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1) History
The breeds origin is not well documented, but the Smooth Fox Terrier has been known as a distinct breed since the 18 century when a Colonel Thornton painted a portrait of his dog, Pitch. They were bred as quick and agile hunters in England. They had to be small enough to flush out a fox from underground. Smooth Fox Terrier was also succesfully used to track deers and retrieve birds. 2) Intelligence Thanks to their intelligence, Smooth Fox Terriers are capable of learning a lot of tricks and commands. Of course, they are still terriers, so they have independent mind and need patient and firm leader. But if they are trained well, they are amazing adepts for dog sports like agility, obedience trials or earth trials. 3) Wire cousin For a long time, the Wire and Smooth Fox Terrier were viewed as varieties of the same breed, but lately, many experts believe, that they are not that related. Today we believe, that the Wire Fox Terrier is a direct descendant of the Rough Black and Tan Terrier of Wales, while the Smooth Fox Terrier is a descendant of the Smooth Black and Tan Terrier and later they were most likely crossbred with Beagles or Bull Terriers. 4) Explorers It is not recommended to put your Smooth Fox Terrier off leash in unfenced and unknown areas. It is because of their curious temperament and prey drive. They are true explorers and if they see a small animal running away from them, it is very likely, they will try to follow it and hunt it. It would be impossible to recall them if that happens. 5) Escape artists Because of their natural desire to explore, Smooth Fox Terriers are often times trying to escape. They are great diggers, so you should burry your fence several inches bellow the ground to be safe. The fence should also be high enough, because smooth fox terrier can jump higher than you might think. 6) Exercise Smooth Fox Terriers are active. They are also smart, which means they need both, proper daily physical and mental stimulation. As i already mentioned earlier in the video, dog sports like agility and earth trials are great for this. Without daily exercise, the dog will become bored, which will lead to bad behaviour, such as digging, chewing or excessive barking. 7) Fun to be around If you are an active person, i can guarantee you that you will never be bored with a Fox Terrier. They are little bit mischevious, very playful, confident and curious and they are always ready for any action. They are the perfect partners in crime. They are always very loyal and they will want to be around you all the time. 8) Size This is muscular and compact breed, with short body, but long face and ears that are folded forwards. The height is around 14 or 15 inches and average weight between 15-19 pounds. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males. 9) Barkers Smooth Fox Terriers love to bark and they have pretty high pitched bark. Thanks to that, they make great watchdogs, because they will definitely alert you, when something suspicious is going on around your home. 10) Health This is a very healthy breed with great average lifespan between 12-15 years, but it is not uncommon for them to live up to 18 or even 19 years. Of course, just like all dog breeds, they do suffer from some health issues, most commonly from cataracts, lens luxation, shoulder dislocation or distiachisis.
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