Overview
The English Toy Terrier descends from the small Manchester Terriers kept for rat-pit contests in the nineteenth century. It is one of the Kennel Club's vulnerable native breeds, with very few born each year. The coat is short, glossy and offers almost no protection from the weather.
In character it is alert, affectionate and inclined to think it is bigger than it is. It takes to one or two people and may be reserved with strangers until it has a chance to assess them.
Exercise and walking needs
Two walks of twenty minutes or so a day cover the needs of an adult. They enjoy a quick trot and a game, but their legs are thin and their reserves are small.
Cold and wet turn a walk into a chore for this breed. Keep it short in winter and put a fitted coat on the dog if the owner has one.
On the walk
- Fragility: Fine bones break. Avoid rough play with bigger dogs, keep the dog away from dropping off walls or out of cars, and never pick it up by the front legs.
- Recall: Decent if trained, but a rabbit or squirrel will test it. Secure spaces only until you have seen it hold.
- Other dogs: Confident, sometimes to the point of challenging dogs ten times its weight. Keep it out of big, lively groups.
- Cold: Shivering starts fast. Carry a coat and shorten the walk if the dog starts to look miserable.
Tips for professional walkers
- Use a harness rather than a collar; the neck is slender and the trachea is easily hurt.
- Walk on quieter paths where big dogs are less likely to bowl it over.
- Let the dog warm up indoors for a few minutes before heading into cold weather.
What to ask the owner
- Does the dog have a coat for winter, and at what point does the owner skip walks?
- Has it ever had a leg or joint injury you should know about?
- How does it react to bigger dogs, and does the owner want you to carry it past them?