Norwich Terrier
The Norwich Terrier began as the undergraduates' ratting dog at Cambridge in the 1880s and was taken up by the local hunts, which wanted a small, honest terrier that would bolt a…
About the Norwich Terrier
The Norwich Terrier began as the undergraduates' ratting dog at Cambridge in the 1880s and was taken up by the local hunts, which wanted a small, honest terrier that would bolt a fox and then get along with the pack. It kept the erect ear when the drop-eared dogs were separated off as a breed of their own.
Height is about 25 to 26 cm, and the dog should be short-legged, thickset and hard, with a harsh, wiry, weather-resistant jacket in red, wheaten, black and tan or grizzle, and a slight ruff. The expression is sharp and the ear stands cleanly. A stud should be strong in jaw and body without being coarse, and it should move freely for its length of leg.
The airway is this breed's particular concern. A narrowed larynx and crowded soft tissue can leave a dog noisy and intolerant of heat, and the honest way to judge it is to hear a stud breathe at rest and again after a brisk walk, rather than to read a certificate. Ask the owner whether any relative has needed airway surgery. A patella assessment, hip scoring and an annual eye examination sit alongside that conversation.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Health testing
Health tests for the Norwich Terrier
We haven’t published a health-test panel for this breed yet. That is a gap in our guidance, not a statement about the breed — many breeds have well-established screening schemes and DNA tests. Ask the breeder what testing applies, and see how verification works for how we check declared results.
Breed hip median
Too few dogs of this breed have been scored (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 15 years: 3 dogs) to give a meaningful breed median. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Norwich Terrier stud dogs
No Norwich Terrier studs are listed right now
When a Norwich Terrier on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Norwich Terrier litters
No Norwich Terrier litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
