The Manchester Terrier, previously known as the Black and Tan Terrier, is considered to be the oldest identifiable breed of terrier.

Here’s a fantastic article I spotted about the oldest terrier breed…

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The Manchester Terrier (Black and Tan Terrier)
By Michael Russell

For more than a hundred years the Manchester Terrier, originally called the “Black and Tan” Terrier, has remained true to type. It is a sleek and elegant looking little dog, with tan “thumb marks” over the eyes and on the cheeks and black “thumb marks” in the tan above the front feet. Because of his stability of temperament and consistent type this terrier was used in the development of several breeds, among them the Doberman Pinscher, the Pinscher and the Airedale terrier. One can trace the origin of many of the breeds Read the rest of this entry »

Riddled in mystery: Here’s another piece of the puzzle to the Staffs, the Bulls, and the Pits…

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History of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier
By Don Krnel

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier presents an incredible mix of intelligence, courage, and tenacity tempered with a sweet affection for it’s family. As a breed, it is often shrouded in myth and misconception about it’s history and origin. Read on to learn the truth about where the Staffordshire Bull Terrier came from and what the difference is between this breed and others similar in name and appearance.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or “Staffie”, as fans of the breed call it, dates back to Elizabethan England when an ancestor of the Bulldog was used in a bloody sport called bullbaiting (also bearbaiting). This dog was closely linked to the Mastiff and weighed in at between 100 and 120 pounds.

Around the 19th century, when bullbaiting was outlawed, dog fighting quickly gained popularity and the massive bullbaiting dogs were crossed with smaller terriers and a smaller, quicker breed of dog was born, weighing about 60 pounds. This dog became known as a “Bulldog Terrier” or “Bull and Terrier” and was further refined by outcrosses to an ancestor of the Manchester Terrier. This produced a dog of about 30-45 pounds that came to be known as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which is the father breed out of which came the English Bull Terrier (1860), and later, when exported to North America around 1880, the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier.

The American Staffordshire Terrier, and the American Pit Bull Terrier appear very similar to each other and people often hotly debate whether or not they are separate breeds. To clear things up a bit, the Read the rest of this entry »

The rat terrier is a famed farm helper and companion. As their name implies, they were excellent ratters on farms and made fantastic hunting companions.

They are a more rare breed today because the breed died out quite a bit due to the invention of pesticides in the 20s – 40s used on farms.

They are often mistaken for a Jack Russell Terrier, although they never have a wiry coat, they are finer boned, have a more refined head, and are considerably less aggressive.

All-in-all, they are typical terriers, loving to explore and tear around the yard, but they also love to lounge around with their owners.

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Rat Terrier Dogs
By Chris Suckow

The Rat Terrier dog is Read the rest of this entry »