History and Origins
The English Toy Terrier dog breed was known as the Miniature Black
Tan Terrier up to the 1960s, and can be traced back to the black and tan terriers recorded in the 16th century. In England during the 1800s these terriers were very much in demand as ratters due to the increasing rat population brought about by the advancement of the industrial revolution. They were carried by gentlemen in their pockets on hunts and sent to ground as necessary to flush out foxes and so on. Contests between terriers and betting on how long it would take the dogs to kill a number of rats became popular. As the English Toy Terrier became ever more popular, and people wanted smaller dogs, a lot of interbreeding took place with the smallest of the litters being used for breeding.
