Manchester Terrier

The Manchester Terrier is the black-and-tan rat-killing terrier of industrial England, and the sleekest of the working terriers.

History

It was made in nineteenth-century Manchester by crossing the old Black and Tan Terrier with the Whippet, for two sports the city's working men followed: rat-killing in pits and rabbit coursing. The result had a terrier's grip and a sighthound's outline. Both sports were banned, and the breed nearly went with them.

Temperament

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

Care and training

It needs regular exercise and a secure garden. The short glossy coat needs almost nothing. Training benefits from consistency; the terrier independence is intact under the elegant outline.

Health

Known tendencies include von Willebrand's disease, patellar luxation and hereditary eye conditions. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.