Everything you need to know about Wire Fox Terriers

The wire-haired (long-haired) fox-terrier is a cheerful energetic dog, which with proper maintenance and upbringing will not cause trouble to its owners and will become a full member of the family. This breed is recommended for active people with an active lifestyle. For couch potatoes and apathetic people, the fox terrier is not suitable.

The ancestors of the fox terrier are peat dogs living on the territory of the British Isles and bred for hunting. Hunting blood also flows in modern wire-haired individuals, which explains some of their character traits. However, in the Middle Ages, attention was paid to the good health and agility of the dog, and the hunters were not interested in the external data.

Only at the end of the 18th century, the fox terriers received external differences from other burrowing hunting breeds and were classified into a separate type. A little later, the dogs were grouped by type in accordance with the quality of the coat. The first breed standard was registered in 1876.

The purebred fox terrier has a very harmonious appearance. The complexion of the body and muzzle goes well with an aristocratic color. And although in appearance it is a contact friendly compact dog, but it has a hardy hunting character. During the exhibition, an individual evaluates its parameters and proportionality. Excessive lightness or, conversely, massiveness is a deviation from the standard, for this points can be reduced.

Females differ from males with a more graceful head and softer expression of the muzzle, as well as ladies awarded a more squat and sophisticated body. According to the standard, the growth of the Fox Terrier should not be higher than 39 cm, and the weight should be about 8.5 kg.

And also the breed standard includes the following external characteristics:

• the head has the shape of a wedge, but not pointed, but rounded, due to the wool, the muzzle seems to be chopped off;
• forehead moderately wide, slightly narrowed; the upper part of the head is flat, there is an underdeveloped tubercle of the nape;
• lips with pigment, well-built; the bite of a purebred individual is scissor-shaped;
• eyes set deep, oval, not bulging; the darker the iris, the higher the dog is valued;
• ears have a semi-permanent shape, tips hang down forward closer to the forehead;
• the shape of the body is rectangular, the back is short, the neck is muscular;
• rib cage slightly wide, but with springy ribs;
• the lumbar belt does not extend beyond the boundaries of the spine, the sloping croup flows gently into the hips, the inguinal line is well tucked up;
• forepaws have oblique shoulder blades, elbow joints are located along the chest, but do not touch it;
• hind legs are further than the line of the croup; tibiae long, knees short, fingers tucked up, but not arched;
• the tail is high, is in a tense position, is not twisted and does not overlap on the back; at the exhibition its length does not matter;
• the coat is dense, stiff, there is a thick soft undercoat that is shorter than the awn; on a white background there are black or red spots.

These are curious moving dogs, which are characterized by playfulness and stubbornness. The persistence of the representative of this breed often translates into family problems, so you need to start raising a puppy from an early age. In general, these are peace-loving animals in which both the companion and the hunter coexist perfectly. This is a great option for a family leading an active lifestyle, often going to nature and playing sports. Four-legged family member will become an indispensable companion of a morning run or bicycle trip.

Families with children under three years of age should consider whether the time is right for a puppy to appear in the house.

In addition, an active and playful dog can jump on a child during the game or even gently grab it. He is unlikely to cause injuries, but he can scare the baby. Therefore, it is recommended to start a fox terrier for families, where the children are adults.

In addition to being a fun and energetic dog, quickly getting used to the owner, it is also an excellent guard. During the walk, this dog often wakes up security qualities. If at home the animal has an affectionate and gentle nature and tries to spend a lot of time with a loved one, then a real thunderstorm of the yard usually goes out for a walk, which will not offend anyone and can become a provocateur of a dog fight. In this regard, the dog should always be walked on a leash.

Those who decide to become the owner of a fox terrier will be interested to know that these are long-lived dogs. On average, these dogs live to be 16–18 years old. This is due to their good genetics, in which hereditary diseases are rarely manifested. Naturally, the dog will survive until this time only if it is properly maintained. For example, to maintain health and longevity, the fox terrier needs to pour out his irrepressible energy every day, and if the owner is not a hunter, then he should spend a long time to walk the pet.

The hair of a wire-haired pet should be carefully monitored. It is important to eliminate dying hairs to make room for new hairs. It is better not to try to clean up the dog’s coat on its own, the subtleties of caring for a long-haired fox terrier are known only to a specialist.For example, this variety cannot be cut with a machine, as the wool can fall off and look very untidy. Therefore, grooming your pet's hair is best left to the groomer.

In general, a haircut of a representative of this breed involves shortening the hair on the neck, back and body, leaving the limbs fluffy. In the upper part of the head, hairs are also plucked out, but the beard is usually left. This dog needs regular nail clipping. The procedure is recommended to be performed several times a month. You can do this yourself with a purchased nail clipper. In winter, it is important to cut wool in the paw pads so that snow does not accumulate between the fingers. Several times a week, the dog needs to be combed, but swimming is better to refuse.

As mentioned above, in the contents of the Fox Terrier It is important to provide him with physical activity. If the dog is not enough to walk, not play with him and not to train, then he will choose furniture in the house to spill his energy. This will lead not only to problems in the relationship between the dog and the owner, but also in the worst way affect the character of the pet. A dog that does not have enough physical activity can become more aggressive.

Those owners who plan to knit a dog should also pay attention to some points. Although the dog reaches full puberty at the age of eight months, it is recommended to bring it with a partner later. This is especially true for females.

At a young age, female representatives are not always ready for bearing and giving birth. These processes are still difficult for these compact dogs and can affect both the health of the woman in labor and the condition of the puppies. As well as the rules for knitting fox terriers, there is a ban on crossing smooth-haired and wire-haired species. In addition, the dating process should be carried out in the territory of the dog.

These dogs are in good health, but if this condition is not maintained at the right level, then the animal's immunity decreases and it becomes a victim of infections, viruses and other diseases. So need regularly monitor the condition of the eyes of the pet. Clean your eyes with a cotton pad dipped in boiled water or tea leaves. If redness or tearing is detected, the animal must be shown to the veterinarian - eye diseases are characteristic of this breed. Nit is also necessary to check the condition of the ears, especially often white dogs suffer from auditory problems.

Vaccination is carried out starting from two months of age and following the following rules:

• only a completely healthy puppy is allowed to be vaccinated;
• before vaccination, the animal must be treated for worms;
• vaccination of an individual whose teeth are changing is prohibited;
• animal walking is possible only at the end of the full vaccination period.

Since the dog is not taken outside until vaccinations are completed, the owners have to accustom the pet to the toilet in the diaper. In the case of fox terriers, this is not so difficult, since the dogs of this breed are quite smart and smart. When the time comes for the first walk, it is recommended to take a diaper that is familiar to the dog for a walk, so that the dog makes its first attempts to empty on the street in the usual conditions. So it will be easier for the owner to accustom the pet to the toilet on the street.

Fox terriers have excellent appetite, but they can not be overfed. If the animal is fed natural food, it is important to exclude from the diet food from the table, chocolate, mushrooms, confectionery, flour, smoked, salted, fatty meat. The basis of the menu should be meat, thermally processed, cottage cheese, sea fish. Also, cereals and vegetables should be present in the diet.

In the case of the choice of finished dry food, the owner's task is facilitated.Now he does not need to monitor the balance of the BZHU, since the quantity of these elements is already balanced in high-quality premium and super premium feeds.

Manufacturers of good finished feed on the packaging indicate the daily norm in accordance with the weight of the pet, but it is still recommended to consult with a veterinarian. Let the doctor indicate the daily norm, taking into account the weight, age and state of health of a particular dog.

In this way, natural food is cheaper for the owner, but it takes longer to prepare. In addition, you need to count the daily number of calories and other substances. Ready-made food of high quality is not cheap, but saves the owner from many troubles, especially when buying a measuring cup.

Parenting begins immediately after his appearance in the house. It is important from childhood to wean him from spoiling things in the apartment. For example, many owners are amused when a puppy is playing with an old unnecessary sneaker. However, it’s important to stop this immediately.. The dog does not distinguish between old and new shoes, if she was allowed to chew on a sneaker, then the next time she considers it permissible to gnaw a new shoe to shreds. The puppy usually begins to spoil wallpaper and furniture from boredom in the absence of the owner. To avoid this, it is recommended to leave the baby as many toys as possible.

Before the first walk of the fox terrier, you need to introduce a leash and a collar. For this, the pet is first given a new object at a distance to sniff, you can leave it next to the bed or food so that the pet understands that the leash is safe. When the collar was first fastened on the puppy, most likely he will try to get rid of it. At this point, it is recommended to distract the dog with the game. The first time you hook the leash, you can walk with the animal around the apartment. These actions will facilitate the task of the owner before the first walk on the street.

Any dog ​​should be able to carry out basic commands. You can train your puppy in training in 2-3 months, just at that time he usually appears in the house. The very first thing a puppy must learn to do is respond to its name. To do this, they call the dog a gesture and offer a treat. In general, any training should be accompanied by a delicious treat in case of successful completion of the team.

Goodies can serve not only as a reward, but also as an assistant in learning. For example, when teaching the "Sit!" treats are kept above the head of the dog so that the animal sees it only after it sits. Teaching the exercise "Lie!", The treat is laid on the floor and slightly helps the puppy, pressing on the croup.

The first training should be conducted no more than three minutes, gradually the time needs to be increased. If the puppy does not obey and does not understand what they want from him, then you should be patient and try not to scream or scold the pet. If you raise your voice, it will scare the dog, and her lessons will be associated with the rudeness of the owner. The puppy will not enjoy these activities, and they will not bring success. Do not train the animal at once in several teams, first it must perfectly master one exercise, only after that the transition to the next stages is possible. When learning new teams, do not forget to check the "passed material".

Learning to hunt begins in adulthood. The first training takes place in an artificial hole. For each lesson, the owner should spend no more than 15 minutes. It is recommended to do this before eating, otherwise the dog may have digestion problems after an active session after eating. In addition, a hungry animal learns commands better.

In the next video you will find interesting facts about the breed of dogs - wire-haired fox-terrier.