About DandyTweed - The Tweed Story
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
The Tweed family were breeding Smooth Haired Toy Black & Tan Terriers (the earliest name for the English Toy Terrier) long before the start of the organised dog shows that we are familiar with today. Their involvement with the breed began back in the 1850’s with James Tweed, the owner of a wood yard in Whitechapel. Black & Tan Terriers were perfect for controlling the rat population in & around the yard and James also showed his dogs in the very earliest dog shows in the back rooms of pubs in the Brick Lane area of London's East End.
Towards the end of Queen Victoria's reign James’s son William was the first Tweed to register the best examples of the family's puppies with the newly formed Kennel Club, now known as the Royal Kennel Club (RKC), in order to take part in the RKC dog shows in such grand venues as Crystal Palace, The Royal Agricultural Hall (Crufts), The Aquarium in Westminster, Holland Park & Alexandra Palace.
James's grandsons Bill, John & Thomas continued the family tradition and Bill was to become a renowned judge, breeder & exhibitor winning many prestigious awards for his dogs alongside his wife Caroline. He was a founder member of the original Miniature Black & Tan Terrier Club acting as Club Secretary for many years and is mentioned in many publications about pedigree dogs as one of the most knowledgeable people in the breed in the late 19th/early 20th century.
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Thomas (the white-haired, moustachioed gentleman on the left of this photo with his wife Matilda next to him & surrounded by his 10 children) bred & showed his black & tans with his eldest son Tom (4th left), middle daughter Daisy (3rd right) & youngest son Len (the cheeky looking boy at the front). Thomas lived in Islington and attended Crufts annually with his large family when it was held at the Royal Agricultural Hall just up the road from his home.
Daisy’s son Eddie (a great great grandchild of James Tweed) recalled in his memoirs leading his cousins as a child in their Sunday best through dresser cupboards containing the breeding bitches & their puppies at his grandparents' house during the latter part of World War II. By then they were living at Drayton Park just up the road from the Arsenal football ground. Eddie also recounted memories of the dogs being free range & taking themselves for walks up the Holloway Road returning at tea-time. Hard to imagine in the London we see today!
INTRODUCING MARIAN
THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
The current generation of Tweeds involved with this amazing breed are Marian (daughter of Eddie & a 3xgreat granddaughter of James Tweed) & Margaret (daughter of Len & a 2xgreat granddaughter of James Tweed). The latter worked at the British Library for many years. Both Marian (pictured) & Margaret are well respected historians of the breed. They have spent hundreds of hours researching the early history of the English Toy Terrier at the RKC Library & the British Library in London sharing their findings with other Breed Historians and Breed Enthusiasts.
The long family association with English Toy Terriers makes it particularly important to the DandyTweed Kennel to help this Vulnerable Native Breed survive. To achieve this we use careful selection, extensive health testing and collaboration with reputable English Toy Terrier kennels in the UK & around the world.
We also use the "Breed Archive for Manchester & English Toy Terriers" to calculate the Coefficient of Inbreeding in order to make informed decisions.
This website (link below) was researched & recorded by a dedicated group of breed enthusiasts from all corners of the globe to whom we extend our gratitude. Not only does this powerful resource record ETTs from the earliest RKC records to current day, it also records most of the ETTs around the world and is constantly being updated.