The now obsolete synonymy of Toy Manchester Terrier and Black-and Tan-Toy reveal that this English breed is a small edition of the old Manchester Terrier and that like that breed it is coloured black-and-tan. The breed is well known and very easily recognized although it is by no means common; entries for Crufts Show of 1938 were higher for this breed than for the Yorkshire Terrier even, and only one less the following year, mostly due to the intense enthusiasm displayed by
Fanciers of this diminutive breed.
The date when true miniatures first began to appear as distinct from the Manchester or Black-and-Tan Terrier has not been fixed, but it is certain that in the 1840s a demand existed for dogs of this type weighing about 7 pounds yet of the parent coat and colour. The cynologist "Stonehenge" (Mr. J. M. Walsh, one-time Editor of The Field) wrote in his books published in 1859 and 1867 of his type stating that the "only true colour" was black-and-tan. About this time both the parent type and the new Toy were more popular in the Manchester district, and only gradually did they become known further south; but by 1870 London had heard of the little rat killing dogs which only weighed 5-7 pounds and the demand increased immediately. The result was that shortly afterwards the fashion was to breed too small dogs at the cost of loss of substance. Dogs of about 4 pounds in weight which lacked soundness and symmetry were fairly common and not until the craze over-ran itself did the breed progress in quality.
Notable among the early dogs were those of the 'Glenartney' and 'Lostock' prefixes. "Sir Bevis," "Mascotte Model" and "Merry Atom." Miss L. M. Hignett's "Lostock Love-song" was sold to Mr. H. Monk who changed it's name to "Mascot Maud" and made it a Champion. "Merry Atom" was also an outstanding Terrier, the property of Mr. W. E. S. Richmond and weighing only 4 1/2 pounds. Of modern dogs, Mrs. Joyce Melvyn's "The Cherry Pie" is of excellent type, being a son of Champion "Half Moon Beau Brummel," as is her famous bitch "Apple Dumpling." Since 1925 Black-and-Tan Miniature Terriers may exceed the previous weight limit of 7 pounds and providing they are typical in other respects this is a wise rule indeed; in any case a bitch of about 9 or even 10-12 pounds can produce excellent Toys if mated to a naturally small sire, of the right blood.
The head is long, flat and fairly narrow, with a perceptible stop; the eyes are small, bright in expression and dark in colour; the ears are medium-sized, set high and erect (they may be semi-erect or dropped); the muzzle is tapering and tight-lipped with a level mouth.
The body is moderately short with the chest deep but not wide; lions showing a fair tuck-up; back slightly arched; legs of moderate length, of fine bone and quite straight with small neat feet; tail fairly thick at the set-on tapering to a fine point at it's natural end, and carried low. The coat is short and close-lying, smooth and glossy. The colour is jet black with rich mahogany-tan points on the muzzle, throat, forelegs up to the knees, the stifles and under the tail; the tan on the outside of the hindlegs is a defect known as 'breeching' in the fancy. Height is about 9 inches, and weight about 7-9 pounds, although some stud dogs are only about half that weight.
Outside the major dog shows the Manchester Terrier is not well known even in England, its ancestral home. It would appear to be a purely English breed, which although never really popular in the South, was at one time widely known in the North, particularly in and around Lancashire. It's origin is obscure, but it is certain that the old broken- haired Black-and-Tan Terrier and the present name arose from a desire to give credit to the great support given the breed by Mr. Sam Handley of Manchester who helped conspicuously to make the breed so popular in the 1870s when it reached it's heyday.
The change in name was well meant, no doubt, but Manchester has never had any especial claim in breeding these dogs; to-day, for example, most god dogs come from Derbyshire, Warwickshire and Northants and scarcely any from Lancashire. However, the new name took root and is now recognized all over the world.
Before the ban on cropping the ears came into force, the Manchester, like other cropped Terriers, was fashionable; but as it became evident that natural ears would neither lie down nor stay up many enthusiasts lost interest in the breed after the cropping ban, and like the Bull Terrier, it suffered a temporary set-back. Once ear carriage had been stabilized, however, and sound specimens once again bred the breed recovered, but never to its former extent. As ratters the dogs are first class and they also make ideal companions.
The head is long, especially the fore-face, with a flat and fairly narrow skull showing very slight stop; the eyes are small and dark; the ears are small to medium, triangular, set high but falling over close to the sides of the head with the tip placed approximately in line with the eyes; the muzzle is wedge-shaped and tapering, with tight lips and strong jaws with a level mouth.
The neck is of moderate length, muscular and slightly arched; the body is of short to medium length with a firm back which is generally level, but shows a slight falling away on the croup; the chest is well ribbed and deep without being broad; the legs are of good bone without coarseness, straight, of medium length, with the feet small and compact; the tail is rather short, thick at the root and tapering to a fine point.
The coat is smooth, short and close-lying, of a firm texture and quite glossy. Colour is jet black, with rich mahogany tan markings on the muzzle, part of the throat, the lower part of the legs ('pencillings' on the toes to be lack), in inside of the hind legs, immediately below the tail root, and tan eye spots. The two colours do not (or should not) intermingle on any part of the body or head; the divisions between them should be well defined. Height is about 16 inches, and weight is generally 18 pounds for dogs and 16-17 pounds for bitches.
*From the personal collection of Jo Ann Emrick, "Wilane Manchester Terriers"