Description

The Norwich terrier is a smaller breed of terrier with a double coat, high energy level, willfulness and ilnetelligence. He is an excellent dog for chasing rats and mice and is closely related to the Norfolk Terrier. However, the difference beween the the two breeds come in the shape of their ears: the Norwich terrier has pricked up ears that stand straight on the dog's head while the Norfolk terrier has drooped ears.

Coat Description

The Norwich terrier has short hair all over its body. Its coat is best kept natural and needs brushing but no trimming. The hair is thick, coarse and wiry. The fur around the face is softer and the hair around the neck and shoulders is longer. He has a double coat, and the under coat is softer than the outer coat.

The Norwich terrier can be any shade of red, or he can be black and tan. Some Norwich terriers are gray. Any white markings on the dog are not accepted in dog shows.

History

The first official recognition of the Norwich terrier was in the middle to late nineteenth century. In England, the dog was bred from Irish terriers and other terriers as a rat catcher and as a hunting dog. While the Norwich terrier was not used as a primary hunting dog, he was used to find and uncover foxes that had hidden in underground holes. Then other hunting dogs would continue the chase. He was a primary hinter of rats and mice in stables, however.

In 1932, the Norwich terrier was recognized as having two different ears types: folded or drooping, and pricked or straight. After some time, the Norwich terrier was separated as a breed from the Norfolk terrier.

Temperament

Some of the best featues of terriers are shown in the personality of the Norwich terrier: he is freidnly and inetelligent. He does not have some of the worst qualities of terriers: nervousness, a need to be alone, and excessive barking. Because the dog was originally bred for hunting and killinf rats outdoors, he still likes the outdoors, though he is a chaser at heart. This means he should be on his leash at all times when in a non-secure environment. Even good training cannot completely override the breed's need to chase and hunt smaller animals.

The breed is very good at socializing with other animals and should be introduced to other household pets at an early age. The Norwich can be around children, but children should be taught not to be rough or rambunctious around the dog. Children should be supervised around the Norwich terrier.

Health Problems

The Norwich terrier is prone to many of the same diseases that other small breed dogs are prone to. Epilepsy is common in the Norwich terrier, as are a variety of respiratory illnesses. These are genetic problems, as is another of his biggest problems, hip dysplasia.

Grooming

The Norwich Terrier does have a brief shedding period, but overall he does not shed much at all. He needs to be brushed or combed at least once a week, but besides this and a bath every once in a while, the Norwich terrier is easy to care for. You will want to do a stripping of your Norwich terrier's fur once a month. Stripping the dogs coat is important because it rids the dog of loose hairs and keeps shedding to an absolute minimum. It also reduces the number of times you will need to have him trimmed and will keep his fur from matting or tangling. Keep in mind, however, that you should not need to have your Norwich terrier trimmed at all unless his coat becomes very dirty and unruly. Keep his ears clean and his nails trimmed.

Exercise

Norwich terriers are very good at exercising themselves, provided they have the outdoor space to do so. They can generally avoid destructive behaviors if they have time and space to exercise and use up their abundant energy. The breed does need additional exercise other than a lonely run around the backyard. They does will do well walking in the park on a leash or around the neighborhood. Remember that he will chase small animals like rabbits and squirrels, so keep him on his leash even if he is well trained or in a dog park. Your backyard should be completely fenced in for the same reasons – the Norwich will run away after a small animal. You and other family members can play games like tug of war or chasing games in the yard with your Norwich Terrier. A well trained Norwich terrier will not bark or bite during play. He can be aggressive when he is playing, and this is natural.

Training

Norwich terriers are both highly intelligent and highly willful. This combination can make them slightly difficult to train. In order to successfully train a Norwich terrier, you must be patient and overcome his willfulness and make training sessions fun and exciting for the dog. Norwich terriers respond best to positive reinforcement training methods. Negative training methods will often work against the breed's spirit, and the dog's spirit is one of the most popular features of the dog. The Norwich terrier spends a lot of time on a leash, so proper leash training a behavior is very important.