of the family tending to select one person as their particular friend. They will accept as much exercise as you care to give them and most M.T.'s, true to their past, are passionate and efficient rodent hunters.
Their short, black and tan coat sheds little hair, its high gloss is also a good indicator of their general state of health.
A regular wipe over with a damp chamois and occasional use of a "hound glove" is all the grooming they normally require. Their large appetites, but small needs require care with feeding if they are to keep their slim, elegant good looks.
They are an endearing breed, full of life and humour, anxious to share with you every moment and aspect of your life. Above all they are very much a Terrier.
HISTORY OF THE BREED
The Manchester Terrier, or Black and Tan Terrier, as it was previously known, is a very old breed. In 1570 Dr. Caius described a possible ancestor of the M.T., a small, rough coated, black and tan terrier. Old references and prints show the breed to be recognisable by the 1800's.
The types of dog used in the make up of the M.T. have been the subject of speculation for years. Given its "sporting" past, notably the rat pit and rabbit coursing, it is possible that many sorts of dog, including the now extinct English White Terrier, were crossed with the black and tan terriers to give us the M.T. we know today.
In 1874, the Kennel Club's first Stud Book had many entries for Black and Tan Terriers, the breed was obviously enjoying wide popularity as a show dog at this time.
1898 saw the abolition of ear cropping, and this continued the decline in the breed that started with the outlawing, in 1835, of several of their "sporting" pursuits. By the end of the Second World War the breed was on the verge of extinction in the country of its birth.
With only a handful of pure bred dogs left in the UK, a small band of enthusiasts set about reviving the breed. Their success was such that by 1955 the Kennel Club were once again offering Challenge Certificates for Manchester Terriers, the name having been changed from Black and Tan Terriers in the 1920's
The Breed now enjoys a select following of fanciers, who are enamoured with this most elegant of all the terriers.
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