Wire Fox Terrier

A Wire Fox Terrier does well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially made or home-prepared under your veterinarian's supervision and approval. Match the diet to the dog's life stage: puppy, adult, or senior. Keep clean, fresh water available at all times.

Feeding amounts and frequency depend on age:

• Puppies under four months: four or five small meals a day, which helps avoid the low blood sugar small-breed puppies can experience.
• Full-grown dogs: two or three meals a day.

Follow the label recommendations on the food you choose, and count any training treats toward the daily calorie goal. Too many treats on top of regular meals add up, so watch how much your dog eats and reduce portions if your pup gains weight. A puzzle feeder suits these intelligent dogs and gives them a problem to solve.

Healthy Wire Fox Terriers on a balanced commercial diet that meets recognized nutritional standards typically do not need supplements. Talk to your vet before adding any, and if you worry your dog is gaining too much weight or not eating enough.

The wiry double coat sheds minimally and stays relatively low-maintenance, but every Wire Fox Terrier needs regular brushing to distribute skin oils, keep the long guard hairs from snagging, and avoid matting. Most coat care can happen at home.

Grooming effort depends on your plans for the dog. The classic show appearance calls for hand-stripping a few times a year, a process that removes the hair by the root; you can learn to do it or pay a groomer. Pets can be clippered into a trim close to a show trim with much less effort.

Bathe your dog with dog shampoo about once a month, or as needed, to keep the skin free of dirt and debris. Trim nails monthly. Check ears weekly, removing excess wax and debris to head off infections, and ask your vet how often to clean them. Call your vet if you notice changes in your dog's eyes or vision.

Like most terriers, the Wire Fox needs a good bit of exercise and has plenty of energy. Long walks, chasing a tennis ball in the backyard, or play in a large, securely fenced area all keep it fit in mind and body. These dogs are up for almost anything.

They also enjoy dog sports such as agility, flyball, tracking, and earthdog trials, which give the mental workout this intelligent, problem-solving breed wants. Keeping mind and body sharp with trick-training and agility heads off the behavior problems that come from boredom and inactivity.

Wire Fox Terriers need access to a secure exercise area for running and exploration. Never let one run off lead in an unenclosed area: a high prey drive means that if it catches sight of a small animal, it is likely to forget its training and chase rabbits, birds, cats, or other dogs. Supervise off-leash time in a well-secured area, since these dogs know how to dig burrows and escape.

Training a Wire Fox Terrier takes consistency, patience, and a sense of humor. These spunky, happy-go-lucky dogs are very smart and learn fast, but they are also somewhat independent and can be stubborn or willful. Experts recommend firm, consistent, gentle training from an early age.

They respond well to positive, reward-based methods and will shut down if treated harshly. Because they bore easily, keep sessions fun and varied and avoid repetitive tasks. Performance events that call for agility, speed, and intelligence, such as earthdog trials, suit them well.

Wire Fox Terriers usually make great family dogs, though they may prefer older children who understand and respect a dog's boundaries. Given the high prey drive, watch them closely around young children and small pets, and introduce them to other dogs, smaller pets, and kids slowly and properly.