Fox Terrier: rules of content and a variety of nicknames

Fox terriers are considered one of the most recognizable dog breeds. And it is not surprising, because they belong to one of the most common in the whole world and have been loved by many as funny and devoted pets. Nevertheless, such dogs were not displayed for entertainment, and this to a certain extent affects the specificity of the content and upbringing of such living creatures. In order to establish mutual understanding with your chosen pet, you need to figure out what kind of dog it is.

As befits the overwhelming majority of terriers, Fox is a true Briton. Its name largely explains the main "specialization" of the dog. Despite its rather modest size, he is best suited to hunt foxes (in English "fox") and a variety of rodents living in burrows and annoying people.

What is interesting, today even scientists cannot say who and when brought modern fox-terriers, but it is certain that some similar dogs were found on the British Isles long before the advent of English - they were written by the ancient Romans in 55 BC. They described representatives of the breed as fast animals with a loud bark, able to get behind prey even in the closest hole.

Until the quadrupeds were used by commoners, there was no need to meet certain standards. Weak and unsuitable puppies were rejected, and the children of avid rat hunters were valued above any others. However, from about the 14th century, a new passion began to spread among the English nobility, which consisted in hunting down burrow animals.

British peers could not afford not only to buy the best dogs, but even to deduce them specifically to guarantee success. Modern scientists believe that smooth-haired fox terriers were then the most sought-after, considered direct descendants of such breeds as the classic old English black and tan terrier, as well as the beagle, greyhound and bull terrier.

Smooth wool for work in the hole does not fit very well - it gets dirty and requires careful care. Oddly enough, the wire-haired variety of Foxes appeared only a few centuries later - at the end of the nineteenth century. For this purpose, specially selected fox terriers with the most hard wool, then crossing them with welsh terriers. Due to this, the genotype of the two species of the breed has become significantly different.

In this case, for a long time there was no question of considering the Fox Terrier as a specific breed with a clearly recognized standard. Even rich hunters preferred to experiment independently of each other, not trying to make their dog look like any of the previously known ones.As a result, some special fox terrier, similar to the current one, can be spoken approximately from the end of the XVIII century.

Start breeding modern Fox falls around the middle of the last century. In 1859, small doggies began to fall on dog shows for the first time, although they did not immediately fall to the courtyard. Interestingly, by this time they were no longer a wonder in Russia, but they reached France, Italy and Holland about 10 years later. At the same time having already begun to storm the exhibition, the Fox Terrier did not have its own standard for the breed until 1875, and only its appearance gave the breed the opportunity to formalize - to enter the lists of the English Dog Club.

The breeders, who became the engine of the appearance of Fox Terriers as a separate breed, set themselves the task of creating a dog that would not have any kinks. Because of this, the modern Fox is thin, but not rude, stocky, but not squat - in short, he is both strong, agile and elegant. At the same time, the dog objectively could not be considered a champion for any of these parameters, but it seems almost the ideal solution as a hunting dog.

As befits a dog bred specifically for work in a burrow, the size of the Fox Terrier is not impressive at all - its height at the withers does not exceed a modest 39 centimeters. With such modest dimensions, the dog does not look like a weak decorative dwarf - on the contrary, even from the look of an animal, one can determine that a strong personality is about him.

From above, the dog's skull has an almost flat surface, the head is elongated, and the muzzle occupies almost the entire length of the head. Its key part is strong jaws - inexperienced breeders usually cannot believe that such a small dog has such a strong grip that is provided with a full scissor bite.

The nose is medium in size and has a black lobe, and the dark eyes are small and rounded, almost without being convex. The ears of the fox terrier are relatively small in size and have a triangular shape, slightly hanging in the direction of the cheekbones.

The characteristic of the neck usually begins with the fact that the connecting link between the head and the body is characterized by a certain dryness. The lack of thickness should not be misleading - the muscles are there, and they are enough to solve serious hunting problems. Closer to the body the neck widens.

The body of the animal is not very long; it is equally true for the back and for the lumbar region. At the same time, the chest is well developed, with false edges visible on it. The body is crowned with a neat tail, which according to the standard must be lifted upwards, remaining straight, and nothing else.

The dog is moving thanks to the straight forelimbs with well-developed shoulders, as well as the back - with pumped hips that can give the animal a certain strength. Actually paws differ roundness and compactness. As for wool, its appearance varies greatly depending on which subspecies it is talking about - smooth-haired or hard-haired. The first one has a very short (up to 2 centimeters), but thick hair, which is pressed to the body, the second one has a curly “bristle” with a length of 2-4 centimeters.

In terms of coloring, the fox terrier is usually white, but with numerous inserts that may turn out to be black, reddish brown or black.

There are certain signs, in the presence of which a given Fox is guaranteed not to be admitted to the exhibition. These are atypical colors, for example, stains of coffee, blue or red are unacceptable.Wool is allowed both short and soft, and tough long, however, down is completely unacceptable. The tip of the nose is strictly black, the absence of any color or the presence of several at once disqualifies the dog. Ears should be lowered, but not limp.

Owners of the Fox Terrier should prepare in advance for the fact that their pet is not a subordinate, but an equal inhabitant of the house, and it is good if the undisputed leader. Dog possesses impressive self-confidence, he is mobile and active. Genetically determined readiness to fight with any enemies makes him not just strong, but the dominant person.

The owner should immediately tune in to the fact that his new roommate needs a serious upbringing, because the lost moment cannot be returned, and the masterful beast will grow naughty. Those who are surely delighted with the appearance of such a friend are children. As befits a hunting dog, the fox terrier has an inexhaustible supply of energy and, in the absence of the opportunity to hunt, will gladly spend its strength on games.

Compatibility of representatives of this breed with other domestic animals is questionable. It all depends on how well the dog was raised, whether he was taught that he would not necessarily be the absolute king of the situation. If you are engaged in raising a puppy, and moreover, genetics will also be relatively prosperous, there is a possibility that the fox terrier will get along well even with the traditional enemy of all dogs - a cat.

At the same time, we must not forget that these animals were bred for hunting needs, which means that a certain degree of aggressiveness should be inherent in them., and some bullies with pleasure will get into a fight with any beast. No matter how peaceful or hostile your individual is, Remember: other dogs and rodents traditionally cause a special negative for representatives of the breed.

The hunter's soul determines another unusual feature of the fox terrier: he loves to dig holes. Do not think that the dog is familiar with the rules of decency and will engage in a favorite hobby only on the street. If the owner does not find time for timely and rather long walks, the dog will try to dig a hole in the apartment. Another specific characteristic of this animal lies in the fact that it is exactly the dog that necessarily needs to chase after each passing vehicle, so that in cities with heavy traffic, the owners will be difficult.

Despite the fact that the Fox Terrier is designed primarily for hunting, it would be a mistake to think that such a dog is not suitable for owners who are not keen on hunting. In fact, such a dog with ease becomes an excellent watchman, because he has all the necessary makings for this. This self-confident shorty is convinced that the territory to which he is accustomed is his personal property, and just won't let anyone in there.

Naturally, an animal, constantly fighting with foxes and other similar living creatures, cannot be fearful, so this caretaker has no authority to intimidate him.

Fox terriers in ideal conditions live for a relatively long time - for a well-groomed dog, even 15 years may not be the limit. To pet lived as long as possible, you need to properly care for him and do not ignore the mandatory measures such as vaccinations and deworming. As befits a hunting breed, these dogs are usually praised for fairly good health and increased stamina, thanks to which they usually live long enough without outstanding care.

However, if you are not ready for unpleasant surprises, it is better not to start the dog's state of health, since there are certain diseases that Fox are highly susceptible to. The most dangerous include epilepsy, diabetes and cataracts. Most often, the predisposition to such ailments is laid at the genetic level, because the task of the person who decided to get such a favorite - diligently be interested in the pedigree of the puppy you like to protect yourself from surprises.

These two breeds are difficult to confuse with each other, because they are close relatives. German jagdterieri were derived precisely on the basis of English Fox Terriers. At the same time, they have completely different characteristics, and it is impossible to choose which of them is definitely better - dogs simply are suitable for different purposes.

Both breeds are classified as hunting, but the difference is in how the breeders treated the creation of each breed. So, the fuzzy standard of the Fox Terrier was formed back in the days when nobody was seriously engaged in selection - this is a dog, whose type was not specially selected. It is simply the most successful hunting dog of all that was available to hunters of the nineteenth century. Among other things Fox Terriers have been performing at exhibitions for over 150 years.and this means that in many respects their standard assumes to follow external signs, even to the detriment of professional qualities.

Jagdterrier, although derived from the Fox Terrier, was created quite differently. It was bred by people who didn’t like that even hunting dogs should be aesthetically appealing, whereas they are required to do something completely different. These people deliberately chose the culled dark fox terriers, because the experience suggested that such animals behave much more aggressively during the hunt and are able to successfully get involved in a fight with any rival.

For this reason, the fox terrier and jagdterrier are dogs for different tasks.. Fox is almost never used for hunting today - the overwhelming majority of these little dogs serve as companions, or in extreme cases, as watchmen. They are cute, children can play with them - in short, this is a typical pet that the whole family loves. Jagdterrier in this regard has remained a real pros of his business, and in most cases it is hunters who turn him on, since such a dog becomes literally insane with rage when he sees an opponent playing the game.

The main rule that needs to be clearly understood by the owners is that the Fox Terrier does not understand at all, when it is necessary to stop, it will be eaten until the food runs out. For this reason the dog can never be overfeed, as well as it is unacceptable to pamper the animal with delicacies, otherwise it will simply fatten and lose the ability to move normally, not to mention the cardiovascular diseases.

In order not to be mistaken in the dosage, many owners prefer to feed their pet with dry foods with a known caloric content per 100 grams - for these purposes products of the holistic or super-premium classes are suitable.

If you decide to feed your four-legged friend with natural products, you will have to calculate caloric content yourself. This should focus on certain products, trying to avoid what is not mentioned in the list below.

• Meat and fish. Since the dog loves to eat and can easily grow fat, it is usually fed low-fat meats, such as lamb or beef. If the actual meat can be given and raw, then beef giblets, which are also allowed to be included in the diet, are allowed only in boiled form. In addition, it will be useful for the dog to periodically include sea fish fillets in the menu.

• Other animal products. Some amino acids are inherent only in animal food - especially for those products that are intended for rearing. Chicken eggs are shown to fox terriers, as is cottage cheese. Both are valuable sources of a number of vitamins and minerals that are difficult to get anywhere else. But it is better not to experiment with other fermented milk products and especially fresh milk.

• Vegetables and fruits. As in the case of a person, the main source of vitamins for Fox is still green, which must be given regularly. For these purposes, suitable, for example, cabbage, carrots, beets and apples. In this case, it would be a big mistake to give the animal any kind of fruit - for example, in principle it is undesirable for dogs to eat legumes or citrus fruits.

• Cereals. Fox, even if he was never involved in the hunt, is an example of a real zinger - he is constantly on the move and spends an incredible amount of calories. Their best source is a variety of cereals, and although the pet is allowed far from all, oatmeal, rice or buckwheat should be present in its diet with an enviable frequency.

What is curious, experts advise giving the Fox Terrier one fasting day once a week - on this day the dog can be fed only rye bread crumbs, raw carrots and water. Such starvation has a positive effect on the digestive system of the animal, which receives an excellent opportunity to rest. By the way, of all the vegetables, only the carrot is given to the pet raw - all the other fruits will have to be specially stewed. The opposite rule works with fruit - they are never served cooked.

The above menu is relevant for an adult dog, but not for a puppy. Little ones begin to gradually accustom themselves to “extraneous” food even when it eats mostly milk. Begin with a periodic replacement with diluted dry milk, slightly sweetened sugar, and a little later you can add semolina to this mass. Already at the end of the first month the predator is obliged to get acquainted with products of animal origin - they scrape the meat and treat the doggie with chicken yolk, which is very useful for the formation of a young body.

As befits hunting dogs, Fox Terriers are not particularly picky about their living conditions. Given the modest size of the dog, he can live both in a private house and in a city apartment, only the owners need to keep in mind the increased mobility of their pet. In the absence of their own backyard plot, they will have to walk their dog more often and more intensively.

Ignore the walk or limit it to an insufficient level. - and the domestic dog will surely nashalit at home, but not from evil, but simply because he has nowhere to put extra energy. In rural areas, this is somewhat simpler, since a four-legged friend can walk on his own. But then you need to take care that the fence from all sides was an insurmountable obstacle for a short stack, which is quite jumpy.

Smooth-haired Fox Terriers require minimal care in terms of hygiene - short and smooth hair can be combed once a week, and dogs do not need washing very often, because wool has the unique property of repelling dirt.

It would seem that hard-haired brethren should be even more resistant to any problems, but their hair of increased length tends to entangle pollution in its structure and simply clump together, so aesthetics fans will have to suffer. All these curls 3-4 times a year have to be subjected to trimming, and the procedure is not too approved by the dog itself - for this reason it is advised to teach the puppy to beauty from the age of one and a half months.

In the case of most dog breeds advise special attention should be paid to eye hygiene, but a fox terrier usually has no problems with it - You can periodically inspect the corners and remove the accumulated mucus from there with a wet wipe. Oddly enough, do not cling strongly to the ears - you need to do the check only once every 2 weeks, and you need to clean not the slightest specks of dust, but only well-marked dirt and large lumps of sulfur.

But paws require much more careful care - animal pads are very delicate, and experts recommend washing them after each exit to the street, and even moisturize them with special creams.

In terms of training, the Fox Terrier is very controversial: on the one hand, it is rather cool about learning, and on the other hand, in the form of a game, it can be carried away and trained. Experts say that A dog will learn much faster if you show that learning is extremely interesting to you. The animal tends to become attached to the owner and tries to act in such a way that the owner will be pleased with it.

It should be understood that a person should not go too far: studying should be interesting and exciting, active and diverse, and excessive enthusiasm for it on your part will simply kill the interest of your pet. It is recommended to “shock” the puppy with an unexpected change of commands. Canine experts give one more advice: the pet will be more attentive to learning issues if you have already satisfied its restlessness by walking it well.

In the conditions of a civilization with an abundance of various pets, it is crucially important to calm down the hunting instincts of the beast a little, therefore restraint and obedience during walking are critically important. Keep in mind that making the dog completely unemotional will not work - it will still sometimes break down on cats, and this will have to be treated with some understanding.

Another important point in the training - it is accustoming the fox terrier to the leash. A hyperactive Fox at first seems like perfect savagery restricting his freedom of movement, but without that you risk losing a friend in an urban crowd.

Experts say that training to the collar must be combined with the team training - the leash itself improves the discipline of the student, and thus speeds up the mastering of commands. In the process, the “Aport!” Command can be brought to automatism, because the Fox Terrier loves to wear various objects in his teeth, and you just need to teach him to give them on command.

Since representatives of this breed are often divorced to travel to exhibitions, it is necessary to accustom the dog to touch - this will necessarily happen at the review. It is noted that stroking the back and head, as well as a light squeezing of the tail, contribute to another useful result - from this, Fox has the correct posture. While the dog is small and not yet aggressive, it makes sense to involve people who are unfamiliar to animals for such training - then it will be a full preparation for the exhibition.

Fox terrier is very self-confident, modesty is not inherent in it.Therefore, an educated puppy should be specially trained in the principles of cultural behavior and restraint. A simple example: separate your own food intake from a dog's food, do not treat your pet with food from your table, otherwise the little dodger will quickly realize that you can eat on the table.

The same applies to toys purchased specifically for the animal - they should not be associated with any other items in the house. So, an attempt to play with a four-legged friend with a napkin or rag will lead to the fact that any fabric in the house will be perceived only as a toy. Then do not complain later that the dog spoiled your pants or curtains.

The name for the puppy must be chosen carefully - it must be short and simple, so that it is easy for a person to pronounce it and just remember the owner of the name. In this case, the name should appeal to all households, because renaming a puppy is a great folly.

For a boy, as befits a true English gentleman, any English-speaking male name will do, especially if he has a certain touch of aristocracy. These doggies are often called: Archie, Mike, Luke, Oscar, Jerry, Charlie, Henry or Simon. You can, of course, be more original - many men call their pets after idols, thanks to this dogs appear Zidane, Messi, Osborne or even Rockefeller.

Girls need something more gentle, but the main direction of choice remains the same - the emphasis is on English names, only women. You can often meet fox terriers nicknamed Dina, Molly, Daisy, Sally, Linda, Gloria, Chelsea. Suk is less often named after idols, but still nicknames like Heidi, Adel, Limes or even Gucci are found. But patriotism is more among the ladies, so do not be surprised to meet Fox named Bug.

On the features of this breed of dogs, see below.