The Manchester is this the breed for you? Print friendly version

First and foremost, the Manchester Terrier is a TERRIER.  He is a rugged, agile, little dog, that can manage long walks/hikes.  For your enjoyment, read more MT history here

This page is about the average everyday Manchester in general terms.  Some are more extreme then others.  Review and learn more about the Manchester Terrier (Standard or Toy variety) American Manchester Terrier Club; AKC Parent club if you are interested in this breed.  There is another good site; the Canadian Manchester Terrier Club.  Both of these sites will include breeder referral listings for your needs to.

Officially; The Manchester is best described as a loyal, affectionate and devoted companion. Neither shy nor aggressive, the Manchester is observant, alert and discerning with strangers yet generally friendly with other breeds. They can be considered an aloof breed as such as the Akita, Shiba Inu, Shar Pei.  However they should not be 'aloof" but only discerning.  Definition of aloof; remote in manner: uninvolved or unwilling to become involved with other people or events should be avoid.  Manchesters are discerning' and very selective in judging: showing good judgment and good taste.  Thus the 'gentleman's terrier'

Why this MAY NOT be a breed for you...  Attributes and Traits

Real-world definition of a Manchester Terrier showcased by my TMT and others from other MT owners

__   Velcro Dog:  It is devotion that is really almost pathological. If you don't want a dog who wants to be with you all the time (in bed, on the couch, in the bathroom!), then you do not want this kind of dog. He wouldn't leave my side, regardless of whether he has a leash on or not – well unless they see a squirrel
__   Prey Drive: With squeaky or crinkly toys their sole goal with them is to make it so they don't squeak or crackle anymore. Relentless to the point of driving you crazy.
__ Energy Level: Rather high energy but seems to burn it off quicker than some dogs. He will be climbing the walls and ping ponging (the zoomies) off the ceiling when I get home (even if I was only gone for 5 minutes) but will calm down in about 20 minutes and be a lap dog until I pull out his leash or come back inside again.  When they have the zoomies they can zoom faster than you can watch them!  They love tall grass for their zoomies too!
__ Lifestyle: this is a dog that will mold itself to your lifestyle - Despite the proclivity for play, they can sit, sleep quietly in a car for hours. Personality will change with who he is around.  Doesn't like children, unless they grow up with them.
__ Barking.  OK, these are terriers, they like to bark and don't let anyone tell you different.  They will not bark aimlessly (i.e., Chihuahua, Pomeranians, Minpins, etc), only at "stuff".  But we live in the city and there is a heckuvalotta "stuff", people mostly. 
__ Nails. They grow supernaturally fast. You can do nails twice a week and that just barely keeps them in check!  They have long quicks too!
__ Smarts: definitely a very smart dog.  They seems to truly understand what you are saying, and learn new info so quickly!  Pickup up names, distinguish people talking to others from talking to them.  Almost knows immediately what is off limits and are not threats.  They are also extremely sensitive, and get their feelings hurt easily.
__ Train-ability: smart, like to learn and are very willing workers.  When actively working they have total focus. Elegant and athletic. There is a certain grace of movement that creates tremendously appeal.  They move effortlessly and with purpose. They look like they could work all day without any difficulty at all.
__ Habits: very particular about bedtime and will ditch you between 8:30 and 9:30 and go up to bed on his own.  Will go on an occasional barking rant over the "ghost" in the yard, the wind that just blow passed or whatever.
__ Sociability: Not so friendly when they doesn't know you but is way to happy if he remembers you. It takes a little while to get used to strangers that come to visit, but once they're accepted they're ok. (This is called being a discerning breed)
__ Observations:  Some say theirs are very calm and couch potatoes. Some sound like little angels, and others are very mischievous! (sounds like our human children)
__ Fear Stage:  Yes at about 6 months old and again a little over a year?  They go through a process of not handling “new” things very well!  However, Socialization and training do a lot to build confidence and mitigate fear in dogs and owners.  (notice "socialization" is used again)

…But they are not without their challenges
some contents below were taken from other forums)

• Most, if not 90% of Manchesters do not like getting their feet wet! They will try and avoid raining days completely! They don’t mind pee’ing behind the chair or right in front of the door if they can avoid the wet ground! However they enjoy romping through the snow – go figure!
• MTs can also be hard to house-break reliably if you are not consistent and firm, particularly about going out in the rain/snow/cold to do their business. It can be maddening when a dog goes out for 1/2 hour or more, then comes in and poops on your floor.
• Our breed standard suggests that MTs should be discerning and not overly shy or aggressive. What that means in practical terms is that they can be standoffish to strangers, and if they're not properly trained and socialized, they can become fearful and/or aggressive, or they can end up running your life. If you don't train your MT, your MT will train you, it's very simple. MTs are very smart in general and they're very cute. It can be a very dangerous combination because it's hard not to laugh when they do something really evil, but look just adorable doing it.

Are MT’s right (or wrong) for you if ...Depending on your point of view almost all aspects of the manchester character can be a pro or a con.
(some contents below were taken from other forums)

• Intelligence if a Pro is you enjoy a dog who is bright, curious and quick to learn.
– It’s a Con if you don’t want a dog you have to keep up with. Same with training.
• Pro is you enjoy working with your animal and rewarding because they really do like to learn.
– Con because they can learn a bad habit just as quick and never forget anything. Let them get away with something once and they will expect it to be a lifetime commitment.
• Size is a Pro if you want a port-a-pet who is easy to carry and meets the requirements that many places put on the size dog you may have.
– A Con because they can get through holes you don’t even notice until you see the end of a tail as it is going through. And they are unlikely to survive getting hit on the street or a fight with a bigger animal.
• Pro if you want a wash n wear pet.
– A Con because they don’t have much protection from extremes of weather. They don’t have undercoats to keep them warm.
• They really are a small Terrier. If you don't want an assertive dog you won't like any kind of Terriers. Terriers are born with more original sin that other dogs.
• Noise is one issue and is not addressed often enough in this breed. The size makes MT’s good apartment dogs but they do bark. If the owner doesn't know how to train away from it or leaves the dog to run the whole place all the time, that dog will annoy the neighbors.
– On the Pro side, nobody is ever going to sneak up on you.
• Another thing to consider is how the breeder you get your puppy from thinks. Remember, this is not a breed that does well without a lot of very early socialization. If the pups are born in and stay in a kennel situation without an abundance of opportunity to learn about people, places and things before they are sent to new homes, you are starting out with two strikes.
• Research your Breeders right along with your breed and make sure you are on the same page.
• This breed EXCELS in dog sports. As companions and/or performers MT can hold their own with any other breed but they do take some effort.
• MT's are not for everyone. They tend to be as active as their people, but they are very capable athletes. If you're a couch potato, so are they, typically. If you're active, so are they.
• It may take a MT a while to warm up to you, but lord help you once they do. MTs are committed to their people. While some are more velcro (follow you all over the house) than others, you can expect kisses, face smooshing, puppy on your head, etc.
• The Toy Manchester is a toy dog expected to perform the functions of a working terrier where other toys were selected primarily to be lap-warmers.
• MTs live to be with their people (i.e., they will bark if you leave them in the house and go out to do yard-work, etc) but not necessarily to _please_ their people.
• MTs have selective hearing, at times, particularly when they're in chase mode. They have a very strong prey instinct, and they will take off after a bird or squirrel completely deaf to mom/dad calling them back.

Socialization; due to it's strong ability to discern and make judgment calls, extra socialization is required for this breed while it is young to help learn about the human world and be a well behaved adult dog.  Read More about how to socialize them.

• Socializing a Manchester requires you to go the extra step as they are discerning and need the extra human contact when they are young.
– Hand your dog off to strangers - don't be shy, just hand them off.
– Hand them to more men than women
– Allow them room to learn but consistencies is a must.
• Desensitize and build their confidence level to different noises and objects. For example, bring treats and
– Sit/Stand with them outside of Starbucks, Safeway, hardware stores; high traffic areas. Home Depot allows dogs.
– Take your dog with you when you go get the car washed. Sit outside and enjoy the time with your dog.
– Go to a kids play ground and have your dog walk around the soft play padding or slide down the slide with him if you dare.
– When you walk your dog – shuffle your feet, touch the fence – you can create your own sounds to help them learn to ignore sounds!
– Hang outside the Laundry Mat or Beauty Parlor and help them learn different smells

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HOUSE BREAKING; The key to housebreaking is consistency! A good rule of thumb would be every two hours (young puppies every hour), in addition to; after they are settling down from a heavy playtime, or a few minutes after eating. Make sure your dog is on a consistent schedule (when they eat, when the sleep, when they are taken outside to "go"), figure out the times when they have to "go". Once a consistent routine has been established you will find your dog is housebroken.  Read more about how to housebreaking.

• House Breaking: MT’s are relatively easy to housebreak.  However some manchesters take about a month to 'figure it out'
• Feeding: Most people feed their MT’s 1/3rd a cup twice a day. Puppies are given the same amount but with a lunch added until 1yrs old.

BASIC CARE; MT’s are a relatively low maintenance dog especially since they have no under coat and are very clean.  You will find they clean themselves like cats too.  Remember, their two back feet are 'cat like'.

– A bath every 10-days works wonders and helps keep the dog clean, and neat.
– No undercoat, no real brushing, at all, seriously. A human shoe shine brush works great once a week.
– But, this is made up for with the nails. They grow supernaturally fast. You can do nails twice a week and that just barely keeps them in check!
– Regular teeth cleaning is a must in adults. Raw chicken bones do a great job of this. Teach your puppy early in life the tooth brush is a good thing.