Dog
Group:
Terrier 
Norfolk Terrier Champions
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Pronunciation:
nawr-fuhk ter-ee-er
Breed Description:
The Norfolk Terrier breed of dog is a toy sized breed of dog that is compact and sturdy. The dog should be slightly longer than tall and the overall build should be well-balanced and sturdy. The breed has short legs and a medium length tail, which is usually docked. The head should have a wedge shaped muzzle and the medium sized ears should set high on the head but they should be drop ears.
The coat of the Norfolk Terrier should be a double coat with a soft, dense undercoat that is short and completely covers the dog. There should also be a longer topcoat that is usually one to two inches long. The topcoat should be wiry in texture and it should be straight. There should be a mane of thicker hair on the neck and shoulders and the Norfolk Terrier should have small bushy eyebrows. The color of the Norfolk Terrier can be grizzle with dark points, wheaten, red, black and tan, tan and grizzle.
Temperament:
The Norfolk Terrier breed of dog is a loving and playful little dog that is known for having a big heart and lots of courage. This is a tenacious breed that is energetic, active and loyal to their family. They often have no problems finding something to do and can be quite mischievous at times. The breed is very intelligent and they combine this with an alertness that makes them a wonderful watchdog. The breed does well with children and are usually very playful and patient with them. They are good with other dogs and cat but smaller "pocket" pets can trigger their strong prey drive and are not a good match for this breed.
Height:
The average height for a Norfolk Terrier is between 9 to 10 inches.
Weight:
The average weight for a Norfolk Terrier is between 10 to 12 pounds.
Health Problems:
The Norfolk Terrier breed of dog is a very healthy breed and they only suffer from a few health problems including hip dysplasia, vaccination sensitivity and Patellar Luxation.
Living Conditions:
The Norfolk Terrier breed of dog is a very versatile breed and they can do well in any home including an apartment. It is important to give them a fenced yard if they have access to a yard since the Norfolk Terrier does have a strong prey drive and will chase after neighborhood pets. They should not be outside dogs.
Exercise:
The Norfolk Terrier breed of dog is an active breed but their small size makes them easy to exercise. Usually a game of fetch down a hallway will give them ample exercise but you should still give them one or two good walks in a day.
Life Expectancy:
12 to 15 years
Grooming:
The Norfolk Terrier breed of dog is an easy to care for breed and you should only expect to brush them two or three times a week. Bathing only needs to be done when it is necessary but the ears should be cleaned on a weekly basis. Nails should be clipped on a monthly basis and the only other task is to hand strip the coat two or three times a year to keep their coat healthy. The groomed Norwich Terrier often has a scruffy appearance.
Origin:
The Norfolk Terrier breed of dog shares the same history as the Norwich Terrier and while the breed can trace its origins back to the early 1900's, it was considered to be the same breed as the Norfolk Terrier until 1964. Originally, the Norfolk Terrier, which was developed in England, was used for hunting a number of different rodents and vermin. The breed is known as an "earth dog," which is a type of dog that would follow an animal into its burrow and flush it out. The Norfolk Terrier was cherished for its ability at hunting foxes and quickly gained popularity soon after its development. While it is not completely clear what breeds went into the creation of the Norfolk Terrier, it is believed that the Border Terrier, Irish Terrier and the Cairn Terrier were used along with several other breeds. It is also believed that the Norfolk Terrier is older than the Norwich Terrier and was the contributing breed for the Norwich and not the other way around. The Norfolk Terrier was commonly interbred with the Norwich Terrier and many fanciers of the breed could not agree on whether the drop ears of the Norfolk or the pricked ears of the Norwich were the true breed type. In the 1960's and 1970's, the two breeds were finally separated and interbreeding stopped. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
