History

A potted history of the Manchester Terrier

Manchester Terriers are considered by most to be the oldest of all identifiable terrier breeds, finding mention in works dating from as early as the 16th century. In 1570 Dr. Caius (Encyclopedia of Dogs) gives mention to the 'Black and Tan Terrier,' though he referred to a rougher coated, shorter legged dog than we are now accustomed to.

By the early 1800s the Manchester Terrier had evolved in a form that we would recognise today. In The Dog in Health and Disease by J. A. Walsh a full chapter was devoted to the Black and Tan, for the first time recognising it as an established breed. The description Walsh set forth might, in fact, serve well today: Smooth haired, long tapering nose, narrow flat skull, eyes small and bright, chest rather deep than wide, only true colour Black and Tan. Consistency in type and appearance in Manchesters has maintained for nearly two centuries (at the very least).

Peter Eva, Championship Show Judge and breeder, and whose kennel, Sophyla, bred Darchy, has said the following about the breed: "The Manchester Terrier, originally called the Black and Tan Terrier is not a designed dog but the result of selective breeding from the local Terrier for a purpose. That is to live close with its people, having all the controlled spark of a Terrier. It has a single coat for ease of maintenance, a wonderful clean mouth containing amazing teeth and the agility and speed of a first class athlete."

The earliest recorded sighting that we know of is in a 1355 painting called the Hour of the Virgin, which appeared in Dr Caius’ book. The breed clearly existed before this as it is referred to as the other Black and Tan Terrier alongside the rough coated variety from which the Welsh, Lakeland, Airedale etc were derived. Having a smooth single coat, it was a ‘house’ dog rather than the coated outdoor types and so did not get the fame and kudos of the Huntsman’s assistant.

His ratting talents were prodigious and he was favoured in houses, ships, warehouses and coal mines, the black and tan colouring being obvious camouflage in the dark unpleasant conditions. The single coat is easy to clean and does not show the smuts and grime. It is said that the tan eyebrow, cheek, muzzle and chest spots are to confuse the rat. I have never been able to ask the rat or the dog, so it’s an assumption! The famous black ‘thumb spots’ on the wrist could be another confusing marking or God’s two-handed blessing, such as on the haddock and other fish for the five thousand. That is a bit far fetched, even for me. It always breeds true Black and Tan, with varying degrees of perfection. There is no doubt however that the Black and Tan, or the Manchester Terrier has changed little over hundreds of years, less than most. That is apart from the ears, which like most natural dogs were upright and lent themselves to the barbaric practice of being ‘cut’ when the dog is about six months old.  However, the practice of cropping was banned by the Kennel Club in 1883.

The breed was not derived from the Whippet or improved by the Whippet and to quote the late and great ‘Doggie’ Hubbard “That’s nonsense”. If anything the Whippet has a bit of Black and Tan in him. In fact some breeds such as the Dobermann in the early years of its development has recorded matings with the Manchester Terrier. Those perpetuating these stories about Whippets do not help in establishing the true identity of the breed. It existed long before.

In the beginning, the Manchester Terrier varied in size as it does to an extent today. Originally it came in three sizes, the smallest down to below 7lbs and this became the English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan) with his own history and reputation, the medium or Manchester Terrier 15/16” and the larger 21” plus dog which is rarely seen now. It could have been this latter size that Herr Dobermann used.

At the first dog show, Newcastle Canine Society in 1858, Black and Tans had classes of all three sizes and they were amongst the largest entries. At Birmingham in 1859 they were also listed but the actual entry was less, maybe it was too far to travel. Whatever the size, the Manchester Terrier is famous for its vermin killing abilities, but it is because of this he has become infamous due to the company he kept.

  Rat pits, gaming houses and a variety of non-PC activities meant that he did not always associate with the top people!  Some people however did appreciate his virtues, such as the young Queen Victoria, President Roosevelt and Agatha Christie. The breed is still used by horse owners to keep tack rooms vermin free. The Manchester Terriers fame as the ultimate burglar alarm makes electrical devices unnecessary.

As a dog carefully developed to be very active, powerful and quick in very small restricted areas, his conformation does not always lend itself to striding around the show ring as the ability to move like lightning a few feet or inches is much more important. The powerful, crested neck and the incredible bite means that a flick of the head and the prey is dead.

He is almost maintenance free, requiring just nails and teeth to be kept in order. On top of that he requires exercise, warm clean bedding, feeding, and fresh clean water. Owners agree that the digestive system is like a stainless steel tube that makes it fuss free.

Because there are only approximately 30 litters with approximately 130 puppies born and registered every year, the Manchester Terrier is on the Kennel Club’s native vulnerable native list which can be read in full on the following link - www.thekennelclub.org.uk