Wirehaired Fox Terrier
Description:
The Fox Terrier is a Wirehaired dog, has fiery eyes, and is very intelligent and lively. It has small, bent ears that have a v shape to them and they are inserted high on its head. These are the characteristics that define the Wirehaired fox Terrier. The coat of this dog should be thick and wiry, and it should twist. The fox Terrier is a work dog and its bone structure and strength is substantial for its small size. This smart little hunter shouldn't look rustic, nor should it be too tall or have short legs. The short back of this dog allows it to run long distances. Its height should be around thirty-nine centimeters and the back should not be more than thirty centimeters in length. The average weight of this dog is around two and a half kilograms and females are a little lighter. The head of this dog should be around eighteen centimeters in length. Its eyes are small and have a dark color. The skull is practically flat and slightly descends. The forehead should look full and should not look wedged. The jaws of the fox Terrier are strong and its cheekbones should not look prominent. Its nose should look black. This dog's neck is pretty long and should not have a dewlap under it but should stretch evenly toward the shoulders; the chest is long, its shoulders descend and should not incline too much. The elbows are perpendicular to the body. Its feet should look round and compact but not big. The hind legs give this dog the propulsion it needs to which the tibia should be long and its ankles should be well curved. White is normally the predominant color of this dog, but really the color of this adorable dog is not the most important.
Ideal owner:
The purebred fox Terrier is a very elegant little dog and it somehow seems to provide certain sophistication to a home. Keep in mind though that this dog is an all terrain dog and it has very strong Terrier instincts. If you have children in your family this dog is a good option, as children seem to really enjoy its lively character. Obviously it can be quite stubborn, it is after all a Terrier, but it can be taught to be sociable and obedient. As a show dog, this dog has very little competition. This dog needs to get groomed professionally in order to keep its coat looking the right way and keep its wiry look. This dog is very charming so enjoy.
Growth:
When a Wirehaired fox Terrier is born its coat is usually white and black, or completely white. The black color on its face changes to a fiery color, as well as the black over its shoulders, hips and tail. This dog's nose might be black, pinkish black or pink at birth, but it should be completely black by the age of eight weeks. They grow to their full physical maturity at eighteen to twenty four months of age. The tail and spurs are docked and cut at the end of its first week of life. If you intend to have its tail docked, make sure a professional does this job. When picking out one of these puppies, make sure to choose one that has a good size head that looks long and clean, it shouldn't have prominent bones on its face, especially all around its orbits. The legs of this dog should look even and parallel, and its feet should look small, packed and its toes should be arched. Avoid getting one that has its toes outward or inward, or toes that are too closed. The ears usually stand up during teething time, however it will not be possible to know what its ears will be like until it is around seven months old. It's very typical for an adolescent Terrier to try to challenge its owners.
General health:
Wirehaired fox Terriers are considered a classic when it comes to Terriers both in body and soul. This is a very lively and smart breed that requires a lot of training. The amount of care that must go into its coat is considerable since it needs stripping done on it to give it the correct look, and this will need to be professionally. Some of the documented problems of this breed are loosening of the retina, and cataracts. Another problem that has shown up is hip dysphasia and Legg-Perthes but these are rare, however it has been seen in some. Shoulder blade dislocation is pretty frequent, and less frequently deafness, recessive ataxia (this is a problem that occurs at two to four months of age and it's a column problem that can cause the dog to become paralyzed), and pulmonary stenosis. The average life span of the fox Terrier is over twelve years.
