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Norwich Terrier Dog Breed Introduction
Norwich Terrier is a toy-sized working terrier that originated in East Anglia, England. It is one of the smallest working terriers. Norwich terriers have prick ears that are a distinguishing characteristic from their cousin Norfolk Terrier. Until 1979, AKC recognized Norfolk and Norwich Terriers as one breed under the name Norwich Terrier. This is an affectionate breed that will enjoy hours of lap time with the favorite human but they are also energetic enough to play fetch all day.
The Norwich Terriers are generally friendly with children and will peacefully co-habit with other dogs and cats if properly introduced from an early age. Although, caution should be observed around rodent pets such as hamsters and gerbils, birds, rabbits, and reptiles due to its high prey drive and history as a ratting dog. This is not a breed for a kennel setting. Norwich Terriers enjoy the companionship of their owners. If bored, this breed may engage in destructive digging, chewing, and excessive barking.
The Norwich Terriers are quite a rare breed due the small litter size of 1 to 3 puppies and the common need for C-sections. Therefore, the small supply and the high price of a purebred Norwich Terrier( often around $4500 as of 2020) has attracted fraud as unsuspecting buyers pay full price for Cairn Terriers with docked tails or even mixed-breed puppies.
Norwich Terrier Origin | History
The Norwich Terriers originated in East Anglia in the 19th century. This is a region in England that includes Norfolk and Norwich County. This breed was developed for controlling rodent population in Britain. The Norfolk Terriers were also used in packs for foxhunting. For this reason, they were bred to be more sociable than the usual( independent-minded terrier).
It is believed the Norwich Terriers were developed by crossing the Irish Terriers with other short-legged terrier breeds. This dog breed is famously associated with the Cambridge University. The students from the university were fond of the Norwich Terriers and most of them owned one. At the time, they were known as Cantab Terriers. The Students acquired Norwich Terriers as dorm-room ratters and pets. Later on, one of these dogs, Rags, came into the ownership of a Stable yard owner in Norwich town. Rags was then bred and fathered several litters of admirable quality. Therefore, as of today, Rags is considered the granddaddy of modern Norwich Terriers.
The first Norwich Terrier was imported in the United States in the early 1910s. Initially, Norfolk( drop-eared variety) and Norwich(prick ear variety) Terriers were considered as one breed until 1964 when The Kennel Club recognized the drop-ear variety as a separate breed, Norfolk Terrier. The two varieties were recognized as separate breeds by AKC(American Kennel Club) and UKC(United Kennel Club) in 1979 while CKC(Canada Kennel Club ) recognized the two varieties as a separate breed in 1977.
Norwich Terrier Lifespan | Life Span
The Norwich Terriers have a lifespan of 12 to 15 years. Although, some may live up to the age of 16 years.
Norwich Terrier Grooming
Norwich Terrier Haircut
The Norwich Terriers need regular stripping of the coat to remove dead hair, promote new hair growth, and prevent matting using a stripping knife. This grooming technique helps to maintain the wiry texture of the coat and the rich coat colors. Resist from clipping or trimming the coat since it softens its texture and also leads to fading of the coat color.
Norwich Terrier Shedding
The Norwich Terriers shed all-year round at low-levels. Although, the shedding is more noticeable during Spring and Fall due to seasonal change.
Norwich Terrier Coat
The Norwich Terriers have a double coat with a hard, wiry, and straight top coat, and a soft definite undercoat.
Norwich Terrier Hypoallergenic | Are Norwich Terriers Hypoallergenic
Whether Norwich Terriers are hypoallergenic or not is a topic up for debate. Some suggest this is a hypoallergenic breed that sheds at low levels all-year round and the wiry texture traps the shed hair from falling on the surface. However, some argue that Norwich Terriers blow off the coats in Spring and Fall releasing dander and hair into the environment hence triggering allergic reactions. Furthermore, Norwich Terriers are not among the AKC’s dog breeds listed as nearly hypoallergenic. According to allergists, allergies are aggravated not only by dander and hair but also saliva, mucus, and urine. Therefore, parents should spend lots of time with the Norwich Terriers to determine whether the pet is triggering their allergies or not before adopting.
Norwich Terrier Training
The Norwich Terrier is an intelligent, affectionate, loyal, and fearless dog. It is easily trainable although, it may be stubborn and needs consistent training. Owners should embrace early training so that the pup can soak in all the desirable behaviors before inclining towards bad habits. Properly socialize the Norwich Terriers from an early age so that they can develop the outgoing and amiable personality that is characteristic of the breed. Socialization training usually starts from the age of 3 to 16 weeks.
To socialize Norwich Terriers, expose them to a wide variety of people, animals, places, surfaces, situations, smell, sights, and sounds such as baby crying sounds, doorbells, lawn mowers, sirens, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and whistles. Enrolling a Norwich Terrier in a puppy class will also serve as a form of socialization. These classes create a controlled environment where puppies interact with each other. The puppy class also enables the pet parent to not only identify and correct bad habits but also have access to training information and assistance.
Keep the training sessions short, upbeat, and challenging to avoid boredom and distraction. Make use of positive reinforcement methods such as use of treats, toys, petting, playtime, and verbal praise. Avoid use of harsh correction methods such as yelling, kicking, shoving, or beating. Harsh training methods are counterproductive. Start teaching basic command words such as come, sit, stay, heel, lie down, and leave it one at a time to avoid overwhelming the dog. Effectively housebreak Norwich Terriers by crate training, creating a feeding schedule, and potty training.
Norwich Terrier Temperament | Personality | Traits
- Affectionate.
- Loyal.
- Energetic.
- Versatile.
- Fearless.
- Intelligent.
- Assertive.
- Sensitive.
- Alert.
- Friendly.
- Stubborn.
- Outgoing.
Norwich Terrier Exercise
The Norwich Terriers are hardy and active dogs that require daily exercise. Daily walks, playing fetch, running, or a working session will suffice to meet the physical and mental needs of this breed. Although, Norwich Terriers should exercise in a safely secured yard or go for walks while on a leash due to their innate prey drive. This breed can also participate in agility, flyball, and earthdog competitions.
Norwich Terrier Bark | Do Norwich Terriers Bark A Lot
The Norwich Terrier is an excellent watchdog that barks to notify the owner when someone is approaching. However, when the bred realizes there is no threat, it becomes quite friendly. The Norwich Terriers may easily develop a habit of excessive barking if they are no taught the quiet command.
Norwich Terrier Height
The Norwich Terriers have a height of 9 to 10 inches ( approx. 23 to 25 cm ).
Norwich Terrier Weight
Mature Norwich Terriers have a weight of 11 to 12 pounds ( approx. 5.0 to 5.4 kg ).
Norwich Terrier Size
The Norwich Terriers are toy-sized working terriers that have a weight of 11 to 12 pounds ( approx. 5.0 to 5.4 kg ) and a height of 9 to 10 inches ( approx. 23 to 25 cm ).
Norwich Terrier Health Issues
A Norwich is a robust and healthy dog that has a life span of 12 to 15 years. However, it may suffer from certain health issues such as eye disorders like cataracts, hip dysplasia, mitral valve disease, luxating patella, portosystemic shunts, narrow tracheas, epilepsy, dental problems, etc.
Apart from Norwich Terrier, other dog breeds include:
Norwich Terrier Names
The Norwich Terrier parents may decide to get a name for the pet before it joins them home from the breeder or days after the pet has settled home to understand better the personality of a particular dog. Parents may get name inspirations from the England heritage, coat color and texture, personality of the dog, movies, celebrity Norwich Terriers, songs, food, historical figures, and nature.
Regardless of where the owner will get the name, he or she should ensure the name chosen will not be a source of embarrassment if uttered out loud in the public parks and malls. Norwich Terriers and other dog breeds better understand names that have vowels.
If a pet parent has chosen a long name, they should make an effort of finding a cute nickname for the pet. Avoid giving your Norwich Terrier a name that rhymes with the command words to avoid confusion. If a pooch shares a name with any family member or guest that frequent your home, it may cause confusion. Some of the names that Norwich owners give to their pets include:
- Arnan.
- Wyatt.
- Elsa.
- Lucy.
- Daisy.
- Ash.
- Felix.
- Bristol.
- Earl.
- Alisa.
- Kalea.
- Rina.
- Trixie, etc.
Norwich Terrier Food
The amount of food that Norwich Terriers feed on depend on their activity level, age, metabolism, size, and body build. Norwich Terriers puppies tend to have a high metabolism rate as compared to adults and senior dogs. Therefore, a youngster needs to feed on a total of 3 or 4 times a day from when it starts weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, Norwich Terriers should feed on two meals a day for the rest of their lives with snacks and treats in between. However, Norwich owners should watch out for calorie consumption and weight level to avoid overfeeding their pets.
The Norwich Terriers may feed on dry food, wet food, home made, or a raw diet depending on the budget and time of the pet parent. Regardless of the food type, the owner should ensure that the pooch feeds on a balanced diet to maintain a good health eventually allowing it to develop cognitively and physically. If the Norwich parent decides to feed the dog the commercial dry or wet food, he or she should ensure the first three ingredients are proteins from a known source.
The commercial pet food should never contain preservatives, chemicals, additives, meat by-products, generic meat products, and fillers. The same goes to the snacks. Feed a Norwich Terrier with food for toy-sized puppies, adults, and senior depending on its age. Make a habit of regularly checking the physique of your pet to know whether it is overweight or underweight.
If you can see the ribs, chances are the dog is underweight. Although, if the ribs are not visible but you can feel them without pressing hard, the pet has an ideal weight. If you cannot feel the ribs, the pooch is obese. After getting a puppy from a breeder, the owner is likely to switch to another quality food. They should gradually do this over a period of four weeks by mixing both old food and new food. As the weeks progresses, the amount of old food reduces as the new food increases until the Norwich Terrier is only feeding on new food during the fourth week.
Norwich Terrier Colors | Colors Grizzle
A Norwich terrier can have a coat color with all shades of wheaten, red, black and tan, or grizzle( a combination of wheaten and black colors with no set pattern).
Norwich Terrier Allergies
A Norwich Terrier may suffer from various forms of allergies as discussed below:
Food allergies – Rarely, the Norwich Terriers may suffer from a true food allergy that causes an immune response. This allergy is accompanied with a range of symptoms from skin issues such as hives, facial swelling, lesions, hot spots, itchiness, dermatitis, and pruritus to gastrointestinal stress such as acute vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Skin allergies – The Norwich Terriers may suffer from skin allergies due to food, contact, and environmental allergies that manifest on the skin.
Contact allergies – This allergy causes inflammation to the skin once the it comes in contact with the allergen. Some of the contact allergens that affect the Norwich Terriers include plastics, lawn chemicals, grooming products, nylon carpets, latex, carpet cleaning detergents, and medications.
Environmental allergy – Some of the environmental allergies that affect the Norwich Terriers include fleas, mites, ragweed, trees, pollen, trees, dust and dust mites, and pollen grains.
Do Norwich Terrier Shed | Do Norwich Terriers Shed
Yes. Norwich Terriers shed all-year round at low levels and heavily while blowing off their coats in Spring and Fall.
Norwich Terrier Price | How Much Do Norwich Terriers Cost
The Norwich Terriers are rare dogs due to the small litter size and the common need for caesarian sections. Therefore, the breed has a high price of often around $4500 which has attracted fraud.
Norwich Terrier Quick Facts
- It is a rare breed that attracts fraud due to the high price of $4500.
- The Norwich Terriers have distinct prick ears that distinguish them from the Norfolk Terriers.
- This breed has a litter size of 1 to 3 puppies.
