Smooth Fox Terrier puppies

About the Smooth Fox Terrier

The Smooth Fox Terrier was bred in England to run with foxhound packs and go to ground after a fox that had bolted for cover. This is a compact, square little dog of about 38 cm and 6.8 to 8.2 kg, with a flat, hard white coat marked in black or tan, a long wedge of a head and a permanently switched on expression. The character is classic terrier: bold, funny, noisy, quick to dig and quicker to chase anything small that moves.

This is a busy dog that needs real daily exercise plus something to occupy the mind, or they will find their own entertainment in your garden. Grooming is easy, a weekly going over with a hound glove. Barking is a genuine consideration, since the breed is vocal by design and neighbours notice. Off lead freedom near roads or small animals is unwise given the prey drive. With children they do best supervised and well socialised. Owners routinely underestimate the digging, the noise and the recall problem.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Smooth Fox Terrier puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get them socialised before the vaccination course finishes. They will still need four meals a day. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Patellar luxation, graded by a veterinary orthopaedic exam
• Cardiac disease, detected by auscultation and echocardiogram
• Congenital deafness, detectable by BAER testing
• Primary lens luxation, detectable by DNA test on both parents
• Legg Calve Perthes disease, a malformation of the hip joint in young dogs, found on x-ray

Your Smooth Fox Terrier puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Smooth Fox Terrier.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 6.8 to 8.2 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 24 inch (24 x 18 x 20 in, 61 x 46 x 51 cm) for an adult of up to 8.2 kg; chew toys made for small breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other small breeds

Previous: Smooth Collie · Next: Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Smooth Fox Terrier breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/smooth-fox-terrier/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Piotr Pietryka, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.