Fox Terrier (Wire and Smooth)
Group: Terrier
Size: Medium
Coat length: Short
Grooming required: Once a week
Coat sheds: No
Home size: Small or Large House
Garden size: Small/Medium
Lifespan: Over 10 Years
Exercise: Up to 1 hour per day
The Fox Terrier is a medium-sized dog, quite trim but with a rather muscular neck and v-shaped ears that drop forwards. They come in two coat types: smooth and wiry, but both are white with black or brown markings. The smooth coated has a short and flat coat. The wiry coated has a dense undercoat and an outer one that is also dense and twisted, similar to the hair on a coconut.
The Fox Terrier is one of the oldest Terrier breeds in Britain. They were bred to help farmers to get rid of vermin, either by killing rats etc themselves or by harassing them out of hiding for the farmer to kill.
They are fearless, friendly and full of energy. They are also highly intelligent and especially good at learning tricks. They like people and are very good with children but they do have a very strong hunting urge so cannot be trusted around non-canine animals.
Although they are an active dog indoors, they need plenty to exercise their body and brain. Care must be taken outdoors as their natural terrier instinct makes them inclined to run off to chase something.
The short coat of the smooth coated Fox Terrier is easy to maintain but the wire coated will need stripping. On the plus side, the wire haireds shed very little hair. Fox Terriers that are largely white are more prone to deafness and may also be prone to Mast Cell Tumours. Wire haireds are also prone to epilepsy.