Manchester terrier definition of Manchester terrier in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Manchester terrier, breed of sleek, alert terrier terrier, classification used by breeders and kennel clubs to designate dogs originally bred to start small game and vermin from their burrows or, in the case of several breeds in this group, to go to earth and kill their prey.
..... Click the link for more information. developed in England in the 19th cent. There are two varieties, the standard and the toy (see toy dog toy dog, classification used by breeders and kennel clubs to designate very small breeds of dogs kept as pets. Some are selectively bred diminutive forms of larger breeds and others are naturally small.
..... Click the link for more information. ). The standard variety stands from 14 to 16 in. (35.6–40.6 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs about 16 lb (7.3 kg). The toy Manchester, bred down from the standard, weighs from 5 to 12 lb (2.3–5.5 kg) and stands about 7 in. (17.8 cm) high at the shoulder. The only distinction other than size between the two varieties is in ear carriage; when not cropped, the ears of the standard are semierect, while the toy's natural ear carriage is erect. The dense, short, smooth coat is glossy and is a combination of jet black and mahogany tan in color. Believed to have been the product of breeding a whippet to a famous brown crossbred terrier, the Manchester was originally used in destroying rats and in the widely popular sport of rabbit coursing. Today it is raised chiefly as a house pet. See dog dog, carnivorous, domesticated wolf (Canis lupus familiaris) of the family Canidae, to which the jackal and fox also belong. The family Canidae is sometimes referred to as the dog family, and its characteristics, e.g.
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