How to find the perfect Manchester Terrier
It is not always easy to find a dog that suits your needs. It is common that most people buy the first dog that strikes a chord in their heart, while other prefer to do some serious research and weigh in their options before getting a dog. There are certain important things that you need to find out if you are interested in a Manchester Terrier.
The first thing that you should understand is that Manchester Terrier’s come in two different varieties. These varieties are the Toy Manchester variety and the Standard Manchester variety. Both these varieties have the same general characteristics and are only different from one another in terms of their height.
Let us take an example, the toy Manchester Terrier variety generally weighs between 6-12 pounds whereas the standard Manchester Terrier variety weighs in between 16-19 pounds. Also there is a well noticed difference in height of the dogs of these two varieties which is reflected by the small size of the toy Manchester variety. Toy Manchester variety dogs grow up to about 10-12 inches whereas the standard variety grows to a height of about 15-17 inches.
Both the varieties of the Manchester Terrier are highly intelligent and very loyal. Even though the toy Manchester variety possesses hunting skills just like the standard Manchester variety, it is still not used for this purpose. Having said that whether you get a toy or a standard Manchester variety it is highly unlikely that you are going to use it to hunt, be it the rats that they were specifically bred to hunt, or any other animals.
The Manchester Terrier breed of dogs is mainly used as companion or competition dogs. These are very intelligent and can be easily trained if the training commences at an early age. Otherwise it is well known fact that both toy and standard Manchester Terriers can become moody or willful and sometimes even not listen to their owner. Providing training to your Manchester Terrier requires use of a firm hand.
One thing that you really want to think about while getting a Manchester Terrier is whether you have children, especially young children, in your house. This is because if the fact that Manchester terriers have a tendency to become aggressive in some situations if the aggression has not been bred out of them or if they have not been trained from a very early age.
And because Manchester Terriers were originally bred as rat or rodent hunters, and in case you have any pet hamsters, gerbils or mice in your home then it is better that you look for some other breed of dog or say goodbye to your rodent pet. Although Manchester Terriers can be kept alone with small animals with proper training and that too from an early age, it is advised not to indulge in such a practice since you have no idea when the natural hunting instinct of your Terrier would kick in. The best thing that can be done is removing the source of the temptation altogether!
Check out this great dog book on toy dog breeds.
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