East Anglia in the late 1800s, a rural “horse country,” dogs are widely used for hunts and for rodent control. Many local huntsmen have large kennels housing harriers, hounds, and terriers, and it is not uncommon to freely cross breeds based on specific hunting traits. A few breeders start crossing terriers in search of a small, carry-in-the-saddlebag, throw-the-ratter-in-the-barn, gamey local breed. Dogs range from wire to smooth coats, from mutts to established breeds of the day, all choices driven primarily by temperament and working ability… Locally bred Trumpington/CanTab Terriers become popular with students. In addition to their ratting abilities (helpful in dorm rooms) and their portable size, the local terriers have a softer temperament than some other matters. Bred to hunt in large packs, they display a perfect blend of tenacity and being enjoyable companions. Some students continue crossing the local terriers, among them Jodrell Hopkins, a breeder of Rags, the first dog with what we identify today as a Norwich type. In the spirit of form following function, Hopkins bred a red silky-coated terrier cross to a black Scotty-like bitch. The coat color and texture was not that important as their temperament. That mating, though, produced a pup with a dominant red coat color and dominant harsh coat texture, in addition to the principal goal of that breeding, namely gentle yet tenacious working terrier temperament. This is Rags, the forefather of the breed.

Remember, Parsons are supposed to be medium-boned. Why, then, are so many exhibitors and/or their handlers grooming the dogs to look like they are heavyboned? Forget for a moment the fact that they should never be heavy-boned; the Breed Standard specifically states that “sculpturing is to be severely penalized.” Also, the Standard says, “Whether smooth or broken, a double coat of good sheen, naturally harsh, close and dense…” I guarantee that you cannot see a good sheen or a harsh natural coat when it is full of chalk and hair spray. Furthermore, “a clean outline with only a hint of eyebrows and beard if natural to the coat” is a far cry from trying to duplicate the furnishings of a Wire Fox Terrier. Soft, silky, wooly coats are to be faulted because these types of coats would provide little protection to the dog while working; however, a judge cannot identify these faults readily when the coat is full of products. Of course, all dogs have shortcomings, and it is the exhibitor’s job to minimize the appearance of shortcomings, but it is the breeder’s job to breed for strengths. Hiding unacceptable coat types in the ring does not eliminate them from the gene pool. The blame here lays with the exhibitor or handler, not the judge.