English Toy Terrier - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The ETT was formally known as Black and Tan Terrier and it is possible, that they have been around since the 1500s. The breed can clearly trace its ancestry to small black and tan ratting terriers from England from 16th century and it is related to the larger Manchester Terrier. Throughout the history, these dogs were used as hunters, ratters, companions and for rat baiting.
2) Tiny the Wonder
The history of ETT is connected with bloody and since the 1850s outlawed dog sport called rat baiting, where a dog would be placed in an enclosed space with rats and spectators would bet on how long a dog takes to kill the rats. One English Toy Terrier became especially famous in London for its success in rat baiting. This dog was known as Tiny the Wonder and it is said that he was able to kill 200 rats in an hour. As i said, luckily, the rat baiting is banned and illegal in most of the world today, but it is showing us how tenacious, determined, courageous and agile the ETT can be.
3) Hunting
The English Toy Terrier was also valued as a great ratter and small game hunter. Gentlemen hunters would carried these little dogs in their pockets and they would release them to flush out foxes and other game and corner the game. These dogs have pretty high chasing instinct and prey drive, they are agile, athletic, determined, independent and smart dogs with great senses, which makes them very good little hunters.
4) Companions
These dogs are not only great hunters, but also amazing lively, playful, affectionate and great looking companion dogs. The ETTs are known for their loyalty and affection towards the whole family and they love nothing more than to spend all their time around its owners. These dogs have pretty high energy level and they are incredibely playful, but their exercise needs are not extremely high. But they will always enjoy good vigorous playtime or outdoor walk, they will just love it! They can also live with older kids or other dogs in the family without problems, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. On the other hand, they might be alert and reserved with strangers and it can take a while before a complete stranger will gain a trust of this dog. But overall, these little dogs make amazing smart, very affectionate and very playful companion dogs.
5) Other names
The breeds name – English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan) was adopted in 1962, but the breed had variety of names, most notably Miniature Black and Tan Terrier and Toy Manchester Terrier.
6) Size
The English Toy Terrier is a petite and well proportionate dog with athletic body and average height between 25-30 cm, which is 10-12 inch and weight is usually between 3-4 kg, which is 6-9 lbs. There are no extreme size differences between males and females.
7) Coat
The English Toy Terriers have striking appearance and one of the reasons is definitely the dense, short and close fitting coat. The only permitted color is black with defined tan markings on the legs, chest, and face and the colors should create clean and clear lines. This color combination gives the dog pretty noble appearance.
8) Rarity
The ETT is very rare breed which can be mainly found in its home country, the United Kingdom or in some other European countries and North America. But even in the United Kingdom, their numbers are quite low and in 2016 only 102 purebred English Toy Terrier puppies were registered. It is no wonder, that they are on the list of UKs vulnerable native breeds and great effort is being made to boost the popularity of the breed and develop a viable gene pool.
9) Maintenance
Due to the short coat, the maintenance of this breed is very easy and grooming needs are minimal. These dogs do shed some deal of fur all year long, but the amount of shedding is very little. Even without any grooming at all, they will keep the coat in great condition. Of course, a good brush once a week can only be beneficial for the coat and just like with any other breed, you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed.
10) Health
The English Toy Terrier is known as usually very healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 13 or 14 years, but of course, just like any other breed in the world, they may suffer from some health issues, like patellar luxation, von willebrands disease and different skin conditions and allergies.