Smooth Fox Terrier was bred in England at the end of the 19th century. Initially, it was a hunting dog, but now it is used both as a guard and as a companion. This is an active, people-friendly breed, whose representatives are distinguished by a strong, medium-sized body.
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Description of the Smooth Fox Terrier breed
This is a medium sized dog with neither long nor short legs. The physique resembles a riding horse. The back is short, which allows you to make a good push with your legs and jump far.
General description of the breed:
- Deep set and closely spaced medium sized dark eyes. The smart look of an active dog.
- Ears do not stick out, hang forward and fit to the temples. V-shaped.
- Flat forehead tapers towards the eyes. Elongated muzzle, slightly pronounced transition from the forehead. The tip of the nose is black.
- Powerful, high sticking tail. By it you can determine the mood. The fox terrier always has a “tail with a gun”, it should not bend into a bagel or hang.
White color prevails, spots are brown, black or reddish. Sometimes it is without spots.
The nature and behavior of the dog
This is a very temperamental, active dog. He likes to play, walk, move. Always in a good mood, optimistic about life. The voice is loud, sonorous, because this is a hunting breed of dogs. He quickly becomes attached to his master's family, loves people and games with children. But do not leave them together for a long time so that the hunting instinct does not break out.
He treats his host's friends normally, but if he doesn’t like the person, he will show aggression. Seeing other animals can unleash a hunting instinct.Therefore, such a pet is not suitable for those who already have a cat or dog. It was originally bred for burrowing.
It is a very friendly breed, but in some cases, some individuals can be jealous of the owner to another animal. For no reason they start a fight with any animal, even with a dog many times larger than themselves.
Close contact of the pet with other animals should not be allowed, because the original purpose of the breed is fox hunting.
Breed standard and puppy selection
In general, the dog looks collected, mobile. This is achieved due to the tension of the tail, neck, ears.
Main settings:
- Females grow up to 39 cm, males grow up to 40 (37 - 39 is recommended).
- The color is completely snow-white, two or three-color. The spots are golden, black, brown-red, randomly located. The predominant must be a white background.
- The coat adheres well to the body, grows densely, smooth, stiff, knitted undercoat. The length of hair on the body and on the neck is from 20 to 30 mm. On the limbs, auricles, on the head shorter, but without bald patches.
- The head is wedge-shaped, long, tapering towards the nose and eye sockets. No abrupt transitions. Flat forehead of medium width. The widest part of the skull in females is 7.5 - 8.5 cm, in males 8 - 9 cm. The muzzle is slightly longer than the upper part. Well developed hard jaws. Lips thoroughly fit, the upper does not cover the lower, dry. The nose is black anyway.
- Ears are triangular, of medium thickness, hanging on the cartilaginous part. No dents or wrinkles. Located high on the head, not far from each other. The ends hang near the outer sections of the eyes, do not reach them by a third of their own length. In contact with the forehead or not get it no more than 5 mm.
- The eyes are dark, small, set deep inside, set apart narrowly. Rounded, set a little obliquely. Dark skin on the eyelids.
- Strong big even teeth of white color. Tightly fit together. Scissor bite.
- The neck should be slightly longer than the head, with developed muscles, high up. Towards the shoulders it becomes wider. Goes smoothly to the withers; on the side it looks a little curved.
- Noticeable withers, exceeds the height of the back by 2 cm or more. The back itself is straight, short, elastic. The loin is slightly round, short and strong.
- Croup is short, developed, wide. Set horizontally. Belly tightened.
- The chest is deep, of medium width. The ribs are curved so that the sides do not look flat. The lower point of the chest at the elbows.
- The tail docked by a third, set high. Thick, tense, energetic, strong.
- Paws are small, roundish. Fingers tightly compressed, half bent. The emphasis on them is provided by the correct angles of joints of all limbs. Metatarsus and metacarpal sheer.
- Straight front legs next to each other and parallel. The elbows are at the same distance as the legs. Fit well, located under the shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are long, laid back. Strong and even forearms.
- Hind legs are even, far apart, parallel to left to right. The direction of the calcaneus is back. Long hips, middle tibia. A well developed muscle corset. The back is not flat, the ischial tubercles are convex.
When choosing a puppy, you should pay attention to his parents. Appearance and character are mainly dependent on genetics.
Smooth Fox Terrier puppies are available for sale at the age of 1 - 2 months. By this time, the tail is already docked.
If the family has children, it is better to choose a female. She is calmer and more patient about children's games.
Choosing a puppy for hunting purposes, you need to be interested in information about the parents. Diplomas, awards are not important, but parents should be themselves with hunting abilities. A hunting dog is best kept in the yard. An exhibition dog can live in the apartment.
If a pet is purchased for the company, for protection and will not participate in exhibitions, tail docking and compliance with strict standards are not required.
Care, maintenance and feeding
The hair of the fox terrier is smooth, fits snugly, almost does not fade. The animal does not require special care.
Basic Rules:
- Wash it after wallowing in dirt or as it gets dirty. Hair repels dirt, so you often don’t have to do this.
- Cut the claws as needed, if they themselves do not grind.
- Ears are cleaned every month.
- Periodically comb the hair with a brush with hard bristles. This will preserve the growth direction of the hairs, and eliminate the extra undercoat.
- You need to walk your friend on a leash, he likes to chase after any moving objects. On free-range he is easily lost. When a pet lives in the courtyard of a private house, it is necessary to install a fence of such a height that it does not jump over it.
Important: the pet’s coat is tight, the undercoat is very thick, so it dries for a long time after washing. It is necessary to check the dryness of the coat before walking so that the dog does not get sick.
Power Features:
- You need to feed twice a day. On average, you need two bowls of dry food. An active dog will eat more than a calm one.
- If possible, it is worth giving natural food - porridge, vegetables, meat. If the dog doesn’t care what to eat, you can give food in one meal, and ordinary food in the other.
How to determine if an animal has enough food:
- If you look at it from top to bottom, the waist is visible, but the ribs do not bulge.
- Put your hands with your fingers pointing down on the spine. Ribs are not felt. If you slightly press, then feel. If you can’t find them, it means that the dog eats a lot.
The dog does not require special care. The owner will have no difficulty with such a pet.
Parenting and training
Smooth Fox Terrier is not suitable for people who prefer a sedentary lifestyle. It cannot be kept all the time in the apartment, it is an active dog. Dogs of this breed are acquired as a watchman. The stubborn nature and love of freedom will not prevent the protection of your beloved master.
If you do not give the Fox Terrier enough time for games, walks, its hooligan inclinations will manifest itself. Physical activity alone is not enough, mental stress is needed. An animal is taught to a leash from infancy. Otherwise, then he will not consider the walk something pleasant.
From childhood, puppies of a smooth-haired fox terrier are accustomed to a nickname and cleanliness. After each meal, the pet is taken out to the toilet. The puppy must understand the main purpose of the walk.
A dog of this breed can be taught to many teams.
To start, master the basic:
- to lie, stand, sit;
- the place is near me;
- fu is a mandatory command so that the dog does not eat something from the ground.
When training, you must be able to control your voice. The team moves loud and clear, but with a friendly expression. The pet should not be afraid or experience any negative emotions.
Be sure to encourage - first, "delicious", then an affectionate word. If you give the dog food all the time, she won’t just follow the instructions.
It is advisable for the concept of training principles to first turn to a professional, especially if this is the first dog. With insufficient training, free behavior, the dog will become harmful over time, will bully.
Pros and Cons of the Fox Terrier
Any breed has its positive and negative sides.
What makes a smooth fox terrier good:
- It does not require special care;
- has a well-developed intelligence;
- funny and optimistic dog;
- devoted to the owner's family;
- has excellent hunting skills;
- can play with children, become a child guard.
There are also disadvantages:
- frequent, loud and voiced barking;
- the need for long walks, physical activity;
- aggressive to any other animals;
- it will be difficult to educate and train if he does not consider the owner to be the main thing over himself.
The negative sides are not so significant if the owner leads an active lifestyle, lives in a private house, can control the animal and has no other pets.
Due to its cheerful disposition, simple care and useful qualities, this breed is considered quite popular.
