Norwich Terrier
About the Norwich Terrier
Temperament
Physical Characteristics
| Size Category | Small (10-25 lbs) |
|---|---|
| Height | 9-10" |
| Weight | 11-12 lbs |
| Coat Type | Wire |
| Coat Length | Medium |
| Colors | |
| Hypoallergenic | Yes |
Care Requirements
Exercise Needs
Moderate (30-60 min/day)
30 minutes per day recommended
Grooming
Moderate - Weekly
Mental Stimulation
★★★★★Needs plenty of mental challenges
Drooling
★★★★★Living Conditions
Cost of Ownership
| Purchase Price | $2,000-$3,500 |
|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $1,200/year |
Costs vary based on location, breeder, and individual needs. Annual costs include food, veterinary care, grooming, and supplies.
Health Considerations
Like all breeds, Norwich Terriers may be prone to certain health conditions:
Regular veterinary check-ups and proper care can help prevent or manage many health issues.
Best For
- Families with Children
- Apartment Living
- First-Time Owners
- Active Owners
May Not Be Ideal For
- Long Work Hours Away
- Sedentary Lifestyles
Guides for your Norwich Terrier
The story behind the Norwich Terrier
Small red terriers were kept in East Anglia, England, during the nineteenth century for killing rats around stables and yards and for bolting fox from earths, and they became known through the Cambridge area, where undergraduates kept them and spread their popularity. Contributions from Irish terrier stock and various local ratting terriers are generally accepted in the background. The type gained Kennel Club recognition in the early twentieth century under the Norwich name, encompassing both prick-eared and drop-eared dogs. Breeders struggled to fix ear carriage while interbreeding the two, and in the middle of the century the Kennel Club divided them, retaining the Norwich name for the prick-eared dogs and creating the Norfolk Terrier for the others, with the AKC separating them later. The Norwich remains uncommon, with modest annual registrations.
Originally bred for: Ratting, Fox bolting, Stable terrier. You can trace how working roles shaped today’s breeds across our dog guides.
Feeding a Norwich Terrier
Small and solidly built, this terrier suits a concentrated small-breed ration split into two feeds, with treats folded into the daily total. Weight creeps on quietly beneath a harsh coat, so a monthly hands-on condition check is more reliable than appearance.
Watch for: No breed-wide dietary intolerance is confirmed. Wiry-coated terriers frequently present with itchy skin, but environmental allergens and grooming practices explain most cases. If a food connection is genuinely suspected, a vet-supervised exclusion trial gives a clearer answer than trying products at random.
Not sure what to put in the bowl? See our picks for the best dog food for small breeds.
Mealtime extras: training treats worth keeping in your pocket. Everything else lives in our dog nutrition and feeding hub.
Living with a Norwich Terrier
Day to day, the basics matter most: how much exercise your dog needs, how often to get out for a walk, and how much sleep is normal.
For play and enrichment, browse our favorite dog toys and interactive toys for rainy days.
Gear that fits the breed makes life easier: a well-sized dog bed, a comfortable no-pull harness.
Raising a puppy? Work through crate training and the teething timeline — or see how old your dog is in human years with our dog age calculator.