Manchester Terrier
Finding a good that also suits your needs isn’t always easy. Most people will impulsively get the first dog that strikes a chord in their heart, while some people prefer to do their research and find out all about potential dogs they can get. If you’re interested in something like a toy Manchester Terrier for instance there are a few things that you would want to learn about it first.
And the very first thing you should know about is that Manchester Terriers come in two different categories. The Toy Manchester Terrier variety and the Standard Manchester Terrier variety. Both these dogs have the same general characteristics with their size being the main difference between them.
For instance the toy Manchester Terrier variety can weigh between 6-12 pounds while the standard Manchester Terrier variety weighs between 16-19 pounds. There is also a marked difference in height between these two different varieties and this is reflected in the lack of inches in the toy Manchester Terrier variety. These dogs can grow up to about 10-12 inches while the standard variety grows about 15-17 inches in height.
Both types of Manchester Terrier are highly intelligent ad both make loyal companions. Unlike the standard Manchester Terrier however, the toy Manchester Terrier is not necessarily used for the hunting skills it possesses. Having said that, whether you get the standard Manchester Terrier or whether you get the toy Manchester Terrier these days the last thing that people do will be to use them to hunt, be it the rats they were bred specifically to hunt, or anything else.
These dogs are primarily used as companion dogs or competitive dogs. These dogs are highly intelligent and can be trained if this is taken of at a very early age. Otherwise both the toy Manchester Terrier and the standard Manchester Terrier have been to known to be willful and sometimes to not listen to its owner. A firm hand is a must when training your Manchester Terrier.
Another thing that you might want to think about if you’re looking at getting either a toy Manchester Terrier or a standard Manchester Terrier is whether you have children, specifically young children. They do have the tendency to become aggressive and if this is not bred out of them, or even trained out of them when they are young, you will want to be very careful.
And since they were bred specifically as rat hunters, if you have any pet hamsters, gerbils or mice roaming around the house you might want to think of getting another type of dog or giving away your rodent pets. Although the Manchester Terrier can be kept alone with smaller animals if trained from the beginning, you might not want to trust in training against instinct, too much. The best thing that you can do would be to take temptation out of the way!