Miniature Fox Terrier - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The Miniature Fox Terrier is iconic Australian breed. Dogs have played important role in the history of Australian hunting and faming life. Australian hunters needed a smaller type of Fox Terrier that would be suitable for hunting rabbits or rats. Farmers needed an all around dog that would control vermin and other pests around the farm. Those were most likely the two major reasons why new breed, the Mini Foxie was developed. It was most likely developed by crossing small Fox Terriers and Toy Manchester Terriers, later also English Toy Terriers or Whippets and possibly some other toy breeds. Mini Foxies were bred in Australia since the 1800s.
2) Hunting
So you already know, that this dog was developed for hunting vermin and small game such as rabbits, but also dangerous animals like snakes. And they were and still are great at it. These dogs are known for their courage, tenacity, higher prey drive, great endurance and speed and loyalty to its owners. All these characteristics make Mini Foxies just amazing hunters.
3) Companions
This is not only a tenacious hunter, but also very loyal, playful, affectionate and relatively low maintenance breed. All these qualities made these dogs quite popular companion pet in Australian households in the 1900s. These dogs can live with other dogs in the family, but smaller household pets, like guinea pigs, might be problematic, because of the dogs higher prey drive. But of course, this is vastly influenced by early socialization. Mini Foxies are also good playful partners for kids, but the kid should be old enough to know how to treat dogs properly.
4) Toy Fox Terrier
The Miniature Fox Terrier is often times mistaken with the American Toy Fox Terrier. It is true, that both breeds were developed from similar breed lines, but those are two separate breeds and the Toy Fox Terrierx was not used in development of Mini Foxie. One of the differences between these two breeds is, that the Mini Foxie is slightly larger than the Toy Fox, but the difference is quite small.
5) Rarity
Today, the popularity of Miniature Fox Terrier is growing internationally, but it is still a very rare breed outside Australia and you would be lucky to find a pure Mini Foxie outside Australia. On the other hand, they are very famous in the Australia and it is one of the iconic breeds of this country. Even today, they are still the same hard workers on rural farms, as well, as great lively and affectionate companions in Australian cities. Several famous people helped to raise the Mini Foxie reputation, one of them is for example the Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe.
6) Longevity
It is normal that smaller breeds have longer lifespan than large and giant dogs, but the longevity of Miniature Fox Terrier is just outstanding. With a good care, enough exercise and healthy diet, these dogs are known for being active even in their late teens and they are known to live as long as 18, 19 or even 20 years, and sometimes even beyond that.
7) Size
The Mini Foxie is a sweet faced and small sized dog with pretty strong and athletic body. The average height is between 9-12 inches, which is 22-31 cm and weight is usually between 8-12 pounds, which is 3,5 – 5,5 kg. There are no extreme size differences between males and females.
8) Coat and color
This breed has a short, pretty dense and smooth to touch coat. The coat should be glossy and it can have slightly longer ruff on neck. Commonly, the coat is less dense on the belly. The predominant color should always be white, with black or tan markings. Sometimes, the Mini Foxie can have some ticking, but it should be minimal.
9) Maintenance
Great fact about this breed is, that the maintenance and grooming needs are minimal. The short coat does shed a little, and you can minimize the shedding by regular brushing, which will also keep the coat in best possible condition. But even without any grooming at all, the Mini Foxies coat will still look good. Bathing is also needed only rarely, when the dog is really really dirty. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check the dogs eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed.
10) Health
I already mentioned earlier in the video that these dogs have extremely long lifespan and that it is not uncommon for them to live well into their late teens. But it does not mean that they can not suffer from any health issues, Just like any other breed in the world, even the Mini Foxie may suffer from some problems, like patellar luxation, arthritis or different allergies.