Wire Fox Terrier
An English fox-bolting terrier with a dense, crinkly jacket that needs stripping every six to eight weeks. Enormous energy and self-assurance packed into a small frame.
- Weight
- 7.3–8.6 kg
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
Weight and lifespan are reference ranges from the breed guide. They vary by sex, lineage and individual dog and do not predict your dog’s ideal weight or lifespan. Read the care descriptions alongside the individual dog’s history.
Background and characteristics
The Wire Fox Terrier was bred to follow hounds and drive a fox out of its earth. Even the colour has a working reason: a predominantly white dog was easy for the hounds and the field to distinguish from the quarry in poor light. The temperament follows directly from the job.
This is a bold, quick-to-arouse dog that makes its own decisions. Its long run of Best in Show wins gave it an elegant reputation, but the dog you actually live with is a busy, opinionated hunter looking for something to do.
Exercise and play
Exercise demand is at the top of the small-dog range. Budget an hour to ninety minutes a day, and walking alone will not cover it: include running, fetch or flirt-pole work that raises the heart rate, plus ten to fifteen minutes of new training every day. A bored Wire invents its own job, which usually means excavating the garden or dismantling upholstery.
Same-sex dog intolerance is common, so dog parks are generally a poor idea, and cats or small pets need careful thought. Treat recall as permanently unfinished and keep the dog on lead outside a fence.
Coat and everyday care
The coat is short, wiry and crinkled over a dense undercoat. It sheds very little, which is a real advantage indoors, but it is high maintenance. Brush twice a week and have the dog groomed every six to eight weeks.
Hand-stripping is the correct method and keeps the harsh texture and crisp markings; clipping is quicker and cheaper but leaves the soft undercoat behind, which fades the colour and tends to increase matting and skin irritation. Stripping specialists are less common and cost more, so line one up before the puppy arrives.
Health considerations
The health item to raise first is the eye. Primary lens luxation runs in fox terrier lines and can cause glaucoma and blindness if it is not caught quickly; a DNA test exists, so ask for the parents' results. Also discuss congenital deafness, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease in young dogs, atopic dermatitis and epilepsy.
Home environment and care planning
For a flat or a terraced house with shared walls, be honest about noise. The bark is high and carrying, and it is the complaint that most often ends a Wire's tenancy. Barking and destructiveness both drop sharply when the exercise requirement is genuinely met, so plan the routine before you plan the dog.