MORE ABOUT WIRES
About
The Wire Fox Terrier is an active, intelligent, funny, independent and sometimes stubborn little dog. It requires a good amount of exercise and lots of mental stimulation to keep him busy and satisfied.
Training a Wire can be a challenge as they are easily bored and need to put their intelligence to good use. Their recall is often inconsistent and a fenced area or a leash or check cord are a must.
Wires, as most terriers, do not respond well to coercive training methods. Positive reinforcement, clear and constant rules as well as patience are the foundations for success.
Wire Fox Terriers thrive on activities that imply using their intelligence to solve problems. Barn hunt and earthdog trials are perfectly suited to their natural instincts to dig, go to ground and find hidden critters.
Obedience and agility can be fun, providing the handler has a sense of humor, since the true Wire will sometimes find it exquisitely funny to do the exact opposite of what is asked.
Wires are fantastic at tricks and love to perform for an audience. Sometimes, they might even improvise - isn't that what is so awesome about the breed ?
We can recommend good reads on terrier training and will gladly help if you have questions or need assistance.
HISTORY
The Wire Fox Terrier was developed in Britain in the late 1700s. His purpose was to bolt the fox from its den, so hounds and horsemen could pursue it on open terrain. To properly do his job, the Wire had to be quick and alert and react at the slightest provocation. These characteristics are still part of the breed standard.
The Wire's appearance has changed drastically over the years to give us the dog we now see in the show ring. The history of these changes is a fascinating one, that we invite you to read about on the Wire Fox Terrier Association of Great Britain's website:
STANDARD
The Wire Fox Terrier is an alert, quick of movement dog. He is said to always be on the tip-toe of expectation at the slightest provocation. His character is imparted by the expression of his eyes and by the carriage of his ears and tail.
A well balanced WFT is a square looking dog that should not exceed 15 inches at the withers and scale around 18 pounds.
The WFT has what is called a broken coat that is dense and wiry in texture.
The coat should be predominantly white, with black and tan markings.
The full standard (CKC) is available by clicking here and with plenty of details as well as illustrations on the WFTA's website, here.
