Plate 168 · British Isles
Norfolk Terrier
诺福克㹴
“The Norwich Terrier with folded ears.”
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Norfolk, East Anglia
- Region of origin
- A terrier of East Anglia; the marker is Norfolk's reference point.
- The point marks the region the breed comes from, not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- 1880s; separate breed from 1964
- Today
- Companion · Earthdog
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Norfolk, East Anglia
The drop-eared twin of the Norwich Terrier: one of the smallest working terriers.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Ratting and bolting foxes, often working in packs.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
It shares its history with the Norwich (see that breed): both were one breed until the Kennel Club recognized the drop-eared type as the Norfolk in 1964; the AKC followed in 1979.
04 · Today
Companion · Earthdog
A sociable companion.
Personality
- Alert
- Fearless
- Fun-loving
- Gregarious
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Boundless energy: long walks and fetch; always on lead or fenced.
- Grooming
- Hand-stripping keeps the coat right.
- Training
- Smart and close to its family, but tests limits; obedience training is a must.
Living with one
- Size
- Small
- Lifespan
- 12–16 years
- Coat
- Hard, wiry, straight double coat; red, wheaten, black and tan or grizzle
Field note
The ears tell it apart from the Norwich: dropped, not pricked.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Terrier Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 3, standard 272), The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Terrier Group, recognized 1979.
AKC registrations: ranked 126 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Norfolk Terrier — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/norfolk-terrier/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Norfolk Terrier — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_Terrier
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · East Anglian origin, Cantab and Trumpington names, Frank Jones, separation from the Norwich (1964 UK, 1979 AKC).
- Norfolk Terrier — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/NORFOLK-TERRIER-272.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin Great Britain; Group 3, section "Small sized Terriers"; accepted 1966.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: A terrier of East Anglia; the marker is Norfolk's reference point.