Smooth Fox Terrier

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Breed Attribute

Breed Details

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Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Smooth Fox Terrier originated in England and was bred to hunt down rats and foxes, just as its name suggests. They are determined and ferocious when it comes to hunting but are loyal and affectionate when it comes to their family. These dogs have a lot of energy and love to be around their human pack as much as possible because they are not a breed that should be left alone often due to them becoming bored or lonely.

The Smooth Fox Terrier will make a great watchdog as they have a piercing bark that they love to voice! They will be okay with other dogs but must be monitored around smaller family pets such as cats, hamsters, mice etc. because they might assume these pets are for them to hunt. Like most Terriers, the Smooth Fox will need to be on a leash at all times when outside as their primal instincts to hunt smaller animals might come into effect if they see something that catches their fancy.

This breed has a short smooth coat that is hard to the touch. They have a naturally long tail that is docked for show purposes. Their ears are small, triangular and prick upwards. The Smooth Fox Terrier has a sharp pointed muzzle and strong jaws. Their body is athletic and compact giving them great agility and speed when on the hunt. This breed is perfect for hunting and does an excellent job working alongside their owner.

Color

The Smooth Fox Terrier comes in a white with multi-colored patches all over their body. Black and brown or a reddish brown are most commonly the colors for the patches and will be found on their head, lower back and tail.

Coat

This breed has a silky short coat that has a sleek appearance to it. The Smooth Fox Terrier only comes in this short type coat, where the Wiry version of this dog, the Wire Fox Terrier is categorized as a different breed.

Personality

The Smooth Fox Terrier is a loving, energetic and playful breed that enjoys time spent with the family. They have been known to not do well left alone for long periods of time so should be exercised rigorously daily as well as be given a variety of toys. These dogs are great to work with as they show dedication to the hunt and will impress their owners with their tenacity. Although they are responsive to work, training is a different field that will need firm consistency. The Smooth Fox Terrier has the potential to win obedience, hunting, and even agility trials if their owners put in the time to train them in these sports. This breed will need an owner who is firm and has some experience in raising dogs. They can be a stubborn breed that will test their owners just to see how far they can go and if the owner is not prepared to handle this, the dog will rule the household. Training will need to begin as soon as the dog enters the house so they grasp the concept of what is okay to do and what is not. They are an intelligent breed that wants to please their owners and will make great pets with the right type of master.

Care

The Smooth Fox Terrier will need very minimal grooming as their coat is short and will not mat. Brushing should be done once every week or two just to remove the dead fur and bathing about once every two months. These dogs are prone to Legg perthes syndrome, deafness in some lines, and cataracts. Luxating Patella's and luxating eye lens might be genetically inherited diseases as well but generally they are a very healthy breed.

Training

This breed will need firm and consistent training for them to be able to understand basic obedience. They need to be socialized well around other dogs and smaller animals as pups to ensure they become stable around these as adults. They have been known to test their owners and will need to be taught what is acceptable and what is not. The Smooth Fox Terrier is a very clever dog and are known to be trainable in many sports including hunting, all they need is consistency and an owner willing to put in the time and they will succeed.

Activity

This breed will need to be taken out to off-leash dog parks or for long walks daily to burn off their energy. They enjoy running and chasing a ball so this might be a perfect exercise to tire them out! The Smooth Fox Terrier will do well in an apartment as long as they get their daily exercise and wont need a backyard but having access to one is a bonus. They will be much happier having an owner that is at home or is able to be with them during the day as they can get lonely being by themselves to often.