Dog Breed Guide

Wire-haired Fox Terrier

Profile

Size

Small

Country of origin

United Kingdom

Origin

18th - 19th century

Bred for

Fox hunting

Height

male 39cm (15in) and under, female slightly smaller

Weight

male about 8kg (18lb), female about 7.5kg (17lb)

Life span

12 - 15 years

A compact, square, lean body, a long, narrow head and a harsh, wiry, crinkly coat are its hallmarks. The coat is white with black or tan patches. Its upright tail and alert stance make it look as if it is always ready for action.

Bright, lively and curious, the Wire Fox is self-confident and fearless. It is affectionate with its family and loves to play. Like any terrier, it has a strong instinct to chase small moving animals and to dig.

It is bursting with energy and needs plenty of exercise and play every day. The harsh coat stays in its best condition when it is hand-stripped, or "plucked," pulling out the dead hair by hand.

Good to know

During a fox hunt, this dog's job was to go down into the earth and bolt a fox that had escaped the pack of hounds and gone to ground. Its white coat is said to have helped hunters avoid mistaking it for the brown fox.

The Wire Fox Terrier has won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, America's biggest, more times than any other breed. Since its first win in 1915, its total has stood far ahead of every other breed.

It is a favorite in fiction too. Snowy (Milou), the white dog who is the hero's sidekick in the Belgian comic The Adventures of Tintin, is a Wire Fox Terrier. The dog who played Asta, the detective couple's dog in the 1934 Hollywood film The Thin Man, was also a Wire Fox Terrier, and the film's huge success made owning one all the rage.