Appearance:

Note: The Canadian Kennel Club's Standard differs greatly from its American counterpart. Because of the relative vagueness of our own Standard we have chosen to take an exerpt from the AKC's Standard.

Taken from the American Kennel Club's Official Standard for the Manchester Terrier:

A small, black, short-coated dog with distinctive rich mahogany markings and a taper style tail.  In structure the Manchester presents a sleek, sturdy, yet elegant look, and has a wedge-shaped, long and clean head with a keen, bright, alert expression.  The smooth, compact, muscular body expresses great power and agility, enabling the Manchester to kill vermin and course small game.  Except for size and ear options, there are no differences between the Standard and Toy varieties of the Manchester Terrier.  The Toy is a diminutive version of the Standard variety.

History:

Appearing in the form we know today in the late 1800s the longevity of this breed should be recognized.  

Writings referring to an earlier version of the breed (the English Black and Tan Terrier) date back almost 400 years, making the Manchester one of the oldest breeds of terrier currently recognized by the CKC.   Originally bred as a ratting machine, Manchesters made frequent and highly acclaimed appearances in the rat pits. It was during the mid-1900s that smaller versions of the Black and Tan began to appear due to a trend toward miniaturization

In the late 19th century the popularity of the breed fell with the outlawing of blood sports and the banning of ear cropping. It was at this point that several devoted breeders began to reform the breed. By using a Whippet cross they were able to take it from the rough coated, rugged terrier of the ratters to the sleek, elegant, gentleman's companion we now know.  The Manchester now appears as two varieties in North America, distinguished primarily by weight: Toys up to, bu t not exceeding 12 lb., and Standards 12-22 lb.

Today the Manchester is at its best cuddled up on a lap or laying in the sun, but is equally as at home in more athletic situations.  The versatility of the breed knows no bounds as their mischeviousness and overall gaminess find new ways to express themselves. Manchesters in Canada are constantly  invading new territory in the dog world as they make their mark in conformation and obedience rings as well as flyball and agility trials across the country.  At least one has also made in-roads as a Therapy dog.  

Health:

Manchester Terriers are a generally healthy breed, though, as with any other dog, problems do exist.  One health problem being targeted by todays MT fanciers is von Willebrand's Disease, a bleeding disorder found in dogs affecting an assortment of breeds today. With the help of genetic testing by a company called Vetgen, breeders are now able to determine whether their breeding stock are clear, affected or carriers (ie. Carries one copy of the recessive gene causing von Willebrand s Disease) of the disease.  Links to the VetGen website can be found on the links page.  Both health and temperament are guaranteed on all puppies we sell.


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