The Manchester Terrier is a smooth-haired terrier breed that is very intelligent, cunning and is high-spirited. This terrier breed is loved by many because of its inquisitive nature and is very eager to learn. It displays the true nature of terrier breeds; terriers are lively, independent, faithful, alert and sporty. Manchester terriers make terrific watchdogs and are very loyal to their owners.

There are two different varieties of this breed. These are the Standard and Toy breeds. However, in their native land, England, these two varieties are considered to be two completely different breeds; the Manchester terrier and the English Toy Terrier.

However, when it comes to actually selecting a pure breed dog, there are several factors that will play a crucial role in the decision making process. For instance, their ears will be determinant in identifying your breed. Toys have erect ears and never crop. Standard ones however enjoy a bit more freedom as their ears can naturally be erect, "button" or cropped.

Nonetheless, despite the differences in ears and size, the standard terrier and toy terrier are pretty basically one and the same dog. They both have the same striking character. As earlier mentioned, they are an extremely loyal dog and are devoted to its owner. This dog breed craves to be noticed while at the same time it is not overly demanding. As such, you shouldn't expect to see any signs of begging or pawing for attention from this dog.

Completely devoted to companionship, the Manchester terrier does not do well when left alone for extended periods of time. They tend to get nervous and bored in such situations and will usually end up adopting destructive behaviors and loud, excessive barking. To avoid this, exercising your dog often will usually work.

Manchester terriers can live for well over 14 years. If not well exercised and overfed, this dog breed will tend to become obese. As such, it is important that you exercise your dog often. They are a sporty, agile and obedient breed and love being taken out for walks. However, it important to have them on a leash because when their hunting instinct kicks in, they tend to forget their training and will give chase.

It is important to note that this breed can be stubborn and a bit difficult to housebreak. As such, crate training the recommended option when it comes to potty training. When looking for a good, healthy and manageable pure breed Manchester terrier, it is important that you buy one from a reputable breeder with a great history of raising Manchester terriers and tests his or her breeding dogs to ensure that they have no hereditary diseases that could be passed on to their young.