English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)

The English Toy Terrier is the miniature black-and-tan of Victorian rat pits, and one of Britain's most endangered native breeds.

History

It is the toy version of the Manchester Terrier, kept for killing rats in pits — a famous dog named Tiny reportedly killed two hundred rats in under an hour in the 1840s. When the sport was banned the breed lost its purpose, and it has been on the Kennel Club's vulnerable native breeds list for years, with annual registrations in the low hundreds.

Temperament

The breed is known for being alert, affectionate and closely attached to one or two people, reserved with strangers and keen on anything small that moves.

Care and training

Exercise needs are modest. The short glossy coat needs nothing, and a tiny thin-coated dog feels the cold badly. Training suits short, consistent sessions.

Health

Known tendencies include patellar luxation, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease and, in a very small population, the genetic caution that implies. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.