What Is The History Of The Norfolk Terrier?

The Norfolk terrier was first discovered in East Anglia, England in the 1880's by a group of English sportsmen. Both the Norwich terrier and its small, drop-eared cousin, which is now known as the Norfolk terrier, are believed to be a cross between the Cairn terrier, some varieties of Irish terriers and the red terrier. Norfolk terriers are also called Cantab terriers (the name was given by students of Cambridge University, the prestigious English educational institution, who kept this breed as pets in their dormitories), Trumpington terriers (named after the street where this breed was first developed) or Jones terriers (named after the last name of the Norwich hunter who introduced them to the United States shortly before World War I).

The Norwich terrier, the prick-eared breed of dog, gained acceptance to the English Kennel Club in 1932 and to the American Kennel Club four years later. The Kennel Club renamed the drop-eared variety the Norfolk terrier in 1964 and clarified the differences between the two varieties, namely Norwich and Norfolk. They were formally recognised by both the American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club in 1979.