Fox Terrier (Wire)

Bold and lively, with a strong urge to dig and chase.
A Fox Terrier (Wire)
Photo: State Farm
Adult male
7.7–8.6 kg
17–19 lb
Adult female
6.8–7.7 kg
15–17 lb
Lifespan
13.5 yrs
Class · Companion
also Sport

What it's like

In temperament the breed is bold, lively and quick to react, with a strong urge to dig and to chase. Two fictional dogs are well-known examples: Snowy, Tintin's companion in Hergé's comics, and Asta of the Thin Man films.

Day to day
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs steady training
With people
Affection
Likes its own space
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Independence
Decides for itself
Around the home
Sensitivity
Average
Voice
Very vocal
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour1. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home2,3.
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Size and growth

A Wire Fox Terrier is a small dog, heavier than a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and lighter than a Pug. Males end up a little heavier than females.

It is a compact, square-built terrier with a short back, straight legs and a long, flat head. It has small V-shaped ears that fold forward and dark eyes set in a keen expression. The coat is dense and wiry, with a softer undercoat, and is mainly white with black, tan or black-and-tan markings. Show dogs are hand-stripped rather than clipped to keep the coat's harsh texture, and the beard and eyebrows are left fuller.

Puppy growth

Reference curve · community data appears as owners log
By about 5 months, a male Wire Fox Terrier puppy is already as heavy as a grown Yorkshire Terrier. They grow fastest between 3 and 4 months old.
Fully grown
10 mo
Both sexes, at 99% of adult weight6
Male
Female
Shaded: expected range
02.557.5102m4m6m9m12m18m
02.557.5102m3m4m6m9m12m18m
Age
Male
Female
2 months
2.3–2.6 kg 5.1–5.7 lb
2.2–2.5 kg 4.9–5.5 lb
3 months
3.1–3.4 kg 6.8–7.5 lb
2.8–3.2 kg 6.2–7.1 lb
4 months
4.2–4.7 kg 9.3–10.4 lb
3.7–4.2 kg 8.2–9.3 lb
5 months
5.1–5.6 kg 11.2–12.3 lb
4.4–5.0 kg 9.7–11.0 lb
6 months
5.7–6.4 kg 12.6–14.1 lb
5.0–5.6 kg 11.0–12.3 lb
7 months
6.2–6.9 kg 13.7–15.2 lb
5.4–6.1 kg 11.9–13.4 lb
8 months
6.5–7.3 kg 14.3–16.1 lb
5.7–6.4 kg 12.6–14.1 lb
9 months
6.8–7.6 kg 15.0–16.8 lb
5.9–6.7 kg 13.0–14.8 lb
10 months
7.0–7.8 kg 15.4–17.2 lb
6.1–6.9 kg 13.4–15.2 lb
11 months
7.2–8.0 kg 15.9–17.6 lb
6.2–7.0 kg 13.7–15.4 lb
12 months
7.3–8.1 kg 16.1–17.9 lb
6.3–7.1 kg 13.9–15.7 lb
15 months
7.5–8.4 kg 16.5–18.5 lb
6.6–7.4 kg 14.6–16.3 lb

Lifespan

In UK vet records, the typical Wire Fox Terrier lived to about 13 and a half years, about average for a small breed.

Where it comes from

The Wire Fox Terrier and its smooth-coated relation descend from the terriers British foxhunts kept to dig out a fox gone to ground, bred mostly white so that a working terrier could not be taken for the fox. Both coats were shown together until the Wire got its own classes in the 1870s; the Smooth stayed the more popular until 1920, when the Wire overtook it8,9.

The Wire Fox Terrier was refined in the show ring during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Breeders aimed for a cleaner outline and a harder coat while keeping the courage of the working dog. Its job in the field was to keep up with the hunt and go to ground after the fox, then bolt it or hold it at bay by barking. For a time Wires and Smooths were crossed to improve type. The practice later died out, and the two are now recognised as separate breeds.

Breed standard

Kennel clubs do not all register this breed the same way.

The Smooth Fox Terrier

The Smooth Fox Terrier is the same dog on this index: its figures are this page's.

Questions people ask

General guidance for dogs rather than a measured Wire Fox Terrier figure: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later, so a small breed is most likely at the early end.

Compare with related

Welsh Terrier
Terriers · Small
Miniature Schnauzer
Pinschers & molossoids · Small
Jack Russell Terrier
Terriers · Small
Manchester Terrier
Terriers · Small
Or compare the Wire Fox Terrier with any breed you choose
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Sources

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Parts of this page were written by AI ·