The Norwich Terrier is a breed of dog that originates in the United Kingdom and was bred to hunt small vermin or rodents.

Appearance

These terriers are one of the smallest terriers (11-12 lb, 5-5.4 kg; 9-10 inches (24-25.5 cm) at the withers), with prick ears and a double coat, which come in red, tan, wheaten, black and tan, and grizzle.

Temperament

These small but hardy dogs are courageous, remarkably intelligent and wonderfully affectionate. They can be assertive but it is not typical for them to be aggressive, quarrelsome or shy. They are energetic and thrive on an active life. They are eager to please but have definite minds of their own. They are sensitive to scolding but 100% Terrier. They should never be kept outside or in a kennel setting because they love the companionship of their owners too much. Norwich are not given to unnecessary barking but they will warn of a stranger approaching. Norwich are good with children. If introduced to other household pets as a puppy they generally co-habit peacefully, though caution should be observed around rodent pets as they may be mistaken for prey.

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The Norfolk Terrier is the smallest of the working Terriers. Prior to 1960, when it gained recognition as an independent breed, it was a variety of the Norwich Terrier, distinguished from the Norwich by its “drop”, or folded ears.

Appearance

The Norfolk Terrier has a wire-haired coat which, according to the various national kennel club breed standards, can be “all shades of red, wheaten, black and tan, or grizzle.”

They are the smallest of the working Terriers. They are active and compact, free moving, with good substance and bone. Good substance means good spring of rib and bone that matches the body such that the dog can be a very agile ratter, the function for which it was bred.

Norfolk terriers are moderately proportioned dogs. A too heavy dog would not be agile. A too refined dog would make it a toy breed. Norfolks generally have more reach and drive and a stronger rear angulation, hence cover more ground than their Norwich cousins. Norfolk have good side gait owed to their balanced angulation front and rear and their slightly longer length of back.

The ideal height is 10 to 12 inches (25-30 cm) at the withers and weight is about 11 pounds (5 kg).

Temperament

Norfolks are described as fearless, but should not be aggressive despite being capable of defending themselves if need be. They, along with Norwich Terriers and Border Terriers, have the softest temperaments of the Terrier Group. Norfolks work in packs and must get along with other dogs. As companions, they love people and children and do make good pets. Their activity level is generally reflective of the pace of their environment. This breed should not be kept or live outside since they thrive on human contact. Generally, Norfolks are not given to digging but, like any dog, will dig out of boredom when left alone for too long a period. Norfolks can be barkers and are very vocal. They generally cohabit well with other household pets when introduced as a puppy. Outdoors, they are natural hunters with a strong prey drive for small vermin.

Norfolks are self confident and carry themselves with presence and importance, holding their heads and tails erect. A Norfolk that is shy or that carries its tail between its legs is atypical, as is a dog that is hot tempered and aggressive with other dogs; these traits are not the standard. A Norfolk’s typical temperament is happy, spirited, and self confident. The greatest punishment to a dog is for his owner to ignore him.

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The Newfoundland is a large dog that can be black, brown, grey, or black and white (Landseer). They were originally bred and used as a working dog for fishermen in Newfoundland, Canada. They are famously known for their giant size and tremendous strength, sweet dispositions, and loyalty. Newfoundland dogs excel at water rescue, due to their great muscles and their webbed feet and acute swimming abilities. Newfoundland dogs require daily (possibly every 2 days) brushing with a hard brush. Newfoundland puppies are laid-back and considered easy to housebreak.The breed is thought to be the strongest of any dog breed—even beating some characteristics of the Great Dane, Mastiff, or Irish Wolfhound.

Appearance

Newfoundlands (‘Newfs’ or ‘Newfies’) have webbed feet and a water-resistant coat. Males weigh 60–70 kg (130-150 lb), and females 45–55 kg (100-120 lb), placing them in the “Giant” weight range. Some Newfoundland dogs have been known to weigh over 90 kg (200 lb). The largest Newfoundland on record weighed 120 kg (260 lbs) and measured over 6 feet from nose to tail, ranking it among the biggest Mastiffs and St. Bernards. They may grow up to 22-28 inches tall at the shoulder.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) standard colours of the Newfoundland dogs are black, brown, grey, and landseer (black or brown head and white and black body); The Kennel Club (KC) permits only black, brown, and landseer; the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) permanents are only black and landseer. The Landseer is named after the artist Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, who featured them in many of his paintings. AKC, CKC, and KC all treat Landseer as part of the breed. Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) consider the Landseer to be a separate breed; others consider it only a Newfoundland colour variation.

The Newfoundland’s extremely large bones give him mass, while his mammoth musculature gives him the power he needs to take on rough ocean waves and powerful tides. He has an enormous lung capacity for swimming extremely long distances, and a thick, oily and waterproof double coat which protects him from the chill of icy waters. His droopy lips and jowls make the dog drool, but the purpose of his design gives passageways that allow him to breathe even when his mouth is full and swamped by waves.

In the water, his massive webbed paws gives the Newfoundland another advantage, giving him maximum propulsion with every stroke. The stroke is not an ordinary dog paddle. Unlike other dogs, the Newfoundland moves his limbs in a down-and-out motion, which can be seen as a modified breaststroke. This gives him more power with every stroke.

Temperament

The Newfoundland dog is legendarily known for its benevolence and strength. It is known to be one of the kindest and gentlest of all dogs. It is for this reason that this breed is known as “the gentle giant”. International kennel clubs generally describe the breed as having a sweet temper. It has a deep bark, is easy to train, makes a fine guardian or watchdog, and is extremely good with children.

The Newfoundland dog is also extremely good with other animals. Its caring and gentle nature comes out in play and interaction with humans and animals alike. As with any breed, the Newfoundland can have dominance issues, but this is unusual for the breed. “Sweetness of temperament is the hallmark of the Newfoundland; this is the most important single characteristic of the breed.” – Newfoundland Club Of America.

“Its soft expression reflects its benevolent and dignified temperament.” – Animal Planet about the great Newfoundland Dog.

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The Miniature Schnauzer is a breed of small dog of the Schnauzer type that originated in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th century. Miniature Schnauzers developed from crosses between the Standard Schnauzer and one or more smaller breeds such as the Poodle or Affenpinscher.

The breed remains one of the most popular, and as of 2008 is the 11th most popular breed in the U.S, primarily for its temperament and relatively small size. The American Kennel Club recognises only three colours for the Miniature Schnauzer: salt-and-pepper, black-and-silver, and solid black. Solid white is considered a disqualification, although, a small patch of white is allowed on the solid black. In the United Kingdom, the small white patch on a solid black is also considered a fault. Colours such as white, parti (multi), chocolate and liver are available on the pet trade and can be registered as pure-breds by some organisations, but are not currently recognised by any legitimate clubs for conformation shows.

Appearance

Miniature Schnauzers normally have a small, squarely proportioned build, measuring 12 to 14 inches (30 to 36 cm) tall and weighing 11 to 15 pounds (5.0 to 6.8 kg) for females and 14 to 18 pounds (6.4 to 8.2 kg) for males. They have a double coat. The exterior fur is wiry and the undercoat is softer. The coat is trimmed short on the body, but the hair on ears, legs, and edge of the body, a.k.a. the “furnishings”, are retained. The first Breed Standard for the Schnauzer, established in 1907, required specific colour formation: “Colour: All salt and pepper colour shades or similar bristly equal colour mixtures and solid black. Faults: …All white, speckled, brindles, red, or bran colours.”

Miniature Schnauzers are often described as non-shedding dogs, and while this is not entirely true, their shedding is minimal and generally unnoticeable. They are characterised by a long head with bushy beard, moustache and eyebrows; teeth that meet in a “scissor bite”; oval and dark coloured eyes; and v-shaped, natural forward-folding ears. (When cropped, the ears point straight upward and come to a sharp point.) Their tails are naturally thin and short, and may be docked (where permitted). They will also have very straight, rigid front legs, and feet that are short and round (so-called “cat feet”Wink with thick, black pads.

Temperament

The Official Standard of the Miniature Schnauzer describes temperament as “alert and spirited, yet obedient to command. He is friendly, intelligent and willing to please. He should never be overaggressive or timid.” Usually easy to train, they tend to be excellent watchdogs, with a good territorial instinct, but more inclined toward vocal notification than attack. They are often guarded towards strangers until the owners of the home welcome the guest, upon which they are typically very friendly to them; unlike some of their terrier cousins, they are not typically aggressive. However, they will express themselves vocally, and may bark to greet their owner, or to express joy, excitement, or displeasure.

Proper socialisation with other dogs and people is important. The breed is generally good with children, but as with any dog, play with small children should be supervised. They are highly playful dogs, and if not given the outlet required for their energy they can become bored and invent their own “fun.” Schnauzers have a “high prey drive” (appropriate for a ratting dog), which means they may attack other small pets such as birds, snakes, and rodents. Many will also attack cats, but this may be curbed with training, or if the dog is raised with cats.

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The Miniature Pinscher (Zwergpinscher, Min Pin) is a small breed of dog of the Pinscher type, developed in Germany. Miniature Pinschers were first bred to hunt vermin, especially rats. Pinscher, is a German word related to the English word “pincher”, which is thought to refer to the ears of the breed which used to be ‘pinched’ or ‘cropped’. Zwerg means Dwarf. The Miniature Pinscher is also known as the “King of the Toy Dogs”. The international kennel club, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, lists the Miniature Pinscher in Group 2, Section 1.1 Pinscher, along with the Dobermann, the German Pinscher, the Austrian Pinscher, and the other toy pinscher, the Affenpinscher.[1] Other kennel clubs list the Miniature Pinscher in the Toy Group or Companion Group.

Appearance

The original true Miniature Pinscher was more stout in appearance than today’s refined dog. Its coat was more coarse and the dog in general was less refined. The refined look of today’s dog was a result primarily of many who neglected to realise that the breed was a working breed and not a toy breed. Much of the natural look went away with years of breeding for the refined small dog now seen as today’s Miniature Pinscher. The miniature Pinscher also tends to have very long legs, and a small body, which can sometimes make it look quite comical. As a result of the flexible, agile body of a miniature pinscher, they are able to curl up in almost any position and almost always be comfortable.

Size

Miniature Pinscher breed standard calls for 10 to 12.5 inches at the withers (shoulders) with any dog under 10 or over 12.5 not eligible to be shown. The original Miniature Pinscher actually had more variance as being a cross between a smooth coated Dachshund and a Miniature Greyhound (known today as the Italian Greyhound, led to some carrying the Dachshund legs while others carried the Italian Greyhound leg creating some short and some tall. After many years of German breeding an average was maintained. Though today’s standard is smaller than the original. Due to common belief there is no such thing as the “min pin” which a lot of people think is a smaller version of the Miniature Pinscher. The so called “min pin” is just a abbreviation (like NY for new york).

Coat and colour

The coat is short and smooth, with colours, according to most breed standards, of red, stag-red, and black or chocolate with tan or rust markings, in addition to the blue and fawn. Blue coats, while admitted into the UK Kennel Club, can be registered in the American Kennel Club but cannot compete in show. They still benefit from all other aspects of the AKC. The Miniature Pinscher frequently has a docked tail and cropped ears, though the AKC no longer requires ear cropping for shows. The AKC standard specifies a characteristic hackney-like action: “a high-stepping, reaching, free and easy gait in which the front leg moves straight forward and in front of the body and the foot bends at the wrist. The dog drives smoothly and strongly from the rear. The head and tail are carried high.” The standard in Europe does not require the high stepping gait as the original Miniature Pinscher (zwergpinscher) did not walk in such a fashion. In Europe and Germany this high stepping gait is considered a fault.

The miniature pinscher will on occasion carry a small white patch generally located on neck or breast area. This links directly back to the original breed colouring. The Miniature Pinscher did come in Merle colouring which in the Dachshund is referred to as Dapple and in Harlequin like that found in the Great Dane. The white gene is part of the makeup of this breed; though breeders for years have fought to eliminate this gene, it is accepted by AKC in conformation and show so long as the area of white is limited to no more than 1/2 inch in direction.

Temperament

The miniature pinscher is an energetic dog that thrives on owner interaction. They are very loyal dogs and are typically categorised as “one, or two person dogs”, but with socialisation, they can be integrated into families, and get along moderately with other dogs, pets, and children. Children, especially younger ones, must be encouraged to act gently to avoid being bit as these dogs are known to snap without any provocation. Teething can be one provocation. Socialisation as puppies will help ensure they can co-exist and interact with other dogs as adults. Min Pins are known for biting people when being simply introduced as a stranger and are extremely protective of their owners. This protective instinct will manifest as nonstop barking and challenging postures. Although originally bred for ratting, they are also excellent watch dogs, barking at all things they deem a threat. These dogs can jump very high, some can jump five and a half feet in the air.

These little dogs will need lots of exercise per day. A backyard would be preferable so they can have an outdoor area to run around in, but it will need to be securely fenced in as this breed is the “Houdini” of the dog world when it comes to escaping. The breed is a toy breed (AKC), these dogs’ energy level exceeds the traditional concept or idea of the standard toy breed. Daily walks are not sufficient for this breed to wear off their excess energy. Though dog parks can be a solution, the true Miniature Pinscher, being a terrier, can go on the hunt at any moment, so an off-lead dog is a serious challenge with this breed. This dog truly does not see itself as small and therefore will challenge anything, including larger breeds. The breed is rated the 3rd worst breed for apartments due to overall lack of exercise as well as natural guarding instincts which lends the dog to barking and leads to many noise complaints. In addition, the dog can be quite destructive to homes if the dog is not allowed ample time to expel its natural energy that gets pent up when no secure yard is available. These dogs are only suitable for apartments if they have regular exercise. A daily 45 minute+ exercise regimen is a must in order to have this dog in an apartment.

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