Norwich Terrier

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Norwich Terrier originated in England and were bred to hunt down rodents. This breed in the past was considered the same breed as the Norfolk Terrier but in the mid 1960's were classified as 2 different breeds. Although they look alike the Norwich Terrier is more affectionate and people oriented where as the Norfolk was a bit more dog oriented.

These little dogs are a compact working breed with muscular jaws used for catching their sly prey. The Norwich Terrier has a short, rough textured coat and a naturally long tail that is docked for show purposes. Their ears are triangular yet pricked upwards and they have a slender, powerful muzzle.

Although this breed was bred to hunt rodents, they love human attention and can be extremely affectionate dogs! They make friends anywhere they go and are generally very friendly with children and other dogs! They will make fantastic family pets as long as there are no small animals such as hamsters, mice, guinea pigs etc in the household.

Color

This breed will come in grizzle, red, cream, black with tan, or a wheat colouring and can have small patches of white distributed along their body.

Coat

This breed will have rough textured wiry fur that is about 1 inch long. They have a single layered coat that will not keep them very warm but will protect them against rain and snow.

Personality

The Norwich Terrier is an energetic, outgoing breed that loves to play! They enjoy exploring their territory whether that consists of digging, running, chasing, or just rough housing with other dogs, they fill up their time doing what they love to do! Although these dogs have a bit of independence they would rather be in the company of their families because they love being part of the pack! These dogs are smart, brave and will make great family pets because they are versatile and co-exist well with people and dogs. They are friendly towards strangers as well, making them terrible guard dogs.

Care

This breed will need to be brushed about once per week to remove the dead fur from their coat. Bathing should be done once every 2 months. The Norwich Terrier is prone to hip dysplasia, epilepsy, mitral valve disease and luxating patella's. This breed may also have a reaction to the rabies vaccine which will need to be treated by your vet.

Training

The Norwich Terrier will need consistent gentle training for basic obedience. They are clever little dogs that will understand their owner's commands but will need repetition to fully grasp the information. Short training sessions made fun will encourage this breed to learn the obedience and have it stick!

Activity

This breed will need to be given daily exercise which should include a long walk and a trip to an off-leash park so they can run around. Norwich Terriers have a lot of energy and need to burn it off by running! They will do well in an apartment as long as they have enough exercise every day. A backyard would be excellent for these dogs so they can have an outside environment to roam around in while at home.