The Wire-Haired Fox Terrier was developed in England by fox hunting enthusiasts and is believed descended from a now-extinct rough-coated, black-and-tan working terrier of Wales, Derbyshire, and Durham. The breed was also believed to have been bred to chase foxes into their burrows underground, and their short, strong, usually docked, tails were used as handles by the hunter to pull them back out. Although it is said Queen Victoria owned one, the Wire-Haired Fox Terrier was not popular as a family pet until the 1930s, when The Thin Man series of feature films was created. Asta, the canine member of the Charles family, was a Wire-Haired Fox Terrier, and the popularity of the breed soared. Milou Snowy from The Adventures of Tintin comic strip is also a wire-haired Fox Terrier. In the late 20th century, the popularity of the breed declined again, most likely due to changing living conditions in the Western world and the difficulty of keeping hunting terriers in cities due to their strong instincts. Among the less desirable traits of all fox terriers are their energy, digging, stalking and chasing of other animals, and yelping bark. This notwithstanding, the Wire Fox Terrier has the distinction of having received more Best in Show titles at major conformation shows than any other breed. citation needed Wire-Haired Fox Terriers kept as pets show the loyalty, intelligence, and breeding befitting such a storied
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General
Appearance  The Terrier should be
alert, quick of movement, keen of expression, on the tip-toe of
expectation at the slightest provocation. Character is imparted by the
expression of the eyes and by the carriage of ears and tail. Bone and
strength in a small compass are essential, but this must not be taken to
mean that a Terrier should be "cloddy," or in any way coarse--speed
and endurance being requisite as well as power. The Terrier must on no
account be leggy, nor must he be too short on the leg. He should stand
like a cleverly made, short-backed hunter, covering a lot of ground.
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| Size,
Proportion, Substance According to
present-day requirements, a full-sized, well balanced dog should not
exceed 15½ inches at the withers--the bitch being proportionately lower--nor
should the length of back from withers to root of tail exceed 12 inches,
while to maintain the relative proportions, the head-as mentioned
below-should not exceed 7¼ inches or be less than 7 inches. A dog with
these measurements should scale 18 pounds in show condition--a bitch
weighing some two pounds less--with a margin of one pound either way.
The dog should be balanced and this may be defined as the correct
proportions of a certain point or points, when considered in relation to
a certain other point or points. It is the keystone of the Terrier's
anatomy. The chief points for consideration are the relative proportions
of skull and foreface; head and back; height at withers; and length of
body from shoulder point to buttock--the ideal of proportion being
reached when the last two measurements are the same. It should be added
that, although the head measurements can be taken with absolute accuracy,
the height at withers and length of back are approximate, and are
inserted for the information of breeders and exhibitors rather than as a
hard-and-fast rule.
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| Head
The length of the head of
a full-grown well developed dog of correct size--measured with calipers--from
the back of the occipital bone to the nostrils-should be from 7 to 7¼
inches, the bitch's head being proportionately shorter. Any measurement
in excess of this usually indicates an oversized or long-backed
specimen, although occasionally--so rarely as to partake of the nature
of a freak--a Terrier of correct size may boast a head 7½ inches in
length. In a well balanced head there should be little apparent
difference in length between skull and foreface. If, however, the
foreface is noticeably shorter, it amounts to a fault, the head looking
weak and "unfinished." On the other hand, when the eyes are
set too high up in the skull and too near the ears, it also amounts to a
fault, the head being said to have a "foreign appearance."
Keen of expression. Eyes should be dark in color,
moderately small, rather deep-set, not prominent, and full of fire, life,
and intelligence; as nearly as possible circular in shape, and not too
far apart. Anything approaching a yellow eye is most objectionable. Ears
should be small and V-shaped and of moderate thickness, the flaps neatly
folded over and dropping forward close to the cheeks. The topline of the
folded ear should be well above the level of the skull. A pendulous ear,
hanging dead by the side of the head like a Hound's, is uncharacteristic
of the Terrier, while an ear which is semierect is still more
undesirable. Disqualifications--Ears prick, tulip or rose. The
topline of the skull should be almost flat, sloping slightly
and gradually decreasing in width toward the eyes, and should not exceed
3½ inches in diameter at the widest part--measuring with the calipers--in
the full-grown dog of correct size, the bitch's skull being
proportionately narrower. If this measurement is exceeded, the skull is
termed "coarse," while a full-grown dog with a much narrower
skull is termed "bitchy" in head. cAlthough the foreface
should gradually taper from eye to muzzle and should dip slightly at its
juncture with the forehead, it should not "dish" or fall away
quickly below the eyes, where it should be full and well made up, but
relieved from "wedginess" by a little delicate chiseling.
While well developed jaw bones, armed with a set of strong, white
teeth, impart that appearance of strength to the foreface which is so
desirable, an excessive bony or muscular development of the jaws is both
unnecessary and unsightly, as it is partly responsible for the full and
rounded contour of the cheeks to which the term "cheeky" is
applied. Nose should be black. Disqualifications--Nose
white, cherry or spotted to a considerable extent with either of these
colors. Mouth--Both upper and lower jaws should be strong and
muscular, the teeth as nearly as possible level and capable of
closing together like a vise the lower canines locking in front of the
upper and the points of the upper incisors slightly overlapping the
lower. Disqualifications--Much undershot, or much overshot.
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| Neck,
Topline, Body Neck
should be clean, muscular, of fair length, free from throatiness and
presenting a graceful curve when viewed from the side. The back
should be short and level with no appearance of slackness--the loins
muscular and very slightly arched. The term "slackness" is
applied both to the portion of the back immediately behind the withers
when it shows any tendency to dip, and also the flanks when there is too
much space between the back ribs and hipbone. When there is little space
between the ribs and hips, the dog is said to be "short in
couplings," "short-coupled," or "well ribbed up."
A Terrier can scarcely be too short in back, provided he has sufficient
length of neck and liberty of movement. The bitch may be slightly longer
in couplings than the dog. Chest deep and not broad, a too narrow
chest being almost as undesirable as a very broad one. Excessive depth
of chest and brisket is an impediment to a Terrier when going to ground.
The brisket should be deep, the front ribs moderately arched,
and the back ribs deep and well sprung. Tail should be set on
rather high and carried gaily but not curled. It should be of good
strength and substance and of fair length-a three-quarters dock is about
right--since it affords the only safe grip when handling working
Terriers. A very short tail is suitable neither for work nor show.
Forequarters Shoulders when viewed from the front should
slope steeply downwards from their juncture, with the neck towards the
points, which should be fine. When viewed from the side they should be
long, well laid back, and should slope obliquely backwards from points
to withers, which should always be clean-cut. A shoulder well laid back
gives the long forehand which, in combination with a short back, is so
desirable in Terrier or Hunter. The elbows should hang perpendicular to
the body, working free of the sides, carried straight through in
traveling. Viewed from any direction the legs should be straight, the
bone of the forelegs strong right down to the feet. Feet should
be round, compact, and not large--the pads tough and well cushioned, and
the toes moderately arched and turned neither in nor out. A Terrier with
good-shaped forelegs and feet will wear his nails down short by contact
with the road surface, the weight of the body being evenly distributed
between the toe pads and the heels.
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| Hindquarter
Should be strong and muscular,
quite free from droop or crouch; the thighs long and powerful; the
stifles well curved and turned neither in nor out; the hock joints well
bent and near the ground; the hocks perfectly upright and parallel with
each other when viewed from behind. The worst possible form of
hindquarters consists of a short second thigh and a straight stifle, a
combination which causes the hind legs to act as props rather than
instruments of propulsion. The hind legs should be carried straight
through in traveling. Feet as in front. Coat The best coats appear
to be broken, the hairs having a tendency to twist, and are of dense,
wiry texture--like coconut matting--the hairs growing so closely and
strongly together that, when parted with the fingers, the skin cannot be
seen. At the base of these stiff hairs is a shorter growth of finer and
softer hair--termed the undercoat. The coat on the sides is never quite
so hard as that on the back and quarters. Some of the hardest coats are
"crinkly" or slightly waved, but a curly coat is very
objectionable. The hair on the upper and lower jaws should be crisp and
only sufficiently long to impart an appearance of strength to the
foreface. The hair on the forelegs should also be dense and crisp. The
coat should average in length from ¾ to one inch on shoulders and neck,
lengthening to 1½ inches on withers, back, ribs, and quarters. These
measurements are given rather as a guide to exhibitors than as an
infallible rule, since the length of coat depends on the climate,
seasons, and individual animal. The judge must form his own opinion as
to what constitutes a "sufficient" coat on the day.
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| Color
White should predominate;
brindle, red, liver or slaty blue are objectionable. Otherwise, color is
of little or no importance. Gait The movement or action is the crucial test of conformation. The Terrier's legs should be carried straight forward while traveling, the forelegs hanging perpendicular and swinging parallel to the sides, like the pendulum of a clock. The principal propulsive power is furnished by the hind legs, perfection of action being found in the Terrier possessing long thighs and muscular second thighs well bent at the stifles, which admit of a strong forward thrust or "snatch" of the hocks. When approaching, the forelegs should form a continuation of the straight of the front, the feet being the same distance apart as the elbows. When stationary it is often difficult to determine whether a dog is slightly out at shoulder but, directly he moves, the defect--if it exists--becomes more apparent, the forefeet having a tendency to cross, "weave," or "dish." When, on the contrary, the dog is tied at the shoulder, the tendency of the feet is to move wider apart, with a sort of paddling action. When the hocks are turned in-cow-hocks-the stifles and feet are turned outwards, resulting in a serious loss of propulsive power. When the hocks are turned outwards the tendency of the hind feet is to cross, resulting in an ungainly waddle. Temperament The Terrier should be alert, quick of movement, keen of expression, on the tip-toe of expectation at the slightest provocation. Disqualifications Ears prick, tulip or rose. Nose white, cherry or spotted to a considerable extent with either of these colors. Mouth much undershot, or much overshot.
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Faults Note* Male animals should have and must have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
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