THE NORFOLK TERRIER
By Barbara Miller
T
he Norfolk and Nor- wich terriers were once one breed; the Nor- wich terrier prick ear and the Norwich ter- rier drop ear. It wasn’t
“THE NORFOLK IS THE SMALLEST OF THE WORKING TERRIERS.”
until January 1979 that the breeds earned the right to become two; the Norfolk ter- rier and the Norwich terrier. Until the 1930s the prick and drop ear were inter- bred. Th e Norfolk terrier came from sim- ple beginnings and now are considered a force in the Terrier group ring on either side of the big pond. Th is game and hardy little fellow with expressive drop ears, ten inches at the withers weighing about 12 to 14 pounds thinks of itself as a giant canine with a heart of gold. Th e Norfolk is the smallest of the working terriers. It is active and compact, free moving, with good bone and substance. Th e coat is weather resistant and its short legs make it a perfect demon in the fi eld. Th is little guy is a bundle of energy and fi ts right at home in the busy family household. Th ere’s a tendency in today’s fast mov- ing world to think of “Now” and forget- ting “When.” As custodians of our breed we surely must give some time and e ff ort
to remembering the past because it is only then as breeders we can move into the future. Th e background for our little breed began in the 1880s in England with a man named “Doggy” Lawrence who produced a small terrier breeding a Yorkshire to an Irish terrier. His cleaver little dogs were sold mainly to the stu- dents at Cambridge University to clear out the vermin in the dormitories. His dogs were referred to as “Cantab Terriers” one of which, a red, was bred to a Scot- tish type terrier owned by Jodrell Hop- kins in 1900. As a graduate of Cambridge he wanted a small dog for his livery stable on Th rumpington Street to keep the rats at bay. Fortunately, Rags, a red coated male and Nell a female with a dark coat
was the results of this breeding. Both had prick ears and Hopkins labeled them “ Th rumpington Terriers.” In 1901 Frank Jones better known “Roughrider” who worked for Jack Cooke, master of a pack of staghounds, bred his small red terriers that he brought to England with him from Ireland to “Rags.” All resulting whelps had pricks ears. A few years later, Podge Low owned a little bitch that he named “Ninety” with most probably a bit of Dandie Dinmont in her background, pure white with fl y away ears and leggy to boot was sold to a graduate of Cambridge, Richard Hoare. He bred her to Rags and the drop ear was born. It wasn’t until 1932 that Bif- fi n of Beau fi n was born and became the
“As custodians of our breed we surely must GIVE SOME TIME AND EFFORT TO REMEMBERING THE PAST BECAUSE IT IS ONLY THEN AS BREEDERS WE CAN MOVE INTO THE FUTURE.”
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