Manchester Terrier

Description:
The Manchester terrier's ideal weight is between six and eleven kilograms. It is in general longer than it is in height, around thirty-eight to forty one centimeters. It has good bone structure and is muscular which guarantees its agility and resistance. This dog is a short-coated dog, is black and has a powerful smart and alert look in its eyes. The eyes should look small, shiny and should have an almond shape to them, but should not be prominent or stick out. The ears are small, are pointy and v shaped; when the dog is relaxed they hang stuck to the head or stick upwards if docked. The head is longish and narrow and is shaped in a wedge. The muzzle and the skull have the same length. The neck is slightly arched, thin and fine and does not have any dewlap; the chest is narrow but long; the thorax wide and its stomach sticks inwards; the tail narrows at the tip. The front legs should look straight with its elbows stuck to the body; the length of the legs should be in proportion with its body. The hind legs should be well angled with low ankles positioned in the back. The black and fire color of this dog should be well marked on its body; the reddish color should be evident on both sides of its chest and on the legs.

Ideal owner:
With all of the incredible virtues the Manchester terrier has, it is a surprise that this dog has not impacted the canine world more. This dog actually looks like a small sized Doberman. However it is a unique breed and has been around a lot longer than Dobermans have. This dog is perfect for active and energetic people. If you live in an apartment its size fits right into the picture. It has a very adaptable and appeased personality. This dog is very sure of it self and can serve as a very good guardian dog.

Growth:
Manchester terriers are almost completely black at birth and weigh around 170 to 225 grams. The reddish color on the coat usually becomes evident at around one month of age, however the spots on its paws and firm lines usually take a little longer to show. The future owner will need to find out with the standard look of this dog in order to pick out the right one, usually the spots show up at around eight weeks of age though. In some countries the ears are docked, however find out about the laws in your country before having this done as in some places it is not allowed. Remember also that docking the ears is a delicate procedure and it requires a considerable amount of postoperative care. Some Manchester's can suffer from growth defects and this problem can be related to its sensibility to vaccines. Make sure to talk to the breeder and veterinarian about this possibility.

General health:
This dog is an authentic terrier, however it does not have the typical terrier coat and it requires of little coat care. The owner will need to brush its coat every two days and must regularly checks its eyes, paws, and ears. One problem that does seem to occur a lot in this breed though is skin irritations and infections; these can be treated with medicine and ointments though. A rare and unusual skin problem has also been seen called coetaneous asthenia; the symptoms include soft, delicate, humid and pale looking skin. Hip dysphasia is not common but it has been seen in some as well as epilepsy and Von Willebrand. Dental problems aren't frequent in this breed either. This dog has a very athletic look and it does need an abundant amount of exercise to maintain itself in shape.