Quick Facts
Origin: USA
Height: 8.5”-11.5”
Weight: 4-9 lbs
Color: White & black, White & tan, White black & tan, White chocolate & tan
Lifespan: 13-15 years
Temperament: Vigilant, smart, affable, confident, playful
Overview
Confident, perhaps overly so, the Toy Fox Terrier is said to be a big dog in a little container. Originally bred as ratters in the early 1900s, these pups are now companion pups with tons of tenacity. Lots of that tenacity will be wrapped up in his love and devotion to his family.
An ever alert watch dog, TFTs will never let anyone approach without letting you know. This breed is small and you might think they are perfect apartment dogs. You are not entirely wrong, but if you do not train early to control your TFT’s penchant for barking, you will quickly lose popularity in your building.
This breed has lots of energy, loves to play, and be in the mix. If this sounds like a fit, the Toy Fox Terrier might just be for you!
Celebrity Owners
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Fun Facts
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Health
Toy fox terriers are typically healthy pets. Here is a list of potential health issues:
- Primary lens luxation: Here, the tiny fibers that hold the lens suspended in the eye begin to degrade. Eventually, the lens can fall out of place.
- Patellar luxation: Luxating simply means out of place or dislocated. Patella is a kneecap. A Luxating patella is a kneecap that chronically moves out of its normal position.
- Von Willebrand’s disease: Caused by a deficiency of von Willebrand factor, a protein in the blood that helps platelets, this disease is a bleeding disorder.
- Legg-Calve-Perthes disease: This disease occurs at the head of the femur (the ball and socket joint in your dog’s hips. Here, the femur degenerates which can cause the hip to collapse and can cause arthritis.
- Allergies: Histamine, which is a chemical in the body associated with immune responses, is released during allergic reactions.
- Hypothyroidism: The thyroid gland, sitting at the top of the windpipe in the back of the neck, is controlled by the pituitary gland at the base of the brand. Hypothyroidism would cause the metabolism to slow down.
- Obesity: With over a quarter of the canine population suffering from obesity, this is a very preventable disease in dogs.
Before you bring a pup home, be sure to request health screening from the breeder for both parent pups.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
Grooming
TFTs only shed lightly. Their smooth coat requires weekly brushing to pull away any dead hair and to redistribute naturally occurring oils. Give your pup a bath at least once every 6 weeks, or more as necessary. Keep their eyes and ears clean and clear of debris.
Clip your pup’s nails regularly. It is best to start nail treatments early so your pup can acclimate to the process. Brush their teeth several times per week.
Cost
$1,000
Exercise
Run baby run! These little pups have endless energy. Long walks, hiking and never-ending games of fetch are all on the menu! Your pup will also want to turn your house into a racetrack if any energy is left over. Like all terriers, the instinct to hunt prey is super strong. Always keep your pup on a leash or in a secure fenced in area when outside.
Nutrition
Obesity is a major concern for TFTs. Your pup will eat around ¾ cup of food per day between two meals. The exact requirements for your dog will vary with age and activity level.
Be mindful that little dogs that receive lots of treats and or table scraps end up overweight. A little dog that is overweight is significantly more likely to develop other health issues.
We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.
Training
As with all dogs, early socialization with humans and other pups is vital. TFT’s temperament make them excellent obedience students. Be sure to have return commands and quiet commands in your training routines. Housetraining should be quick and easy as well.
Some owners opt to train their pups to use an indoor pup pad in addition to a spot outside. This will help with travel or difficult weather.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
The Good
Easy to train
Low maintenance grooming
The "Ruff"
Prone to bark
Strong prey instincts