The Norwich Terrier Personality

The Norwich Terrier, just like its cousin the Norfolk Terrier, is a fun-loving feisty little terrier that thrives on action and adventure. At heart these terriers are hunters so running after small animals, especially rats and mice, is all that is required for the Norwich to be happy. The ideal home for this dog is with people who are energetic and constantly on the go and he thrives on daily outdoors activities. Norwich Terriers are great watchdogs and are also super around children. With a sturdy, playful personality these terriers are welcoming towards other animals and dogs. They are even welcoming to strange folks as long as their owner is close by.

A Brief History Of The Norwich Terrier

The country of origin for this Terrier is England and the breed dates back to the 1800s. The Norwich shares the same background as the Norfolk Terrier. The Norwich's most significant distinction from its blood-brother is the ears - Norwiches have pricked-ears and the Norfolks have droopy ears. Throughout the earlier history of these dogs, both had been used rather widely as outstanding rat hunters and for fox bolting. In truth, all short-legged terriers were well respected in England in this capacity.

Sometime around the 1900s there was a small Trumpington Terrier that lived in a stable close to Norwich. The terrier's name was Rags and he sired many offspring that are thought of as the official base of the modern Norwich Terrier. One of his offspring, a male, made its way to the United States and was regarded as the first ambassador of the breed. The dog's owner went by the name of Jones and quite a few people to this day still refer to the Norwich Terrier as the "Jones Terrier". The AKC recognised the breed in 1939, but as one breed having two varieties (droopy ears and pricked ears). In 1979 these terriers were formally acknowledged as two distinct breeds and since then the Norwich has made a faithful companion and a common contestant in earthdog trials.

Norwich Terrier Training and Care

The Norwich is intelligent and eager to please and for that reason relatively straightforward to train (above average for a terrier in this respect - see Terrier Training for more info). Any happy owner of a Norwich will point out to you that this dog must get a lot of daily exercise. Although they can get all of the action they require from running around inside the house, it is usually best to allow your Norwich to openly explore outside, running about and going after small animals to their heart's content.
The ideal living arrangement for this breed is to have access to a large open (but secure) outdoors location throughout the day, like a fenced-in yard, and to stay indoors at night with the family. These dogs can tolerate both moderately cold or hot temperatures. Proper grooming needs for the Norwich Terrier's wiry coat call for a heavy brushing around 2 times weekly, with a full stripping about every three to four months.

Norwich Terrier Health Problems

The typical life-span of the Norwich is between thirteen and fifteen years. The sole important health problem which is typical in the breed is CHD. Minor health concerns include seizures, patellar luxation, cataracts, deafness, and cheyletiella mites. Veterinarians recommend that Norwich Terriers get specifically examined for hip and knee problems.