How to Identify a Manchester Terrier

The Manchester Terrier displays its true terrier temperament--it is cunning and eager to learn. It is also quite loyal to its family, and thrives on attention. This breed would do well with classes such as obedience and agility classes and trials. Without obedience training, the Manchester Terrier may become overly alpha, so in addition to obedience classes, it should be socialized when young, especially with younger children and other animals. If it becomes bored, it will destroy your belongings, so it should either be crated if you are not home for long periods of time--or make sure it has plenty of “keep busy” toys and other things to do.

Instructions

1. Look at the general appearance of the Manchester Terrier. The rich mahogany markings help give this breed an elegant look to its compact, muscular body, at the same time expressing power and agility. The standard and toy Manchester Terriers are the same, with the exception of the size of the dog and how the ears look.

2. Check the size of the toys and standards. The toy varieties do not exceed 12 pounds. The standard Manchester Terrier weighs over 12 pounds and up to 22 pounds. Both toys and standards are a bit longer than they are tall. The height is measured from the ground to the top of the shoulders and the length is measured from the highest point of the shoulders to the rearmost part of the upper thigh.

3. Make sure the Manchester Terrier’s expression is astute and alert. The long, narrow head is just about flat and looks like a dull wedge in both the frontal and profile views. The nose is black in both the toy and standard terriers. The black eyes are close together and do not protrude or sink into the skull. The ears for the standard may or may not be cropped, but should stand up. The toy’s ears should not be cropped, and it should stand erect.

4. Look at the body of the Manchester Terrier. The graceful neck becomes larger as it arches into the shoulders. The narrow chest is quite deep. The compact front feet are arched, with the two middle toes a bit longer than the other toes, protected by thick pads and black toenails. The muscular rear thighs (upper and lower) are equal in length. The rear feet are cat-like and protected by thick pads and black nails. The medium length tail should not reach past the hock joint, and should taper to a point, carried in an upward curve, but not curved over the back.

5. Pet the smooth coat. It is short and should feel dense and tight. It should be a glossy jet black with rich tan markings, including over the eyes and a small spot on each cheek. There is tan under the neck, on the muzzle and in the inside of the ears. This breed has no white coloring or markings and should be no other color other than black and tan.