Alice White
The English Toy Terrier is a small decorative dog, a miniature copy of the Manchester Terrier with the characteristics inherent in this type of breed, they are agile, smart, and courageous. The Toy is infinitely attached to the owner. This is an excellent breed for a small apartment, unpretentious, healthy, easy to care for and maintain.
History of the Breed
Dog handlers consider the Black and Tan Terrier and larger dogs of the Manchester Terrier breed to be the ancestors of Toy Terriers; they also do not preclude the use of the Italian Greyhound and Whippet. In the paintings of the 16th century, you can find images of dogs very similar to the English Toy Terrier, and a detailed description of the breed created for catching rats dates back to the 18th century; there were even competitions between representatives. In 1826, toy Terriers were presented at an exhibition and remained the favorites of the English nobility until the beginning of the 18th century. Later they appeared in Germany, France, and the USA.
At first, all Black and Tan Terriers differed only in weight, but in 1920 they were officially divided into two breeds: the Manchester Terrier and the English Black and Tan Terrier. The latter in 1962 were named “English Toy Terrier”.
Today, the English Toy belongs to endangered breeds, in order to preserve and increase the existing gene pool, the Kennel Club of England decided to open a special studbook, in which, under the name Toy Terrier, North American and Manchester Terriers are registered, having passed the appropriate selection and evaluation.
The English Kennel Club and FCI recognized the breed as an independent breed, and American dog breeders consider the English Toy Terrier to be a kind of Manchester.
Appearance
Toy Terriers are compact, elegant, and harmoniously complex dogs with a dry constitution. Height at the withers – up to 30 cm, weight – up to 4 kg.
The head is elongated, wedge-shaped, narrow. The stop is moderately expressed, all the contours of the muzzle are smoothed. The lower and upper jaws are tightly closed. Scissor bite. The nose is black. The eyes are small, almond-shaped, the section of the eyes is slightly oblique, the iris is dark in color. Ears with pointed tips, set high, moderately close, erect. The inner side of the ear is facing forward. The neck is graceful, elongated, smoothly passes into the shoulders. The topline slopes slightly back, the back is slightly arched. The chest is deep and narrow. The tail is set low, tapering at the tip, and should not fall below the hock. The coat is short, very thick, and shiny. Only one color is allowed – black and tan. Tan behind ears undesirable, white markings unacceptable.
Personality
The English Toy has a lively temperament and typical terrier qualities, he is courageous, quick-witted and friendly, very loyal to his owner, appreciates the company, and always tries to be the center of attention. Terriers are wary of strangers.
The English Toy Terrier has preserved hunting instincts, so it can perceive small domestic animals as prey. It usually gets along well with other dogs, problems can arise if two males are kept under the same roof. The Terrier treats children well, but families with very young children who can harm the dog are not recommended to have a Toy Terrier.
Maintenance and Care
The English Toy Terrier is an excellent option for living in a city apartment, it does not take up, a small couch and a few toys will be enough.
Caring for the breed is very simple, it is enough to comb short wool a couple of times a week with a cloth or special mitten for smooth-haired breeds. The specific smell of the breed is almost completely absent, so they bathe only when absolutely necessary. From childhood, it is advisable to teach the pet the necessary hygienic procedures, such as cleaning the ears, eyes, and teeth, trimming the claws. For walks in the cold season, they pick up clothes, in the heat, they try to protect the dog from heatstroke.
Feeding and Health
There are no peculiarities in feeding the Toy Terrier. The main requirement is that the diet should be healthy and balanced. The dog can be fed with natural food, but given the small size of the pet and the miniature portions that will have to be constantly prepared with the correct calculation of the ingredients, it is much more convenient to choose high-quality ready-made food. We are talking about the feed of at least the premium class.
The English Toy Terrier, due to its short coat, is prone to overheating and freezes very quickly in cold weather. They are not devoid of hereditary diseases: glaucoma, cataracts, dislocation of the lens, progressive retinal atrophy, hypothyroidism, Peters disease. Because of the fragility of the bones, they are prone to fractures. The breed can be sensitive to anesthetics. Dental problems are common, especially in adulthood. Life expectancy is 10-13 years.
