Norfolk Terrier

In the 1880s, the British selected, in eastern England, a working terrier breed. It is believed that the Norwich Terrier and the drop-eared variety which would later be known as the Norfolk Terrier were obtained through crossings between local Terrier lineages, some individuals related to the Irish Terrier and small red-coated dogs used as ratters by the Gypsies of Norfolk. They were briefly called Cantab Terrier when it was fashionable for Cambridge students to have one in their room. Later they were called Trumpington Terrier, named after a street in the neighborhood of the breed's birthplace. Just before World War I, an Irishman sold large quantities to the United States and they were briefly renamed Jones Terriers. In 1932, the Norwich Terrier was officially recognized by the British Kennel Club and the first standard for the breed was then drawn up. The American Kennel Club registered the first Norwich Terrier in 1936. In 1964, the Kennel Club reclassified the drop-eared variety to make it a breed in its own right, which was named the Norfolk Terrier, while the prick-eared variety kept the name Norwich Terrier. This distinction was confirmed by the American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club in 1979. Over the generations, these two breeds developed distinctive traits both physically and in terms of temperament.

The standard specifies that the Norfolk, "lively and fearless, is a demon for his size". By nature friendly, it should not be aggressive, even if it must be capable of defending itself if necessary. With the Norwich Terrier and the Border Terrier, it has one of the best temperaments in the terrier group. The Norfolk Terrier is a pleasant companion dog and its level of activity adapts to the size of its environment. It should not be kept permanently outdoors because it only flourishes through contact with humans. Outdoors, it retains its ratting instinct and remains highly motivated by the extermination of small pests. It has no particular propensity to dig, but it can develop the habit through lack of stimulation or if left alone for too long. The Norfolk is a very confident dog, as evidenced by its bearing and gait, head held high and tail erect. Timid or aggressive individuals are atypical. Its nature is to be confident, cheerful and full of life. It does not tolerate being ignored by its master.

It is a small, sturdy dog (the ideal height at the withers is 25-26 cm, the maximum weight is 7 kilos), short-legged, spirited, compact and solid. It should not be too refined and lean toward the "toy" format. It should also not be too heavy and deviate from the "ratter" profile. It has a short back, substance and bone. Glorious scars, inevitable (in a terrier) are accepted. The skull is wide and slightly rounded, of good width between the ears, with a well-defined stop. The muzzle is strong, wedge-shaped, and its length is about one-third less than the length of the skull, from the occiput to the bottom of the stop. The lips are tight, the jaws strong. The teeth are strong and fairly large; they present a perfect and regular scissor bite, that is, the upper incisors overlap the lower ones in tight contact and are implanted at right angles to the jaws. The eyes are oval in shape and well-set in the orbits, dark brown or black in color. They express liveliness, eagerness and intelligence. The ears are medium-sized, V-shaped but slightly rounded at the tip, folding forward against the cheek.

The Norfolk belongs to the type of terrier that has a double coat: on the outside a coarse and hard hair, with a silky and soft undercoat. The ideal is to comb the dog with an iron comb once a day, but weekly combing is sufficient for a pet. The coat should be plucked twice a year: once in the fall and once in the spring. Clipping or cutting destroys the coat and causes it to lose its characteristics.