Quick Facts
Origin: England
Height: 9”-10”
Weight: 11-12 lbs
Color: Black & tan, Grizzle, Red, Red wheaten
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Temperament: Feisty, Confident, Devoted, Willful
Overview
Norfolk terriers were bred in the 1800s in England as ratters. They are inquisitive and independent. They have boundless energy, love brisk walks and playing fetch. These pups are great with family including small children. They will not do well in homes with small pet such as hamsters as they cannot quelch the instinct to hunt and kill them.
Norfolk terriers are some of the smallest terriers. With wiry coats, short legs, fold over ears and an eye for adventure, what’s not to love?
Celebrity Owners
Lady Victoria Hervey
Fun Facts
- Norfolk and Norwich terriers originally were categorized as the same breed. You can tell the difference with this little trick. Norfolk’s ears fold over while the Norwich’s stand up like a witch’s hat!
Health
Norfolk terriers are commonly healthy dogs. Some issues to be aware of are:
- Mitral valve disease: The mitral valve is an important valve in the heart controlling pressure and blood flow in the heart. Over time, it can wear, leading to a few different issues in the heart.
- Cataracts: A dog develops a cataract when the lens in its eye clouds. The clouding is caused by changes in the water balance or proteins in the lens.
- Patellar luxation: Luxating simply means out of place or dislocated. Patella is a kneecap. A Luxating patella is a kneecap that chronically moves out of its normal position.
- Hip dysplasia: This condition is when the socket joint in the hip isn’t large enough, or more often too shallow, for the femoral head.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
Grooming
Never cut your Norfolk terrier’s coat, it will ruin the wiry texture. Weekly brushing will pull away any dead hair. Twice a year you will need to hand strip your pup to allow for new hair growth.
Wash your pup every 4-6 weeks or as needed. Keep your pup’s eyes and ears clean and clear of debris. Clip your dog’s nails trimmed and brush their teeth several times per week.
Cost
$1,500 – $4,000
Exercise
Your Norfolk terrier will require at least an hour of rigorous exercise per day. Walks, hikes, and playing fetch will help satisfy your pup’s needs. Always keep your terrier on a leash or in a secure fenced in area when outside.
Terriers have hunter instincts which will often override your calls to return. This breed also needs mental stimulation. Consider getting puzzle toys for you pup.
Nutrition
Your Norfolk terrier will eat around 1 cup of food per day over two meals. The exact requirements for your dog will vary with age and activity level.
Be mindful that little dogs that receive lots of treats and or table scraps end up overweight. A little dog that is overweight is significantly more likely to develop other health issues.
We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.
Training
As with all pups, early socialization with humans and other dogs is vital. Norfolk terriers are very smart which can make training tricky. This breed bores easily. Keep all training full of positive reinforcement and treats. Vary your training and try to get creative to keep your pup interested.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
The Good
Good travelers
Good watchdogs
The "Ruff"
Can get jealous with their owners
High tendency to bark