8 Things to Know Before Owning a Toy Manchester Terrier

The Toy Manchester Terrier breed has a pretty recognizable look but is also quite exceptional when you look into it. These tiny dynamos can even surprise seasoned terrier owners because they are very special even when compared to other terriers. To find out how, let’s delve into the 8 vital things to know about the Toy Manchester Terrier.

1. The Toy Manchester Terrier may look like a Doberman Pinscher but the relation between the two might surprise you!

If you’ve never seen or heard of a Manchester Terrier before, your first thought very well may be “Oh, it’s a tiny English Doberman!” And that’s an understandable reaction but it’s also 100% wrong. The breeder that created Dobermans, the famous Louise Doberman, actually used Manchester terriers to create the famous and large German breed.

This makes the Doberman Pinscher “a large Manchester terrier” not the other way around. In fact, Manchester terriers are considered one of the oldest purebred dogs in Europe.

2. This is no ordinary terrier and is quite the well-mannered and trainable breed

A very common trait for most terriers is that they are very willful, stubborn, and difficult to control. This is quite normal, given how terriers were bred to hunt – not so much cooperatively or obediently like retrievers and pointers but rather by leaping into the chase and pursuing their prey until they catch it themselves. This has made most terrier breeds naturally willful, self-driven, independent, and not too susceptible to obedience training.

Here’s what’s awesome about Manchester terriers, however – they are rather obedient, much more so than other terrier breeds. This means that they go through obedience training much more easily than you might expect, especially early in their life. In fact, Manchester terriers are famous as serious obedience and agility competition contenders and serial winners.

This is great for people who generally avoid terrier breeds because they consider them to be unmanageable. And while we do dub many terrier breeds as “not recommended for first-time owners”, the Toy Manchester Terrier is one of the exceptions. Diligent obedience training early on is still important but it’s much easier and more manageable with Manchesters than it is with other terriers.

3. These tiny gentlemen have plenty of energy to burn

Don’t confuse the good manners of this breed with a calm personality. Just because they used to be called “Gentleman Terrier” a while back, doesn’t mean that these dogs aren’t actually busting at the seams with energy and enthusiasm.

Why is that important? Because, if you want to get a Manchester terrier – even a toy one – you should be ready for some time outdoors. These dogs need to go out and need to have at least two full and nice 30 to 40-minute brisk walks outside. They are pretty good jogging companions too, just don’t let them off their leashes cause their prey drive is quite powerful as well.

If you have a yard, this can give your Manchester a little extra outdoor time every day but that shouldn’t come at the expense of the walk to and in the dog park. Also – make sure the yard is perfectly fenced. As for indoor playtime – this is where your dog will expend all its extra penned-up energy and that’s important too. Fortunately, Toy Manchesters are pretty small so playtime in the living room should be easy to arrange.

4. There is a larger version of this breed if you don’t want something that small

There are two size versions of the Manchester Terrier – the Toy dogs we’re talking about and a larger (or a less small) “standard” Manchester.

Toys weigh about 10 to 12 inches tall (25 to 30 cm) thanks to their long and athletic legs but they are not supposed to weigh any more than 12 pounds (5.5). Standards, on the other hand, reach the collosal 15 to 16 inches of height (38 to 40 cm) and can weigh as much as 12 to 22 pounds (5.5 to 10 kg).

So, yes, these dogs are truly small, whichever way you slice it. Fortunately, Toy Manchester terriers don’t seem to be different in any other meaningful ways other than size – they are not more sickly and weren’t crossbred, they’ve just been selected to be a bit smaller.

5. These dogs can be taught to get along with other people, kids, dogs, and pets but they will need quite a bit of socialization

Another stigma about terrier breeds is that they don’t socialize well with others. And this is true in most cases – their prey drive makes them bad roommates for cats, their competitiveness makes them unsuitable for life with most other dogs, and their hyperactive nature combined with their poor obedience training outcomes makes them less than great for kids.

Manchester terriers, however, benefit from their good obedience and can be trained to be well-mannered around others. The second big thing you’ll need together with training is lots of socialization, however. This means exposing them to lots of contact with other people, other dogs, as well as kids and even cats early in the Manchester’s life. Do this often and make said contacts pleasurable and fun, and your dog will learn to trust, accept, and like all people and animals it meets.

Skip or delay the socialization step, however, and you will likely end up with an antisocial dog that doesn’t trust strangers, isn’t too safe around kids, and absolutely doesn’t tolerate other dogs and pets.

6. While obedience training is less of an issue with this breed, housebreaking can still take time

Don’t mistake the Manchester’s good obedience with easy housebreaking/potty training or even crate training. As pups, these dogs can be quite obstinent as they haven’t yet gone through enough obedience training. So, as is the case with most other small breeds, you should be ready for a few weeks of effort and night poopy breaks before your dog is properly housebroken and understands the concept of a bathroom break.

7. The barking tendencies of the Manchester may surprise some owners

Another great thing about the Manchester terrier is that these dogs make for excellent watchdogs. The corresponding negative here, however, is that if you don’t want a watchdog, you’ll need to do something about all their barking.

The obedience training helps but you may need some no-bark training too in some cases. More crucially, you’ll also need to watch out for separation anxiety. People often don’t realize that terriers can be susceptible to attachment issues but that’s certainly a thing. So, if you need to work away from home and there won’t be other family members around when you’re out, you’re going to need to have a plan for your pet.

Some of the typical suggestions include things such as hiring a pet walker or sitter, arranging playdates with other dog owners, taking your dog with you, or just giving your dog plentyof exercise before you go out. Whichever route you choose, you need to make sure that your dog remains calm, happy, and quiet when you’re out. Otherwise, the Manchester’s barking tendancies will quickly drive your neighbors crazy. Not to mention that the hyperactivity of these dogs can spell bad news for your furniture too if they become too restless.

8. The Toy Manchester Terrier is quite healthy with just a few potential issues to watch out for

Fortunately, Manchester Terriers have neither been overbred due to high demand nor have they been neglected and dwindling due to low interest. This, together with responsible breeding, has helped the breed maintain a pretty good health and a long lifespan of 14 to 16 years on average and even more with good care.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t watch out for some potential issues, of course. The main things to keep an eye on include hip and elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, Glaucoma, heat bumps, and von Willebrand’s disease. Those can usually be avoided if you make sure that you get a pup with reputable health and hereditary certificates, and then just take good care of it.

Essentially, the Manchester Terrier is both a quintessential terrier breed as well as a pretty cool standout from the terrier group with its good trainability and obedience. Of course, no terrier will ever be as obedient as a shepherd or a retriever but with a Manchester, you’re going to have a much easier time getting your pet to behave properly than you would with most other terriers.

Add the small size, high adaptability, the abundance of energy and zest for life, and the pretty good health, and the Toy Manchester becomes an excellent pet for families and single-person households alike. Just make sure that you’re giving your pet plenty of playtime and attention as this is not a dog that likes to chill home alone.