Toy Fox Terrier - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
This is pretty young dog breed, originated in the 1900s. Their direct ancestor is the famous Smooth Fox Terrier and the Toy Fox Terrier was created by crossing them with some smaller breeds, which may have included Miniature Pinschers, Italian Greyhounds, Chihuahuas and Manchester Terriers.

2) Purpose
You might expect, that the breed named Toy Fox Terrier was used to hunt foxes, but when the Toy Fox Terrier breed was created, their first purpose was fox hunt. Back in the days, they were most often used to to keep farms free of rats and other small vermin. Because of that, they were bred to be small, but also very very agile. Later, they were used by hunters to go down into a foxes dens, and flush out the foxes into the open area.

3) Training
Do not underestimate the Toy Fox Terrier potential for training, just because they are such a small dogs. You might be surprised how many commands and trick they can learn. They are intelligent and willing to please. On the other hand, just like all the terriers, they are independent and stubborn, which is why they are not total pushovers to train. But with patience and firm leadership, you will have a great obedient dog in your home.

4) Exercise
This is active dog breed, but thanks to their small size, it is not extremely hard to deal with their energy. Daily walks are important, just as good playtime. Oh yes, Toy Fox Terriers love to play. Task oriented playtime is great to exercise them physicaly and mentally. Or you can try some dog sport with them, they do great at agility or flyball.

5) Climbing trees
Yes it is true, Toy Fox Terriers are known for climb trees when they are following a cat or a squirrel. But they can also climb other things, for example a fence. That is why you should have a high fence around your area, which is also burried several inches bellow the ground, because Toy Fox Terriers are pretty good at escaping.

6) Small size
This is a small dog with athletic and muscular appearance. Their average height is between 8-12 inches which is 20-30 cm. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males.

7) Big personality
But even though, the Toy Fox Terrier is a small in size, they have giant personality. It seems that no one told them how small they are because they are totally fearless, even when they are around much bigger animals. They are also pretty alert, smart and sometimes bossy and stubborn. They definitely need proper early socialization.

8) Coat
Toy Fox Terrier has smooth, shiny, short coat which is little bit longer at the ruff. Their primary color is white and they come in different color combinations – black tan and white, white and tan or white and black. You can also find them in white, chocolate and tan tricolor.

9) Grooming
Toy Fox Terrier is pretty easy to groom. They only require weekly brushing to remove the dead hair which will minimize the shedding. You should regularly brush their teeth or give them chewable toys, since this breed is prone to periodontal disease. Just like with all dog breeds, you should regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clip them or clean them.

10) Health
This is usually very healthy dog breed with great average lifespan around 15 years. Of course, just like all dog breeds, they do suffer from some health issues, most commonly from patellar luxation, von Willebrands disease, allergies and Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease.