Norwich Terrier - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
It is believed that the Norwich Terrier originated in England in 19th century and most likely, their direct ancestors are the Irish Terriers and possibly today already extinct Trumpington Terrier.

2) Purpose
Back then, the original purpose of Norwich Terrier was to catch rats and other vermin in stables. This is a skilled and active hunter. Although its main role wasn’t for hunting purposes, the Norwich was used to find and uncover foxes that had hidden in underground holes. They were perfect for flushing foxes, thanks to their small body and hard working temperament. Today they are still sometimes used for these purposes, but most often they are living the spoiled life of family companion.

3) Companion
Norwich Terriers are social animal and they thrive for companionship. They are affectionate, loyal, intelligent and eager to please. They even tolerate other dogs or cats, especially if they are raised with them, but do not forget about their hunting heritace. Small household pets might not be safe around them.

4) Watchdog
The Norwich Terrier is a loyal, pretty courageous and alert breed, which makes him amazing watchdog. They also like to bark, so you can be sure that they will alert you when something suspicious is going on around your home. So this is a great watchdog, but because of their size, they do not make good protectors or guards.

5) Size
Speaking of size, this is one of the smallest working terriers with average height between 9-10 inches which is 24-26 cm and weight is typically between 11-12 pounds, which is 5-6 kg. There are no extreme size differences between the males and females.

6) Norfolk Terrier
Very often, the Norwich Terrier is mistaken with the Norfolk Terrier and even though throughthrou the history those two breeds were often inter bred they are considered as two separate breeds since the 1979. The most distinctive difference are their ears. The Norwich Terrier has prick ears, while the Norfolk Terriers ears are dropped.

7) Appearance
Next to the prick ears, the Norwich Terrier has lets say fox like head, dark oval eyes, strong muzzle, short legs and wide chest. The coat is wiry and straight topcoat and pretty soft undercoat. The coat on shoulders and around the neck forms a small mane. You can find Norwich Terriers in Red, Black and Tan, Wheaten and grizzle color.

8) Exercise

This is an active, lively dog breed that just love to be busy. And you will have to stimulate both, their mind and their body. Daily walks or hikes are a must, but they will also enjoy a good playtime or you can even try some dog sport with them, for example agility, flyball or rally.

9) True Terrier
Terriers are great spirited dogs with a lot of amazing characteristic traits, but they are just not for everyone. And the Norwich Terrier is definitely a typical terrier, they have high prey drive, they are very active, like barking and diging. On the other hand, you can be sure, that you will never be bored with them.

10) Health
Norwich Terriers are generally healthy, but like all breeds, they're prone to certain health issues. They can suffer from patellar luxation, cataracts, cardiomyopathy, atopic dermatitis or Scottie cramp. The average lifespan is between 12-15 years.