“Tousled” would never be used to describe the Manchester Terrier. The breed that many consider to be the oldest of all identifiable terrier breeds has the streamlined grace of a small coursing hound believed to have come from a Whippet bitch bred to the British Black and Tan Terrier by dog fancier, John Hulme.  A roach back, never seen in other terrier breeds, is seen in the Manchester for this reason.

A formidable talent at rat catching comes from the terrier side of the breed’s development, and this prowess made the dogs popular in wharfs and docks of central and northern England, as well as mining and farming areas. The dogs became associated with Lancashire, and eventually Manchester from whence the breed’s name came.

Portrait of a Manchester Terrier by Alison Stafford. This print is available for purchase here.