A toy in appearance and terrier in personality is what most breed fanciers say about the Toy Fox Terrier. Its lithe stocky body teamed with its big, erect ears, and dark, thoughtful eyes, makes it a wonderful lap dog that many would desire to own. They are even efficient watchdogs who do not delay notifying their owners through their loud bark about any impending danger.
The Toy Fox Terrier is the smaller variety of the Smooth Fox Terrier, regarded as the same breed for quite some time. Over the years, breeders included dogs like Toy Manchester, Italian Greyhound, and Chihuahua in this breed’s development to attain the toy-like size.
They originally served as a ratter to keep rodents away in farms and barns and progressed as show dogs due to their agility, grace, and elegance. Their strong sense of humor and clownish antics made them great performers in circuses.
Folier, a Smooth Fox Terrier, the first to be registered by the Kennel Club (UK), bears the lineage of the Toy Fox Terrier
The small and large varieties of the Toy Fox Terrier were registered as a single breed by the United Kennel Club of the United States
Some dog enthusiasts made a petition to the UKC to register the smaller types as a separate breed.
The pleas were granted, and Toy Fox Terrier got a separate breed status by the UKC
The UKC closed the studbook of the Toy Fox Terrier to stop the ongoing process of the inclusion of other breeds in its development
The American Kennel Club registered it as its 150th breed in the Toy Group
These athletic dogs are fast on their feet and would enjoy romping and running. Take them out on one or two short walks regularly. They would even enjoy playing with a ball or kids of the family indoors. However, keep smaller children out of their reach, as the former could mishandle these little dogs. Make them wear a leash when taken outdoors, lest their small dog syndrome, and chasing instinct could pose trouble.
The Toy Fox Terrier’s shiny, satin-like, fine coat, with a smooth texture, is easy to groom. A weekly brushing would help maintain the shine and luster. They are prone to dental problems due to tartar buildup, and regular brushing would help keep their teeth clean. Trim its nails one or two times in a month to lessen the possibilities of injury and infections. Cleaning its eyes and ears every week is another grooming requirement that you should not avoid.
A good quality dry dog food with all the essential nutrients would be apt for the Toy Fox Terrier, helping its overall development. Whole vegetables, eggs, and meat should be an integral part of their diet. When buying dry food for your dog, make sure it has all these ingredients in a balanced proportion. Purina Pro Plan and Royal Canin are some of the preferred brands you may choose for your Toy Fox Terrier.
These extrovert, intelligent, loyal dogs are a delight to train. You should be a little firm to ensure that it does not show its terrier-like stubbornness during the process.
Though they get along well with their family’s human members, the Toy Fox Terrier could display a sense of independence with other dogs, notably bigger ones.
Therefore, socialization and obedience training is a mandate to help your dog remain well behaved and disciplined. Because of the dog’s easy-going nature, housetraining them would not be too difficult a task. Leash training at the earliest would help keep these chasers under control when taken out.
