Features of trimming the Fox Terrier

Fox Terrier is an energetic and passionate hunting dog with excellent fighting qualities. Along with this, it is a compact animal with a magnificent decorative appearance. Thanks to the haircut, it acquires a noble appearance, which is an integral part of the standard breed image.

Foxes with smooth and stiff hair have the same genetic roots. Their ancestor was the terrier (black and ten). Both species were bred by crossing with a bull terrier, a beagle, there is also an opinion that with greyhound. Smooth-haired individuals were dominant at first, but very soon at the peak of their popularity were their opponents with hard hair, possessing predominant qualities.

The differences between the two types of fox terriers are in several nuances.

• Wire-haired individuals have extremely stiff hair, and the remaining hair is thin at the base and thicker on the outside, similar in texture to wire, indirect, up to 4 cm long. On the dog’s face, the mustache, eyebrows and beard also differ in hard hair. In addition, Fox has a thick, but soft, tight-fitting undercoat.

• Distinctive qualities smooth-haired animals - straight, fairly stiff, short and thick coat, elongated in the tail area.

With regard to wire-haired fox terriers, only trimming is relevant, the main areas of processing are the neck, ears, cheeks, chest, back and sides.

Permanent trimming of the fox terrier is an event that is relevant not only for ennobling appearance. If the dog has stiff outer hair and at the same time a soft waterproof undercoat (and it is found not only in Foxes, but also in other breeds), the procedure is also necessary to maintain the health of the animal:

• processing allows to stimulate the growth of new wool;
• improves blood circulation;
• the coat looks great even in the absence of daily combing, which facilitates care.

Trimming is carried out using special tools and is a careful plucking of old, dead wool, after which new young hair grows instead. If you do not carry out such removal, very soon the remaining hair and undercoat become tangled, causing many problems:

• the appearance of warlocks;
• the impossibility of air access to the skin, which is why irritations and dermatitis are likely;
• accumulation of moisture under the hair, which provokes the reproduction of the pathogenic flora.

As a result, the dog may have inflammatory and even infectious diseases that are more reasonable to prevent than to treat.

The breed needs periodic trimming not only because hygiene is important for the animal - without a haircut, the dog can be disqualified in accordance with established standards of appearance.

How often is the procedure performed:

• for the first time, the puppy should be “sheared” at 4 months or a little later, because at this time the puppy coat is replaced by an adult, and then - as the hair grows;
• It is allowed to process the pet once every 6 months, but then it will be a little like a dog with a pedigree - for this you need to trim once every 3 months;
• Fox can look completely according to the standard with more frequent plucking - then its coat looks especially well-groomed.

It turns out that trimming can be done 2-3 times a year, but in order for the animal to look perfect, it is better to do it once in 1.5-3 months, during which time the animal’s hair has time to renew and grow.

A full-fledged event is usually held in the salon, where professional groomers do it.

For the first time, you can trim the puppy with your own hands at home, but for this you will have to be patient, since this process is quite lengthy.

To work, you need tools:

• scissors with rounded ends, so as not to injure the animal;
• frequent comb for combing dead hair;
• brush with hard bristles to clean the dog;
• a safety razor needed to remove individual hairs at the end of the procedure;
• a trimming knife, which is an ordinary, strong steel tool with a sharpened sharp end and small notches on one side;
• for adult pets use two trimming combs with a convenient handle.

Preparation:

• previously the dog is washed with shampoo, in places where the wool has managed to fall off, it is disassembled by hand into strands, using special oil or lotion;
• comb the animal with a hard brush, removing dead hair;
• Before starting trimming, disinfect the tools.

Procedure for processing:

1. the animal is turned toward itself and begins to remove hair from the neck by trimming, leaving a length of 1 cm;
2. on the body, the hair length should be 1.5 cm;
3. then you need to briefly remove the hair from the hips to the hock so that the muscles and legs look expressive;
4. on the front paws, the hair is not removed, but is constantly combed up for the external volume;
5. trimming briefly should be strands on the forehead, cheeks and ears, under the machine, cut hair near the ears;
6. the tail is treated at the top with plucking, in the lower part it is cut with blunt scissors, do not touch its tip if this part of the body itself is short;
7. from the chest and sides of the neck, it is advisable to shortly cut the hair in the same way as from the shoulders, which will help emphasize their relief;
8. on the stomach, hair is removed from the sides, and the transition from one to another part of the body should be smooth.

You can teach your puppy to the procedure as early as 1.5-2 months.

You can set the dog on elevation for 1-2 minutes, insuring against a fall. When the fear of heights passes, you can start accustoming to comb, scallop, necessarily encouraging the animal. First you need to comb your back, and as you get used to it, you need to muzzle and paws.

Experienced owners first of all simply comb the puppy with trimming, and only after that carefully proceed to standard processing. The main objective at this stage is the complete removal of puppy hair.

In adult wire-haired dogs, it is necessary to trim the chest, sides, ears, cheeks, back and neck to the maximum. It is also important to pluck the wool on the pads and between the toes. On the hind limbs, the hair is left up to the knees, but the muzzle should retain the specific squareness characteristic of terriers, so regular trimming of attributes such as eyebrows, beard and mustache is required. Of course, there may be some slight deviations based on the characteristics of the exterior of each animal.

How to trim the fox terrier at home, see below.