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English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)
Bold, scrappy, cheerful and full of self belief. From England.
Terriertoy breedEnglandStandards checked
Standards checked: this profile's facts are checked against the breed standards of the AKC, The Kennel Club and the FCI, as described on our methodology page.
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About the English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)
The English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) is a tiny terrier from England, developed to hunt vermin above and below ground, from rats in the barn to foxes and badgers in the earth. Terriers are big dogs in small coats: funny, stubborn and brave. They need owners who enjoy a dog with opinions and who channel the hunting drive into games, not the local wildlife.
History
Short, smooth, dense, glossy coat lying close to the body. That coat suits a dog shaped in England to hunt vermin above and below ground, from rats in the barn to foxes and badgers in the earth. The breed is registered at home rather than internationally, one reason numbers stay small outside its homeland. The adult stands 10 to 12 in at the shoulder and weighs 7 to 9 lb.
Personality
Bold, scrappy, cheerful and full of self belief is the record's English Toy Terrier, the toy black and tan: the miniature of England's Manchester Terrier family, a sleek little ratter refined into a companion of unusual elegance, and now one of Britain's vulnerable native breeds. English Toy Terriers are bright, devoted and notably affectionate, with a terrier's opinions in a porcelain eight pound frame. Terriers are big dogs in small coats, per the overview, true here in full. Puppies are minute, glossy charmers; adults are devoted, lively companions. Owners describe the complete toy terrier: beauty, brains and devotion in a coat like black patent leather with tan points.
Temperament and traits
Energy (3/5)
Trainability (3/5)
Grooming needs (3/5)
Shedding (3/5)
Barking (4/5)
Good with children: Better with older children
With other dogs: With early socialization
With strangers: Friendly with strangers
Apartment life: Well suited
Coat and care
Coat: Short, smooth, dense, glossy coat lying close to the body. Shedding is light, and a weekly polish with a soft brush is enough.
Colors: The standard accepts a range of colors and patterns, and individual markings vary a lot.
Measure meals rather than free feeding; this breed does best on a routine of consistent meals, training in short sessions and daily exercise matched to its type. Brush weekly and check ears, teeth and nails as part of the routine. The typical terrier coat needs stripping or clipping depending on type, and the teeth of small terriers need real dental attention.
Exercise and grooming
Exercise
Twenty to forty five minutes a day of brisk little outings plus play: the English Toy Terrier is the toy form of the Manchester Terrier, England's black and tan rat dog in miniature, and it is a busy, athletic little dog whose exercise is measured in lively walks and games. Terriers are big dogs in small coats, per the overview: funny, stubborn and brave. Puppies need frequent, gentle exercise and careful socialisation; tiny dogs that are carried everywhere grow up fearful, so let the little terrier walk the world on its own feet. Indoor play is real exercise at eight pounds.
Grooming
Brush weekly and check ears, teeth and nails as part of the routine, per the care notes, working through the short, smooth, glossy black and tan coat: minutes a week. The typical terrier coat needs no stripping here; the teeth of small terriers need real dental attention line applies firmly at eight pounds: daily brushing is the standard. The fine coat means a winter coat is kindness. Nails need frequent trims on tiny toes. Puppies need gentle handling habits from the start. Owners rate the grooming as nearly effortless apart from the teeth.
Training and daily life
Training
English Toy Terriers are bright, quick pupils that learn household skills and tricks readily under kind, reward based training in short sessions, with terrier consistency underneath. Priorities are socialisation from the ground up, housetraining patience, a settle, lead manners on a harness, dental cooperation, and recall kept safe outdoors. Harsh handling frightens a tiny dog into defensiveness; warmth and clarity produce a polished, devoted companion.
Living with an English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)
The English Toy Terrier suits terrier loving households, in flats above all, that want England's miniature black and tan jewel: bold, scrappy, cheerful and full of self belief in the record's words, better with older children because of the tiny frame, dog social with early socialisation and friendly with strangers once introduced, and well suited to apartment life in the record's rating. Expect a devoted, bright shadow with a ratter's sparkle. Owners describe a treasure of the old English terrier family: the Manchester in miniature, elegant, loyal and increasingly rare.
What an English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) costs
Food cost
About $8 per month for a typical 8 lb adult eating roughly 0.8 cups a day of a standard quality food ($1.60 per lb). Full breakdown in our food expense calculator.
Activity and exercise
Plan 20 to 45 minutes a day of walks, play and training. Under exercised dogs of most breeds invent their own projects, and they rarely pick good ones.
Insurance cost
Typical US range $27 to $51 per month for accident and illness cover. Estimate only, based on market ranges for this breed's risk profile; see the insurance estimator and the insurance guide.
On the monthly figures above, a typical adult year runs to about $100 for food and $324 to $612 for insurance, before routine vet care, grooming and gear. Year one costs more: vaccinations, spay or neuter surgery, a crate, bedding and training all land at once.
Growth: puppy to senior
How weight typically builds with age for a toy breed, and when full size arrives.
| Stage | Age | Typical weight |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy | 8 weeks | about 1 to 2 lb |
| Puppy | 4 months | about 3 to 4 lb |
| Young | 6 months | about 4 to 6 lb |
| Young | 9 months | about 6 to 7 lb |
| Adult | 12 months | about 7 to 8 lb |
| Adult | Full grown | 7.0 to 9.0 lb (standard range) |
| Senior | From about 10 years | Healthy weight stays in the adult range; watch for slow gain or loss |
Growth pattern follows the size class growth curves published by the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, applied to the adult weight range in the breed standard. Individual puppies vary; steady growth matters more than hitting any single number, and your vet's growth checks come first.
Life stages
Puppies need careful socialisation on the ground, dental habituation from the first weeks and gentle, frequent exercise. Adolescents are busy, bright and opinionated, and structured play carries the household through. Adults enjoy a long, lively prime: twelve to fourteen years. Keep teeth brushed daily, weight measured in grams not guesses and nails trimmed often. Senior status arrives around ten for a toy: twice yearly checks with dental and patella awareness, ramps for furniture and continued gentle games. Old English Toy Terriers stay cheerful, devoted and busy at a slower tempo.
Health
Patellar luxation and eye conditions are the usual terrier flags, and many terrier breeds now have DNA tests for their specific hereditary conditions. The breed club's health page is the place to check what applies.
Conditions to know about
- Patellar luxation: Patellar luxation is one of the usual terrier flags named in the record, and at toy size it heads the list. Ask whether the parents were checked, and report a skipping hind gait.
- Eye conditions: Eye conditions are the other usual terrier flag, per the record. Ask what eye checks the breeder's dogs have had.
- DNA tested conditions: Many terrier breeds now have DNA tests for their specific hereditary conditions, and the breed club's health page is the place to check what applies, in the record's direction. With a vulnerable breed, the UK club's guidance is the first stop.
Facts follow the English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) breed standard (AKC, The Kennel Club and FCI standards agree on the essentials for this breed). Health notes summarize the conditions breed clubs and veterinary bodies most often flag for this breed. They are general information for choosing and caring, not a diagnosis or a substitute for your vet.
Gear for English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) owners
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English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) questions
How long do English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)s live?
A typical lifespan is 12 to 14 years. Weight control, dental care and screening for the breed's known conditions give a dog the best chance of reaching the top of that range.
How much does it cost to keep an English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)?
Food for a typical adult runs about $8 a month at a standard quality tier, and accident and illness insurance usually falls between $27 and $51 a month in the US. Try the full cost calculator for a complete year one and yearly picture.
Are English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)s good with children?
Better with older children. As with every breed, supervise dogs and children together and teach children to respect the dog's space.
How much exercise does an English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) need?
Plan on 20 to 45 minutes a day, split between walks, play and training games. Puppies and seniors need gentler, shorter sessions.
English Toy Terrier or Manchester Terrier, what is the difference?
The toy and standard forms of one black and tan family: the ETT is the miniature at 7 to 9 pounds, on the UK vulnerable native breeds list. The Manchester Terrier is the bigger dog. In North America they are varieties of one breed; in Britain, separate breeds.
Is the English Toy Terrier rare?
Yes: it is classed as a vulnerable native breed in the UK, with very low annual registrations. Every ETT puppy matters to the breed's survival.
Are English Toy Terriers good apartment dogs?
Among the best: tiny, clean, devoted and well suited to flats in the record's words, provided they get real walks, play and company rather than a life in arms.
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