Built about 1829 in an area known as Roughtown the earliest record as a pub is in 1836 when an alehouse licence was granted to George Garlick. He was followed in 1839 by Thomas Hadfield, in the 1841 Census he was described as an innkeeper of Charles Lane. In 1845 Mary Newton became licensee, in the 1851 Census she was described as a widow aged 42, an innkeeper with four children and two lodgers one was George Garlick the first licensee now aged 67. Her son James who was also a butcher followed her as licensee until his death in 1860 when his brother George who had acted as his administrator took over.

In the 1861 Census George was also described as a machine broker as was his successor John Pratt in the 1871 Census. It was also one of the few pubs to hold a Billiards Licence. It was reputedly the headquarters of the local trail dog fraternity, this no doubt gave the pub its name and also its other names of Small Dog or Top Dog. Although George was the last Newton to be licensee it was owned by the family until its closure on 14th July 1919 having been referred for Compensation on 3rd May 1918

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George Garlick 1836-1839
Thomas Hadfield 1839-1841
Joseph Bradbury 1841-1842;
Ann Bradbury 1842-1845
Mary Newton 1845-
James Newton -1860
George Newton 1860-
John Pratt -1872
Joseph Bowden 1872-1876
Samuel Sykes 1876-1877
Sarah Sykes 1877-1889
William T. Wheeler 1889-1891
Henry J. Stokes 1891-1897
Samuel Sidebottom 1897-1903
William Thorpe 1903-1904
Henry Tinker 1904-1905
Sarah Tinker 1905-1916
Peter Martin 1916-1917
Charles J. Hassall 1917-1919