Fox Terrier - Dog Breed Profile

Author: Dooziedog.com

Key Facts:

Size: Small - medium

Height: 37 - 39 cm (14.6 15.5 inches)

Weight: 6.8 - 9 kg (15 - 20 lb)

Life Span: 14 years

Grooming: Wire variety - medium

Smooth variety - undemanding

Exercise: Medium

Feeding: Medium

Temperament: Friendly & fearless

Country of Origin: England

AKC Group: Terrier

Temperament:

The Fox Terrier is active, intelligent and lively. Fox Terriers are easily excited and can be quite noisy. Their intelligence makes them reasonably easy to train, but they do need proper training to curb their hunting instincts. Fox Terriers make affectionate household pets and they are good with children. This breed has adapted well to domestic life.

Grooming:

Minimal gromming is needed for the Smooth Fox Terrier, but the wire coated variety needs to be stripped (dead hairs plucked out) 3-4 times per year.

Exercise:

Fox Terriers need a reasonable amount of daily exercise. These dogs are known to protest (loudly) if left out in a yard alone or tied up.

History:

Since the late 18th century, Fox Terriers have been a distinctive breed and had a definite job in the hunting field. These dogs were carried in boxes or bags by horsemen and once the hounds had driven the foxes into their burrows, these terriers were released and had to force the fox from it's lair. Fox Terriers being very game, were prepared to attack foxes twice their size. It is believed that this breed evolved from the old Black and Tan working terrier, Bull Terrier and Beagle.

Physical Characteristics:

General Appearance: Lively, alert and bold.

Color: White should dominate with or without black, tan/black or tan patches.

Coat: Smooth Coated - Flat, hard, straight and smooth. Rough Coated - The outercoat is dense and very wiry. The coat must be crisp and may be crinkly.

Tail: Set high, carried erect and customarily docked.

Ears: Small, V-shaped, moderately thick and folded over.

Body: The chest is deep but not too broad. The back is short, straight and strong. The shoulders are well laid back and slender at the points and well-defined at the withers.

Additional Comments:

Both varieties of the Fox Terrier (smooth and wire) are identical except for the differences in their coat.

About the author: This article provided courtesy of http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/fox_terrier/