Fox Terrier - Modern Breeds

Modern Breeds

There are two main breeds of Fox Terrier, Smooth and Wire, both of which originate in England. In addition, there are several descendant breeds which have been developed in a variety of countries. For example, the American Toy Fox Terrier was developed from the Smooth Fox Terrier, Italian Greyhound, Manchester Terrier, Miniature Pinscher and Chihuahua breeds.

Both major types of Fox Terrier are mostly white with coloured markings and have similar facial characteristics. They are essentially the same except for differences in coats, and slight differences in colouration and markings. Markings on either type can appear black at birth on the head, but may lighten in adult life, the most common colours being tan and black. The markings are a type of piebald spotting. Although the two main breeds were originally commonly interbred, this no longer occurs in pure-bred lines.

The Fox Terrier has been more successful than any other breed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, with four Best in Show titles going to the Smooth Fox Terrier and thirteen titles going to the Wire Fox Terrier. They were both shown as one breed with two coat variations; this changed in 1985 when the American Kennel Club listed the two as separate breeds. In the UK, at Crufts, the Smooth Fox Terrier has not won any Best in Show titles, while the Wire Fox Terrier has won on three occasions.