Wire Haired Fox Terriers were born to stand out. They’re the very opposite of a quiet lap dog, although they’re about the right size. Bred to run into fox holes and flush out foxes, Wire Haired Fox Terriers are natural athletes and they retain their lively, gregarious and confident natures. Happiest when they’re on the go, they need plenty of physical and mental stimulation, including training. They make ideal family pets as they’ll happily play for hours with the kids in the garden, with seemingly endless energy. These happy-go-lucky, intelligent dogs will soon charm you with their scruffy teddy bear looks and zest for life.
Wire Haired Fox Terrier Facts
These small, spunky dogs stand up to 40cm tall and weigh up to 8kg but they pack a big personality into a small package. Their distinctive coat is thick and wiry and is mainly white, with black or tan patches.
- Breed Group: Terrier
- Height: 40cm
- Weight: Female: 7-8kg, Male: 8kg
- Life Span: 12-15 years
- Coat: Double, medium, wiry
- Colour: Variations of white
What Does a Wire Haired Fox Terrier Look Like?
A Wire Haired Fox Terrier looks a bit like a scruffy teddy bear. As the name tells you, they have dense wiry coats that are short and slightly wavy. Small to medium sized, they have triangular shaped heads and long, narrow muzzles. All the better for running into holes and flushing out foxes.
Their v-shaped ears are neatly folded forward, adding to their alert and adorable expression which is helped by their dark round eyes. Wire Haired Fox Terriers have perky medium length tails that point proudly into the air while their thick coats are predominantly white, with black and tan markings.
Wire Fox Terrier
Wire Haired Fox Terrier Temperament: Confident Companion
If you’re looking for an energetic dog to fit in with your family, a Wire Haired Fox Terrier could be the perfect pup for you. Friendly and upbeat, Wire Haired Fox Terriers have big personalities for small dogs. With seemingly limitless energy, they’ll happily be your children’s bestie and will spend hours playing with them in the garden. Bright and intelligent dogs, they love nothing more than a good game (or 6).
Wire Haired Fox Terriers bond intensely to their people and can become quite protective of you. This includes things like barking at strangers, so they make great watchdogs. Because of this need to please you, they respond well to training, which can help curb their hunting instincts and help them get on well with other dogs.
It’s important to their mental and physical health that they’re involved in all the family’s adventures. You’ll want to keep them entertained because if they feel they’re not getting the attention they deserve, they’ll start digging up anything and everything (again, bred for running down tunnels!) and blame it on their boredom.
Because they’re a terrier, Wire Haired Fox Terriers are known for being independent and somewhat feisty, with a strong prey drive. Which means if you’ve got a cat or other small animal at home, you should look elsewhere.
Keeping Wire Haired Fox Terriers Healthy: 3 Issues to Watch Out For
Bred to be reliable hunting companions, Wire Haired Fox Terriers are traditionally healthy dogs with not many health issues.
Joint Problems
Wire Haired Fox Terriers can develop luxating patellas (kneecaps). This is when their kneecap shifts out of alignment, causing pain and mobility problems. Look out for things like lameness or their hind leg locking up. It can be treated in many ways, including medication and surgery. Keeping your Wire Haired Fox Terrier at a healthy weight can reduce their risk of developing it.
Eye Disorders
As your Wire Haired Fox Terrier ages, it’s a good idea to monitor their eye health. They’re at risk of 3 eye disorders: cataracts, primary lens luxation and glaucoma. Cataracts cause cloudy areas to develop in the lenses of your dog’s eyes. Glaucoma prevents fluids in your dog’s eye from draining properly, causing painful pressure. Primary lens luxation is where the lens of the eye moves from its usual position which leads to inflammation and glaucoma. Left untreated, all 3 disorders can lead to blindness. Signs include red, inflamed or cloudy eyes or frequently bumping into furniture, door frames and more. Yearly vet checks can help you keep on top of your Wire Haired Foxy’s eye health.
Wobblers Gait
Wobblers Gait is an inherited condition that causes the vertebrae in your dog’s neck to narrow, pinching the spinal cord and nerves and stopping your Wire Haired Fox Terrier from feeling their feet. Early symptoms include unstable hind legs, stumbling and falling - they’ll look wobbly (hence the name). Because it’s inherited, responsible breeders should screen for this condition. Ask to see the medical certificates of your puppy’s parents to check. It can be treated with medication, physical therapy and surgery.
Caring for Your Wire Haired Fox Terrier
Sure, a Wire Haired Fox Terrier has a short coat, but keeping it show ready can be tricky. Plus your energetic sidekick needs plenty of daily exercise and training. Think of it as quality time spent with your pup.
Grooming
Your Wire Haired Fox Terrier will need regular brushing to help keep their coat healthy and to avoid matting. If you’d like to show your Wire Haired Fox Terrier (and why not, they deserve to be shown off), their coat needs to be hand-stripped. This keeps the right texture of their coat but it’s difficult to learn. You might have to pay a professional to do this. Otherwise, Wire Haired Foxys can be occasionally clipped into a clip similar to a show clip, although this will soften the texture of their coat over time.
Give their nails a trim every month and check their ears weekly. Gently wipe them out to remove any excess wax and dirt and to help avoid ear infections. Like all dog breeds, their teeth will benefit from a daily brush with doggy toothpaste.
Nutrition
Feeding your Wire Haired Fox Terrier is easy, they’ll happily tuck into high quality commercial dog food that suits their life stage (puppy, adult or senior). With their daily training needs, treats will probably form a big part of their diet. Keep an eye on how many you’re giving them, as treat calories count towards their daily calories.
Your intelligent pup will enjoy interactive feeding toys and slow feeders as they give them a job to do!
Exercise
As a terrier, Wire Haired Foxys need lots of exercise, at least 1 hour a day. They thrive on physical and mental stimulation, so long walks with their humans are a given as is plenty of playtime. Throw them in the garden with the kids and they’ll happily chase a ball for hours or play a game of fetch or tug.
With their in-built hunting instinct, letting a Wire Haired Fox Terrier off their lead is a no no unless they’re in a secure, fully fenced area. Having safe off-leash time is important to help your Wire Haired Foxy burn off their endless energy.
Training Your Wire Haired Fox Terrier
Given Wire Haired Fox Terriers were bred to run down tunnels and flush out foxes, they’re smart and independent dogs. Which means training them can be a little challenging. Come armed with plenty of consistency and patience and a great sense of humour to get the most out of your training sessions.
Focused on the thrill of the chase, Wire Haired Foxys can get bored quickly. Keep training sessions short, fun and interesting and only use positive training methods. If they’re treated harshly, they’ll shut down and training will be over.
Puppy classes and early socialisation are important for Wire Haired Fox Terriers, especially male ones as they can become aggressive towards other male dogs. Plus, their wariness towards strangers and barking tendencies can be managed if they’re properly socialised from a young age.