Manchester Terriers come in all differents shapes and sizes, but are always black and tan. In rescue, we do not usually see the same quality dogs you find on a hobby breeder's website. Instead you may find them overweight or underweight, having thyroid or skin problems, ears with lots of character, and even a patch of white somewhere on the body.
If you read the AKC breed standard there is only one correct ear type for a Toy Manchester, naturally erect. In Standards, there are 3 correct types of ears, naturally erect, buttoned (the least likely to find in the US), or cropped. In pet world, you are also going to see a very different ear we classify as "wonky". Wonky ears can take on the look of Italian Greyhound style, they can almost stand up but still flop over, the can be worn to the side, one up and one down, ears that look batty and oversized for the dog's head, etc.
We often get false identification of dogs who are docked being called Manchester Terriers. There are rumors and urban legends of non-reputable breeders docking tails of MTs, but we only know of two Standard Manchesters with docked tails. Both dogs were docked for medical reasons per vet recommendation, so we like to call them amputations rather than docking.
Below are Manchester Terriers from all walks of life. They are from shelters, puppy mills, back yard breeders, rescue, finished champions, and beloved pets. We have included dogs of all ages and sizes in order to capture as much variety in the breed as possible.
If you have a dog you believe may be a Manchester Terrier, please send their photo to Rachel King and we will be happy to review it and determine if the dog is a Manchester.
