The Miniature Fox Terrier is a small, fine, lightweight working terrier A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to weighing over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function. There are five different groups with each group having several developed as a hunting dog A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting. There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks. The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, cur type dogs, and gun dogs. Among these categories further divisions can be made based upon the dogs' skill sets and vermin Vermin is a term applied to various animal species regarded by some as pests or nuisances and especially to those associated with the carrying of disease. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included will vary from area to area and even person to person. The term itself derives from the Latin vermis, router. It is known colloquially in its native Australia For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of the roughly 250 language groups. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the immediate north and discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by the British as the “Mini Foxie”.

Contents

Description

Appearance

A balanced, smoothly-muscled dog breed Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock, the Miniature Fox Terrier has a distinctive head with erectile ears that can stand straight up or fold at the tips. Another distinguishing feature is its articulate, oval-shaped foot. The breed standard has always allowed for the dog's tail to be docked Docking is the amputation of portions of an animal's tail or ears. While docking and bobbing are more commonly used to refer to removal of the tail, the term cropping is used in reference to the ears. Tail docking occurs in one of two ways. The first involves constricting the blood supply to the tail with a rubber ligature for a few days until the or undocked. Natural bobtails are known to occur. There are only three permitted colour combinations: black and white, tan and white, and tricolour (black, white, and tan). The coat of the Mini Foxie is always short and fine. Weight is 3.5 to 5.5 kilograms and height at the withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height is 9.5 to 12.0 inches (24 cm to 30.5 cm).

12 Month old Australian Mini Fox Terrier

Miniature Fox Terriers are closely related to the Toy Fox Terrier The Toy Fox Terrier is a small terrier breed of dog, directly descended from the larger Fox Terrier but considered a separate breed, a breed that developed along similar lines in the United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language. Some Toy Fox Terrier owners can trace their dogs’ pedigrees to "Foiler", the first Fox Terrier The name Fox Terrier or Foxy refers primarily to two different breeds of dog, the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier, that were independently bred in England in the mid-19th century. The two terrier breeds are very similar, with the only major difference being the coats. The Smooth Fox Terrier has a smooth, flat, but hard and dense coat, registered by the Kennel Club A kennel club is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the breeding, showing and promotion of more than one breed of dog. All-encompassing kennel clubs are also referred to as 'all-breed clubs', although "all" means only those breeds that they have decided to recognize, and "breed" means purebred dogs, in Britain, circa 1875-6. Other related breeds include the Jack Russell Terrier The Jack Russell Terrier is a small, principally white-bodied, smooth- or rough-coated terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. The name "Jack Russell" has been used over the years to describe a wide array of small white terriers, but now after a drawn-out legal battle, the JRTCA and its affiliates have won the exclusive rights to, the Rat Terrier The Rat Terrier is an American dog breed with a rich and varied background as an all-around hunting dog. Traditionally more of a type than a breed they share much ancestry with the tough little mixed breed dogs known as "feists". Several private associations have maintained Rat Terriers registries for some decades, but more recently, and the Tenterfield Terrier.

Temperament

Bred for hunting rodents (rats, mice, rabbits principally), these dogs are known for their speed and agility. With the ruthlessness of their attack on rodent pest species and their ability to squeeze into and out of tight spaces, they have made themselves an indispensable part of many Australian farms since the 19th Century. More recently, Miniature Fox Terriers have proved well-suited to being domestic pets in more urban environments (according to the breed club A dog breed club is an association or club of fanciers of a single, specific breed of dog). Their diminutive size, short clean hair and loyal acceptance of their place in the social hierarchy make them good pets, particularly in households with small children. Unlike most other dogs their size they are sturdy enough to enjoy playing with children.

Miniature Fox Terriers generally get along well with other animals but, like most working terriers, cannot distinguish between small pets—such as reptiles Reptiles are animals in the class Reptilia characterized by breathing air, a "cold-blooded" (poikilothermic) metabolism, laying tough-shelled amniotic eggs (or retaining the same membrane system in species with live birth), and skin with scales or scutes. They are tetrapods (either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed and fancy rats The fancy rat is a domesticated brown rat , which is the most common type of pet rat. The name fancy rat derives from the idea of animal fancy or the phrase, "to fancy" (to like, or appreciate)—and vermin, and so must not be left alone with such animals. They are confident and will generally interact with dogs and other animals many times their size.

Health

Miniature Fox Terriers are generally healthy and hardy despite their size. They need little maintenance; lightweight individuals and those that do not run on hard surfaces will need regular nail clipping. Luxating patellae Luxating patella , is a condition in which the patella, or kneecap, dislocates or moves out of its normal location, a common ailment among small breeds, occurs frequently among backyard bred dogs of this breed; breed clubs A dog breed club is an association or club of fanciers of a single, specific breed of dog insist upon health screening for breeding individuals to help eradicate it.

History

The breed was most likely developed from crosses between smaller Fox Terriers and Fox Terrier types and Toy Manchester Terriers The Toy Manchester Terrier is a breed of dog, categorized as a terrier. The breed was bred down in size in North America from the Manchester Terrier, and is placed in the Toy Group by the American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club Neither the Fédération Cynologique Internationale nor the Kennel Club (UK) recognize a Toy variety of the, and, later, crosses to other toy Toy dog traditionally refers to a very small dog or a grouping of small and very small breeds of dog. A Toy dog may be of any of various dog types. Types of dogs referred to as toy dogs may include Spaniels, Pinschers and Terriers that have been bred down in size. Not all toy dogs are lapdogs, although that is an important and ancient type of toy breeds such as the English Toy Terrier and Whippet The Whippet is a breed of dog in the sighthound family. They are active and playful and are physically similar to a small greyhound. Their popularity has led to the reuse of the Whippet name on a large number of things, from cars to cookies. Hunters were seeking a smaller, speedy Fox Terrier that could be used for hunting smaller pests such as rats Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus. Many members of other rodent genera and families are also referred to as rats, and share many and rabbits Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European rabbit , cottontail rabbits (genus Sylvilagus; 13 species), and the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi, an endangered species on Amami Ōshima,. Although the origins of the breed are English, the breed was developed in and is endemic to Australia. By the late 1800s, the breed type was clearly identifiable, where these small terriers proved its worth against rabbits, rats, and snakes Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with many more joints than their lizard ancestors, on Australian farms. Mini Foxies demonstrated tenacity, endurance, and extreme loyalty to their owners; the dogs were routinely taken on the hunt, were sometimes used in search parties, and were used at Sydney Sydney is the largest and most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. With an approximate population of 4.5 million in the Sydney metropolitan area the city is the largest municipality in Oceania. Inhabitants of Sydney are called Sydneysiders,’s North Head Quarantine Station, the Riverstone Meat Works[1], and the Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has an approximate population of 2 million. A resident of Brisbane is commonly known as a "Brisbanite" City Council as vermin Vermin is a term applied to various animal species regarded by some as pests or nuisances and especially to those associated with the carrying of disease. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included will vary from area to area and even person to person. The term itself derives from the Latin vermis, exterminators.

The dog’s vigilance, size, affectionate temperament, and ease of care soon resulted in its becoming a popular choice in urban centers as well, and by the 1920s the Miniature Fox Terrier was iconic. So well known and popular was the “Little Foxie” that very little thought was given to the need to preserve its lines.

History of the breed club

By the 1980s, the interest in dog fancy, the looming spectre of proposed breed-specific legislation Breed-specific legislation is a law or ordinance passed by a legislative body pertaining to a specific breed or breeds of domesticated animals. In practice, it generally refers to laws or ordinances pertaining to a specific dog breed or breeds, and increasing concerns about the need to protect purebred dogs led a group of enthusiasts to begin meeting informally to consider the future of these little dogs. In 1986 the Miniature Fox Terrier Club of Australia was formed. The founding members, in conjunction with members of the Canine Council of New South Wales New South Wales , Australia's most populous state, is located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland, east of South Australia and encompasses the whole of the Australian Capital Territory. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Van Diemen's Land, Lord Howe, wrote a breed standard A breed standard in the dog fancy is a set of guidelines covering specific externally observable qualities such as appearance, movement, and temperament for that dog breed. Breed standards are not scientific documents, but are written for each breed by clubs of hobbyists called breed clubs for their own specific requirements. Details and for their breed and laid out a Constitution for the Club. To comply with New South Wales government regulations for becoming an incorporated organization, the Miniature Fox Terrier Club became incorporated as the Mini Foxie Club of Australia, Inc. (1992).

In 1991, fanciers in South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of 983,482 square kilometres , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories also formed a breed club. For these members, official recognition of the dog by the Australian National Kennel Council The Australian National Kennel Council is the peak body in Australia responsible for promoting breeding, showing, trialling, obedience, and other canine-related activities and the ownership of temperamentally and physically sound purebred dogs by individuals across Australia. It was formed in Sydney in 1949. The ANKC conducts Annual National Breed was the most important of their goals. At that time, challenges to the name “Miniature Fox Terrier” were being mounted, and threatened to preclude recognition by an All-Breed club A kennel club is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the breeding, showing and promotion of more than one breed of dog. All-encompassing kennel clubs are also referred to as 'all-breed clubs', although "all" means only those breeds that they have decided to recognize, and "breed" means purebred dogs,. These members joined with some owners in Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state and organized as the Tenterfield Terrier Club of Australia (1993), a name which was first used by a television personality of that era.

The ensuing breed standard for the Tenterfield Terrier differs in substance from that of the Miniature Fox Terrier, and though the two dogs are sometimes confused, they have been developing along divergent lines for over twenty years and are now different breeds. A recent directive from the ANKC placed a moratorium on the registration of any MFCA-registered Miniature Fox Terrier as a Tenterfield Terrier

The breed is not recognized by the ANKC but ANKC judges may judge them.

In 2005, the Mini Foxie was added to the list of dog breeds recognized under the NSW Companion Animals Act.

The Miniature Fox Terrier today

Although still relatively unknown outside of Australia and New Zealand, the Little Foxie is renowned in its native land. Several parliamentarians made reference to the breed during recent legislative hearings on canine issues. ‘Pasqua’ and ‘Fergus’ owned by Anthony Field of The Wiggles The Wiggles are a children's musical group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page, Jeff Fatt and Phillip Wilcher. Wilcher left the group after its first album. In 2006, Page was forced to retire from the group due to illness and was replaced by understudy Sam Moran, are Mini Foxies, and Ian Thorpe Ian James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo or Thorpey, is a former Australian freestyle swimmer. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and in 2001 he became the first person to win six gold medals in one World Championship. In total, Thorpe has won eleven World Championship golds, the second-highest number of any, the Australian swimmer, has spoken fondly of Tiny, his Miniature Fox Terrier, in several interviews. Sean Carlow, reigning Australian men's figure skating Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions. The International Skating Union (ISU) regulates champion, owns a Miniature Fox Terrier, and recent television and print features on Toby Allen for his current (as of 2006[update]) Dancing with the Stars (Australia) campaign spotlight his Mini Fox Terriers.

Today, the Miniature Fox Terrier is still very much a working terrier, and is in demand on farms across Australia. They remain popular as pets, and enjoy playing the pampered pooch. As long as their active minds are kept stimulated with games or toys and they receive at least moderate exercise, they make moderate urban and apartment dwellers.

The New Zealand Miniature Fox Terrier

The New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori language name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also Miniature Fox Terrier has been around for a long period of time. This breed is a lot different to its cousin the Miniature Fox Terrier (Mini Foxie) In Australia. The place of origin for the NZ Miniature Fox Terrier Is New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori language name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also. There currently is a Group for this canine that are actively supporting the NZ Miniature Fox Terrier. The New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori language name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also Miniature Fox Terrier is not yet Recognised by the NZKC. The NZ Miniature Fox terrier is known Nation wide with in New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori language name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also by its name (Miniature Fox Terrier).

See also

References

External links

Categories: Dog breeds Categories: Dogs | Dog breeding | Breeds | Terriers The Terrier Group is also an official dog breed grouping for most of the major kennel clubs including the AKC, ANKC, CKC, Fédération Cynologique Internationale, KC, NZKC, and UKC. Bear in mind that not all terriers are in the terrier group, and not all dogs in the terrier groups are terriers | Animal breeds originating in Australia

 

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