Wire-haired (long-haired) fox terrier is a cheerful, energetic dog that, if properly maintained and brought up, does not cause any trouble for its owners and will become a full member of the family. This breed is recommended for mobile people who lead an active lifestyle. For couch potatoes and apathetic people fox terrier will not work.
History of origin
The ancestors of the Fox Terrier are peat dogs living on the territory of the British Isles and breeding for hunting. Hunting blood flows in modern hard-haired individuals, this explains some of their character traits. However, in the Middle Ages, attention was paid to the good health and dexterity of the dog, and the external data of the hunters were not interested.
Only by the end of the XVIII century, Fox Terriers received external differences from other burrow hunting breeds and were classified into a separate type. A little later, the dogs were grouped by species in accordance with the quality of the coat. The first breed standard was registered in 1876.
During breeding, breeds such as the beagle, the foxhound, the old white terrier, and the spaniel were used.
Breed description
Purebred Fox Terrier has a very harmonious appearance. The combination of the body and the muzzle goes well with the aristocratic color. And although it looks like a contact friendly compact dog, it has a hardy hunting character. During the exhibition, the individual assesses its parameters and proportionality. Excessive lightness or, on the contrary, massiveness is a deviation from the standard, for which points can be reduced.
Females differ from males in a more graceful head and a mild expression of the muzzle, and the ladies are rewarded with a squat and refined body. According to the standard, the growth of the Fox Terrier should not be above 39 cm, and the weight - about 8.5 kg.
As well as the breed standard includes the following external characteristics:
- the head has the shape of a wedge, but not pointed, but rounded; due to the hair, the muzzle seems to be chopped off;
- moderately broad forehead, slightly narrowed; the upper part of the head is flat, there is an underdeveloped tubercle of the occiput;
- lips with pigment, well folded; bite purebred scissors;
- eyes deep set, oval-shaped, not bulged out; the darker the iris, the more valued the dog;
- the ears are half-erect, the tips hang down forward closer to the forehead;
- the body shape 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 spine, the sloping croup gently flows into the hips, the inguinal line is well tucked up;
- front legs have oblique shoulder blades, elbow joints are located along the chest, but do not touch it;
- hind legs are on the croup line; tibia long, short knees, fingers tucked up, but not arched;
- the tail is high, in a tense position, not twisted and does not overlap the back; at the exhibition its length does not matter;
- the coat is dense, hard, there is a thick soft undercoat that is shorter than the awn; on a white background there are black or red spots.
Character
These are inquisitive mobile dogs, which are characterized by playfulness and stubbornness. The perseverance of a representative of this breed often translates into family problems, so the puppy should be educated from an early age. In general, these are peace-loving animals, in which both the companion and the hunter get along perfectly well. This is a great option for a family leading active lifestyles, often traveling on the nature and involved in sports. Four-legged family member will be an indispensable companion of morning jogging or bike travel.
Families raising children under three years old should consider whether the time is right now for a puppy to appear in the house.
This dog needs to pay quite a lot of attention and time, which young parents do not have.
In addition, an active and playful dog may jump on a child or even nibble him gently during the game. It is unlikely to cause injury, but it can scare the kid. Therefore, it is recommended for families to start a fox terrier, where children are already adults.
Besides the fact that it is a cheerful and energetic dog, quickly getting used to the owner, it is also an excellent guard. During the walk, this dog often wakes up guarding qualities. If at home the animal has a gentle and gentle nature and tries to spend a lot of time with your loved one, then a real storm of the yard usually comes out for a walk, which will not give anyone any offense and can become a provocateur of dog fighting. In this regard, the dog should always walk on a leash.
Lifespan
Those who decide to become the owner of the Fox Terrier, it will be interesting 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, which rarely manifest hereditary diseases. Naturally, the dog will live to this period only with proper maintenance. For example, to maintain health and longevity, the Fox Terrier needs to pour out its insatiable energy every day, and if the owner is not a hunter, then he must spend quite a while walking his pet.
Maintenance and care
For woolly pet hair must be carefully monitored. It is important to eliminate dying hairs in order to make room for new hairs. It is better not to try to put this dog's hair on its own in order; the details of caring for a long-haired Fox Terrier are known only to a specialist. For example, this variety can not be trimmed with a typewriter, since the wool can pile and will look very untidy. Therefore, pet grooming is best left to the groomer.
In general, a hairstyle of a representative of this breed implies shortening the hair on the neck, back and body, the limbs are left fluffy. In the upper part of the head, hairs are also pulled out, but it is customary to leave the beard. This dog needs regular nail clipping. The procedure is recommended to perform several times a month. This can be done independently purchased kogterezom. In winter, it is important to cut the hair in the pads, so that the snow does not accumulate between the fingers. It is necessary to comb the dog several times a week, but it is better to refuse bathing.
As mentioned above, in the content of the Fox Terrier It is important to provide him with physical activity. If it is not enough to walk the dog, do not play with it and do not train it, then it will choose furniture in the house for splashing out its energy. This will not only lead to problems in the relationship between the dog and the owner, but will also affect the character of the pet worse. A dog that lacks physical activity may become more aggressive.
Those owners who are planning to knit a dog should also pay attention to some points. Although the dog reaches puberty at the age of eight months, it is recommended to reduce it with a partner later. This is especially true for females.
At a young age, female representatives are not always ready to bear and give birth. These processes are still heavy 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 of mating fox terriers include a ban on crossing smooth-haired and wire-haired species.In addition, the dating process should be carried out on the territory of a dog.
These dogs are in good health, but if this condition is not maintained at the right level, then the animal's immunity is reduced and it becomes a victim of infections, viruses and other diseases. So need regularly observe the condition of the pet's eyes. 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 vet - eye disease is characteristic of this breed. HIt is necessary to check the condition of the ears, especially white-colored dogs suffer from hearing problems.
Diseases such as epilepsy, diseases of the upper respiratory tract, myasthenia, diabetes, Perthes syndrome are also characteristic of fox terriers. The dog will be protected against infections by a vaccine on time.
Vaccination is carried out starting from two months of age and observing the following rules:
- Only a completely healthy puppy is allowed for vaccination;
- before vaccination the animal must be treated for worms;
- it is prohibited to vaccinate an individual whose teeth change;
- animal walking is possible only after the end of the full vaccination period.
Since the dog is not taken outside until the end of vaccinations, the owners have to teach the pet to the toilet on the diaper. In the case of fox terriers, this is not so difficult, as the dogs of this breed are quite intelligent and smart. When the time comes for the first walk, it is recommended to take the diaper, which is familiar to the dog, for a walk with you, so that the dog will make its first attempts at emptying it in the street under usual conditions. So the owner will be easier to teach a pet to the toilet on the street.
Feeding
Fox terriers are notable for their excellent appetite, but they cannot be overfed. If the animal is fed with natural food, it is important to exclude from the diet food from the table, chocolate, mushrooms, pastries, flour, smoked, salty, fatty meat. The basis of the menu should be meat, processed thermally, cottage cheese, sea fish. Also, the diet should contain cereals and vegetables.
In the case of the choice of finished dry food the task of the owner is facilitated. Now he doesn’t need to follow the balance of BJU, as in high-quality premium and super-premium quality feeds, the number of these elements is so balanced.
Manufacturers of good ready-made feeds on the packaging indicate the daily rate in accordance with the weight of the pet, but it is still recommended to consult a veterinary specialist with this question. Let the daily rate will indicate the doctor taking into account the mass, age and health of a particular dog.
In this way, natural food is cheaper for the owner, but its preparation takes more time. In addition, you need to count the daily number of calories and other substances. Ready-made high-quality food is not cheap, but it saves the host from many troubles, especially when buying a measuring cup.
It is impossible to feed a pet at the same time both natural food and dry ready-made food, you need to choose one type of feeding.
Upbringing and training
Education puppy begin immediately after his appearance in the house. It is important from childhood to wean him from damaging things in the apartment. For example, many owners laugh when a puppy is played with an old unnecessary sneaker. However, it is important to stop such actions immediately.. The dog does not distinguish between old and new shoes, if she was allowed to gnaw a sneaker, then the next time she deems it permissible to gnaw a new shoe to shreds. To spoil the wallpaper and furniture, the puppy usually starts 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 Foxter should be introduced to the leash and collar. To do this, the pet is first given a distance to smell a new item; you can leave it next to the stove bench or food, so that the pet can understand that the leash is safe.When for the first time a puppy was fastened on a puppy, most likely he would try to get rid of him. At this point, it is recommended to distract the dog game. For the first time having attached the leash, you can walk with your pet around the apartment. These actions will facilitate the task of the owner before the first walking on the street.
Any dog should be able to perform basic commands. It is possible to teach a puppy to training in 2-3 months, just at this time he usually appears in the house. The very first thing that a puppy should learn to do is to respond to its name. To do this, the dog is called up and offered a treat. In general, any training should be accompanied by a tasty treat in case of successful execution of the command.
Treats can serve not only as a reward, but also as an aid to learning. For example, when teaching the Sit! Command, treat is held above the dog's head in such a way that the animal can see it only after it has sat down. Teaching the exercise “Lie down!”, Put a treat on the floor and slightly help the puppy by pressing on the croup.
Commands should be pronounced clearly and clearly, without extraneous words.
The first training should be carried out no more than three minutes, gradually you need to increase the time. 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 and scold the pet. If you raise your voice, it will frighten 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 an animal at once to several teams, at first it must master one exercise perfectly well, only after that the transition to the next stages is possible. When teaching new teams, do not forget to check the “passed material”.
Training for hunting begins at an older age. The first workouts are held in an artificial hole. For each lesson, the owner must spend no more than 15 minutes. It is recommended to do this before eating, otherwise the dog may have problems with digestion from active activities after eating. In addition, a hungry animal learns commands better.
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