Short-haired Fox Terrier

Originally from the UK, the Smooth Fox Terrier originated in the 18th century and is one of the traditional British Terrier breeds - the Fox Terrier.

It is alert and agile, with an eager expression and a desire for challenges. It is intelligent, outgoing, but also jealous. It loves to play games, especially with children, and is often used as a companion dog, forming strong bonds with family members.

With a refined body shape and a balanced stance, it is elegant and cheerful, always seemingly ready for the next action.

Short-haired Fox Terrier is an ancient British breed, and its specific origins have not been determined until now. In 1790, there was a painting of a short-haired white Fox Terrier named "Pitch", which provided some evidence for its origins.

It is said that the short-haired Fox Terrier was discovered in relation to historical records of the wire-haired type of terrier 20 years after its appearance. Some experts believe that the breed was obtained by crossing with ancient hunting dogs, short-haired Fox Terriers, and beagles.

The breed standard for the short-haired Fox Terrier was established in 1876. The breed was primarily used for hunting small animals and chasing them into their burrows. They are agile, brave, and capable of fighting and capturing foxes.

The breed is divided into two varieties - short-haired Fox Terrier and wire-haired Fox Terrier. It is believed that the ancestors of wire-haired Fox Terriers are rough-haired, black and tan working terriers from the Debene and Dallam regions of Wales. The main ancestors of the short-haired Fox Terrier are confirmed to be short-haired black and tan terriers, bull terriers, greyhounds, and small hare-hunting dogs.

In 1984, the American Kennel Club (AKC) passed standards to differentiate between the short-haired and wire-haired Fox Terriers, which were implemented on January 1, 1985.

Smooth Fox Terriers are intelligent and agile, with a beautiful appearance and a dignified temperament. They are small in size and love to play games, especially with children, so they are often kept as companion dogs at home.

Because they love to bark, they are also used as yard guard dogs to guard the owner's residence.

1. Heart disease

Dogs are more likely to develop heart disease due to obesity and old age. When dogs have heart disease, they may show symptoms such as easy fatigue and difficulty breathing. Heart disease in dogs is difficult to detect, and often the owners only realize it when the dog is seriously ill.

2. Infectious diseases

Canine distemper and canine parvovirus are common and highly fatal infectious diseases in dogs. Dogs that have not been vaccinated in a timely manner are more likely to contract these two infectious diseases. Once infected, dogs may show symptoms such as listlessness, decreased appetite, high body temperature, and vomiting and diarrhea.

3. Kidney disease

When it comes to common diseases and symptoms in dogs, kidney disease must be mentioned. The terrifying thing about kidney disease in dogs is that it often develops unnoticed, and by the time the owner realizes it, the dog's renal cells are already damaged by more than 75%. When dogs have kidney problems, the symptoms generally include blood in the urine, abnormal urine color, and changes in urination habits.

4. Parasites

Roundworms, hookworms, and other intestinal parasites, as well as heartworms, are common parasites in dogs. When dogs are infected with gastrointestinal parasites, the main symptoms include emaciation, lethargy, diarrhea, presence of worms in feces, and pale gums and mucous membranes. Heartworms are parasites that reside in the dog's heart, and dogs infected with heartworms may show symptoms such as decreased vitality, coughing, anemia, dyspnea, and abdominal effusion.

5. Canine pneumonia

Pneumonia is also a common disease in dogs, but it is often a complication of other diseases. It is more likely to occur in dogs with abnormalities in the upper respiratory tract, bacterial infections, canine distemper infections, viral influenza, impaired lung function, and heartworm infections. Coughing, nasal discharge, and increased body temperature are the main symptoms of canine pneumonia.

Grooming can remove the old hair shed by dogs, as well as dirt, dust, dandruff, and other dirt remaining on the skin. It also helps to stimulate the dog's skin, promote blood circulation, eliminate fatigue, improve the luster of the coat, and prevent the breeding of parasites and skin diseases. The general order is to comb with a wide-tooth comb from the neck-shoulder-back-chest-waist-abdomen-hindquarters-head-limbs-tail, combed in sequence.

Grooming for terriers includes hand stripping and trimming, trimming the parts that do not need to retain long hair appropriately, and the hair in other parts is relatively longer, achieving the desired external standards. Hand stripping means pinching the top of the hair with the thumb and forefinger and pulling it along the direction of the hair, or using a stripping knife. However, areas that are not easy to strip, such as ears, abdomen, anus, genitalia, neck, and paws, should be trimmed with scissors. Hand stripping should be done when the hair is long, about 2.6cm-3.9cm, at which point it is easiest to strip. Of course, it is not possible to strip all at once, and it takes at least 6-9 weeks to complete thoroughly.

1, Do not bathe frequently

When bathing a dog, of course, it cannot be too frequent. The frequency of bathing a dog depends on the dog's hygiene. In hot weather, you can bathe the dog one or two more times, and in winter, you can reduce it one or two times. But in general, it should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage its fur and skin!

2, Brush the fur regularly

Dogs shed almost every day, especially in spring and autumn. Seasonal shedding is more severe. If you want the fur to grow well, regularly brushing the fur is an important step. Pet owners can use pet-specific combs to help the dog clean naturally shed fur and avoid tangling. Brushing once in the morning and evening for about five minutes is enough.

3, Sunbathe

Sunbathing is beneficial for the growth of dog fur. Besides making the fur more shiny, letting the dog sunbathe can also help kill bacteria. While sunbathing, pet owners can let the dog exercise a bit, which can help improve the dog's physical fitness and promote blood circulation to help grow healthier fur.

4, Deworming

Poor fur quality is actually closely related to parasites. Parasites will absorb a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body and compete for nutrients, so regular deworming is essential. It is recommended to do internal and external deworming together. Deworming medicine can cause a lot of harm to the dog's stomach, so it is recommended to feed probiotics to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.

5, Pay attention to diet

In order for the dog to have a shiny coat, it must have a good nutritional foundation and pay attention to daily diet. On the one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food. Choose a dog food that is suitable for the dog and has sufficient nutrition to meet the dog's needs. On the other hand, you can give the dog a proper amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolks, and vegetable oil, etc.