The English Toy Terrier is a small terrier closely related to the larger Manchester Terrier, originally developed to hunt vermin.
It is fast and agile, with a small muscular frame, sleek silhouette and a smooth black and tan coat. They have distinctive pointed and erect ears and small, dark and alert eyes. Although classed as a toy breed, this dog is a terrier at heart and is alert, inquisitive and full of energy, and with its tough little character it will happily stand up to much bigger dogs. They are not overly demanding in terms of exercise but will enjoy plenty of games and training activities. They make charming companions which are devoted to their owners and are best suited to quieter homes and older children. They will do well with other dogs, and with cats with training, although they should be kept away from smaller household pets, which they may see as prey. Being small and dainty they will benefit from a warm coat on cold or wet days.
History
The English Toy Terrier was developed from the larger Manchester Terrier, a rat killer in the Victorian era. It was miniaturised with input from the Italian Greyhound, to make an agile fast toy terrier. Despite their smaller size, they were still effective rat catchers and were commonly used in the rat pit, a sport popular in the cities of Victorian England.
