Official CKC Breed Standard for the Manchester Terrier

General Appearance: A terrier calculated to take his own part in the rat pit and not of the Whippet type.

Size: Weight 12-22 lbs (5-10 kg)

Coat and Colour:  Coat close, Short, and glossy; not soft.  Colour black and tan, as distinct as possible; the tan should be a rich mahogany colour.  A tan spot over each eye and another on each cheek, the latter as small as possible; the lips of the upper and lower jaws should be tanned, the tan extending under the jaw to the throat, ending in the shape of the letter V; the inside of the ear is partly tanned; the forelegs tanned to the knee, with a black patch "thumb mark" between the pastern and the knee; the toes have a distinct black mark running up each, called the "pencil mark"; the tan on the hind legs should continue from the penciling on the feet up the inside of the legs and should be perfectly black.  There should be tan under tail, and on the vent, but only of such size as to be covered by the tail.  In every case the tan should meet the black abruptly.

Head: Narrow, almost flat, with a slight indentation up the forehead, long and tight-skinned.  Slightly wedge shaped, tapering to the nose, and well filled up under the eyes, with tight-lipped jaws.  Nose should be perfectly black.  Level in mouth, with no visible cheek muscles.  Eyes small, bright, and sparkling, set moderately close together, as near black as possible; oblong in shape, slanting upwards on the outside; they should neither protrude nor sink in the skull.  Ears erect, or button, small and thin; smaller at the root and set as close together as possible at the top of the head.  If cropped, to a point, long and carried erect.

Neck: The neck should be slim and graceful, gradually becoming larger as it approaches the shoulders, and perfectly free from throatiness; slightly arched from the occiput.

Forequarters: The shoulders slope off elegantly.  Legs perfectly straight, and well under the body; strong, and of proportionate length.  Feet compact, split up between the toes, and well arched, with jet black nails; the two middle toes in the front feet rather longer that the others.

Body: Short; with powerful loins; the back being slightly arched at the loin, and falling again to the joining of the tail to the same height as the shoulder.  Chest narrow between the legs, deep in the brisket; ribs well sprung out behind the shoulders.

Hindquarters: The hind feet shaped like those of a cat.

Tail: Should be moderately short, and set on where the arch of the back ends; thick where it joins the body, and gracefully tapering to a point; not carried higher than the back.