Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier
Other name: Norfolk
The Norfolk Terrier : a jolly little dog, easy-going in company but fearless in the field, she loves humans and detests rodents. While the Norfie will make an excellent addition to a variety of homes, it is important to note that she is not quite the teddy-bear that she appears. From the mouse to the fox, there is no size of foe, below human knee-height, that will intimidate the mighty Norf; but she does not fight for fighting’s sake, and will not start trouble unless she senses unwelcome company. She has an independent streak, and can be fiercely protective of her people. She needs a lot of exercise and may be better suited to country life than the big city. But she is a lot of fun, incredibly cute, and great company.
|
Life expectancy |
The Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier has a life expectancy of between 12 and 14 years |
|
Temperament |
|
|
Size |
Small
|
|
Adult size |
Female
Between 9 and 10 in
Male
Between 9 and 10 in
|
|
Adult weight |
Female
Between 9 and 13 lb
Male
Between 9 and 13 lb
|
|
Coat colour
Red, wheaten, black and tan, or grizzle (blend of all the above). Possible white patches. |
Black
Red
Sand
|
|
Type of coat
Mid-length; longer around neck and shoulders. The type of the coat is hard, wiry, flat to the body. |
Long
Hard
|
|
Eye colour
Dark brown or black. |
Brown
|
|
Purchase price |
The Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier costs between £645 and £1100 |
Although not as rare as her cousin the Norwich Terrier, the Norfolk can be hard to come by and there may be a waiting list to join.
More details about the Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier
Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier: Origins and history
The Norfie can count among her ancestors such distinguished terriers as the Glen
of Imaals, red Cairn Terriers and Dandie Dinmonts. At some point in the 19th century, a distinctive reddish off-shoot appeared among the unpretentious and little-distinguished farm dogs of Norfolk county, who worked daily to keep local vermin in order alongside other duties as required.
This off-shoot eventually became known as the Norwich Terrier, and was accepted onto the books of the Kennel Club in 1932. Along the way, she picked up such names as the Cantab or Trumpington Terrier, as she had been adopted first into Cambridge University life (where her ratting skills were first rate) and later to stables on nearby Trumpington Street, where Jodrell Hopkins made a business of breeding the creatures for his fellow students.
One such Trumper, Rags, ended up in the employ of Frank “Roughrider” Jones, who bred him with a hunt terrier/Dandie Dinmont cross named Ninety, their red-haired children becoming an important terrier family. In fact, the dog is known as a Jones Terrier in the States.
But varieties with both upward- and downward-pointing ears continued to be recognised as the same breed until 1964, when a campaign to acknowledge that somewhere along the line one strain of Norwich Terriers had become quite a different dog was finally ceded by the UK Kennel Club. The down-eared dog was christened the Norfolk, and eventually became the more popular of the closely-related breeds.
Physical characteristics of the Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier
Not to be mistaken, for fear of causing offence, with the Norwich Terrier, the Norfolk is a tiny bit longer than the Norwich, and her ears flap down rather than pointing up. However, the two breeds are together described as the smallest of the working terriers. The key word here is ‘working,’ since the Norfie should not be mistaken for a toy. She is strong and agile. Her dark little eyes peep urgently through her fringes in search of love or vermin. A perfect button nose crowns her strong, door-stop-shaped beak. Her tail stands tall like an antenna, and her coat is wiry and fringed at the extremities. In some ways, she resembles a little quadruped Wookie; a mistaken identity that she encourages when she opens her mouth to alert you to unexpected company.
FCI classification of the Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier
-
Group 3 - Terriers
-
Section 2 : Small sized Terriers
Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier: Varieties
- Norwich Terrier
Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier: Characteristics
The Norfie loves people, particularly her own people, and will distribute her affections generously around the pack – although this sociability may be channelled more through play than cuddles.
La Norfa is an energetic and intelligent dog, and she will require serious stimulation if her instincts are to be fulfilled. If you live in a country house, by all means encourage her to take responsibility for the regulation of the local rodent community; if not, find her surrogates in the form of sticks and toys.
Not really. While she’s not exactly neurotic, the Norfolk Terrier is certainly vigilant, and her active little eyes and body will often be found to be on standby mode when you thought that she was fully switched-off.
She’s a fairly intelligent creature, and if she fails to heed your instructions it is more likely down to poor training or selective hearing than any fault in her intellect.
Boy-oh-boy does she like a hunt. She was bred for this purpose. The county of Norfolk – aside from its thriving mustard industry – is known for its ditch-lined arable landscape, which has provided plenty of rodent action for the Norfie’s ancestors over the years.
The Norfie is generally friendly towards strangers but will not hesitate to step up if she feels her people are being threatened.
She has a significant independent streak as befits her rat-catching vocation, so firm training is essential for her to develop into a responsible adult.
Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier: Behaviour
The Norfie is okay on her own for reasonable amounts of time but may become destructive or attempt to dig herself to freedom if abandoned longer than she feels is fair.
She is quite straightforward to train, and it is essential that owners do so since she can be quite a free spirit without the education required for participation in conventional society.
She is not the worst of barkers, but can become annoying if bad habits aren’t curtailed early on. Small moving creatures in particular will bring out the Norfie’s vocal side.
The Norfie is somewhat prone to escape, due to her excellent digging skills and the fact that she is driven so quickly to distraction by the appearance of small furry things. Perimeters should be carefully secured, and the dog should be adequately tagged – perhaps with GPS location transmitters – since she is the same colour as the countryside and can soon slip past a search party unnoticed.
This energetic little terrier may turn to acts of destruction if her training is poor and her need for stimulation is not answered by her masters.
While not particularly greedy, she will pile on the pounds if furnished with round-the-clock snacks and deprived of adequate exercise opportunities.
The Norfie is a keen and vigilant watchdog who will sound a piercing alarm if she senses her property is under threat, and will likely attempt to arrest the intruder herself – particularly if they are smaller than her and covered in fur.
Training a Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier
She is quite straightforward to train, and it is essential that owners do so since she can be quite a free spirit without the education required for participation in conventional society.
Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier: Lifestyle
The Norfie is not ideal for flat life since she likes to dash around a bit. It should also be noted that the city is not her ideal environment, as she is a country dog and does not have great awareness for fast-moving vehicles (unless they look like rodents).
She needs at least an hour of exercise a day, preferably in the park where she can really hit full pelt (as long as she is trained to return). The Norfie has good stamina and will also enjoy accompanying you on rambles.
The Norfolk Terrier is known as a good traveller, being of portable dimensions and open-minded to new experiences.
Breed compatibility Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier
The Norfie is not an ideal housemate for a cat since she quite reasonably suspects them of being vermin and may attempt to make an arrest – which rarely turns out well for either creature. Likewise, hamsters, gerbils, and birds are provocative to this natural hunter.
Her ancestors were bred to hunt in packs, so as long as she is well-socialised from an early age your Norfolk should enjoy the company or even co-habitation of fellow dogs.
The Norfer loves children, children love the Norfer, so long as both parties are accustomed to the other species from a young age. Precautions should be taken to prevent clumsy children from stepping on the wee lass.
An older person with the mobility to provide adequate exercise for their Norfie should find in her a willing and more than stimulating companion.
First time dog-owners who have the time and energy for a bit of a handful will be rewarded with a loyal, manageable, but free-thinking terrier who will brighten up the home with her presence.
Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier: Purchase price
The average price for a Norfolk Terrier dog is between £645 - £1100.
The Norfolk Terrier can cost around £40 per month to feed and maintain.
Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier: Shedding
Average
Shedding is moderat, but this breed is considered to be hypoallergenic.
Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier: Grooming
The Norf requires her outer hair to be hand-stripped twice a year to make way for new growth. This skill can easily be learned by her human housemates, or outsourced to a reputable local dog salon.
Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier: Health
12-14 years.
She’s a strong dog, bred for serious outside work and skirmishes with rodents and other verminous critters who may more than make her match in size.
Her coat is well designed, like a Thermos flask, to keep her cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. However, like any dog, over-heating is a serious issue if it occurs, so caution should be taken not to over-work her on sunny days, and to ensure she has constant access to shade and drinking water.
Her coat is well-suited to insulating her from the trials of a long winter walk, but don’t push your luck.
She does have a tendency to weight-gain, particularly if she is over-fed and/or under-exercised.
- Mitral valve disease (MVD)
- Patellar luxation
- Cataracts
- Lens luxation
- Glaucoma
- Coloboma
Do you want a Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier dog ?
Oh no...
There are no Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier adoption profiles at the moment...
Is the Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier right for you?
take the test
