Dog Breeds > Toy Fox Terrier
The Toy Fox Terrier
The Toy Fox terrier is a small pet that can do such great things. This breed has great sense of hearing; it is not just a pet or companion but it can also assist the handicapped people. Surely, you will never treat the Toy Fox terrier as a toy breed but also a reliable and sweet companion.
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Fascinating Facts
The Toy Fox terrier, also known by the name Amertoy and American Toy terrier is a breed that was developed in the United States in 1930’s. In order to create a small dog that would be functional and stylish, American dog breeders used Smooth Fox terrier and was crossed to a relatively smaller breeds like Manchester terrier, Italian Greyhound, Chihuahua and Miniature Pinscher. This breed’s first function was to hunt rats that infest barns and houses of the Americans.
Physical Appearance
The height and weight of a fully-grown Toy Fox terrier is about 10 inches and 3 – 7 pounds only. The head is dome-shaped with narrow and small muzzle. The dark eyes are round; the nose is black for black dogs and brown for tan or chocolate colored dogs. The hairy tail is usually docked for fashion purpose. The coat is thick and short which is normally tri-colored. The colors are dominant white, black and tan.
Grooming
This breed is easy to groom; all it takes is daily brushing of its short and thick coat. The nails can scratch your skin so be sure to keep it short. Check for fleas or burrs especially on the ears. Bathe if only necessary.
Mood
The Toy Fox terrier is a small but definitely active and energetic breed. This dog is intelligent and curious; it would try everything just to find out or discover something that caught its attention. This breed is also alert, loving and friendly with strangers. The Toy Fox terrier is not suitable for those who have other small pets inside their house. This breed was used to fight and chase rodents and other small pests during 1930’s and would certainly do the same thing with your hamsters, cats, doves and other small animals.
As expected with the toy breeds, the Toy Fox terrier is also prone to Small Dog Syndrome. You should bear in mind that over pampering this breed would cause serious behavioral problems such as jealousy, being demanding, obsessive barking and even attacking its own master.
With Children
This breed is an energetic and affectionate playmate suitable for children that are old enough to play with it. Small children should be supervised in order to prevent them from employing harsh or tough treatment because this dog bites if it thinks that it’s getting hurt.
Training & Exercise
The primary purpose of the Toy Fox terrier was to hunt rodents; and because this breed can no longer perform such task due to technological development, its great energy should be spent accordingly and properly.
When it comes to training, you can expect great things from this breed because it is intelligent enough to perform new tasks for you. It learns fast for as long as you use gentle and kind words for it to follow. This breed responds well to food reward challenges.
Health & Life Expectancy
This small dog can live up to 14 years if taken care of properly. This breed live generally healthy for the rest of its natural life however, owners/trainers/handlers should expect slipped stifle and other leg problems as these are very common with the toy breeds. Do not let this dog sleep outside because it has little tolerance against cold temperature.
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