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Table of Contents
How much do they cost and where can I get one ?They will cost about as much as any pure bred dog. The initial cost is a drop in the bucket though compared to what they will cost over their lifetime so be prepared to spend some money on them (see budgeting). There are several breeder lists on the internet so I am not planning to list them on my site. You may also want to consider a rescue. Find out more about rescues at www.foxterrier.com. Back to Top
How much exercise do they need ?Lots of exercise helps with their behavior, at least ½ - ¾ hours of running or 1 – 1 ½ hours of walking per day. Try to get them interested in fetch, Frisbee, swimming or you could jog with him. Back to Top
How long can they be left alone during the day ?If they don't have access to the outside I would recommend no longer than a few hours. If you have a dog door they could be left alone for 8-9 hours but they will want some serious attention when you get home. Back to Top
Can they stay outdoors all day and night?It is probably possible depending on the temperatures but a dog door will make them happier. I think most people would at least let them in at night. Back to Top
Can they be walked off-leash?We walk ours off-leash in certain areas of parks and fields. To train them I would hide on them if they were wondering off. When they realize I am not following them they frantically start looking for me. Now they (usually) pay close attention to where I am and where I am going because they hate getting separated. It is also handy to have a unique whistle that you can use too call them back if they do get out of sight. Sometimes I use the whistle just to call them for a treat (which is a great motivator). When I get up for work at 6:00 AM on a cold winter morning and the dogs are all snuggled upstairs in bed under the down quilt I will give the quietest little whistle. Sure enough within a fraction of a second I will hear thump, thump then a mad dash into the kitchen for a treat as I get my lunch together. As much as you trust them in a park don't walk them off-leash near roads. There can be times when something unexpectedly grabs their attention and they bolt off without responding to commands. Back to Top
Do they shed ?Ours shed a fair bit but we don't find it too big of a problem. If they are brushed often that can help control it. Back to Top
How often do they need a bath?Usually after rolling on dead mice or salmon :) or every few weeks, whichever comes first. Back to Top
Are they OK for people with allergies?I am very allergic to cats and rabbits and slightly allergic to some dogs. When we thought we might want a fox terrier we found someone in the area that had one who wouldn't mind if we spent some time at their house to see if I was allergic to them. I played with the dog quite a bit and seemed fine so we went ahead with getting one. They have never bothered me although we do have a couple of friends that are slightly allergic to them. Back to Top
Are they OK with children or cats?My two really like cats. The cats don't always like being around them. They should be able to get along in the same household though. All of the Fox Terriers I met are OK with children but I am sure there would be the odd exception. Small children should be supervised when with the dog. I won't usually let children play fetch with my two because the dogs are too anxious if the kids don't throw it soon enough. I am sure you could train the dog to stay down before you throw something. Back to Top
How come my pups ear stays up and what can I do to fix it?Go to http://home.earthlink.net/~kmartin44/earclub.html, which is, where Dakota is a member. A puppies ear may begin to stand straight up and may never go down. I have heard of people taping or gluing it down but I haven’t seen it first hand. We have decided to let our dogs ears do what they will and as a result have had one dog with both ears up and Dakota with one ear up. We think it just adds to his character and a lot of people think it looks cute. Back to Top
Could a Fox Terrier live in an apartment or condo?They may be OK in an apartment if they were not left alone for very long and had lots of exercise. They are likely to bark at any noises and will probably howl for a while after you leave. They should be walked for an hour a day or run for at least a half hour a day. Housetraining may be difficult if they are left inside for more than a few hours at a time. Back to Top
How often should I brush their teeth and get professional cleanings?Every day would be great, every other day is good. You should try for at least a couple times a week though. Be sure to use dogs toothpaste. I find a small baby's tooth brush better than the dog tooth brushes. I am currently giving Leba III a try. It is a product I got from our dogs dental hygienist Karen Palylyk. If you live in the lower mainland of BC I recommend giving Karen a call or email. We bring ours to her every 6 months and we are very happy with the job she does. Back to Top
How do I housetrain my dog?Basically you want to praise good behavior and ignore the bad. When we brought our Dakota home if he wasn't moving he was peeing (we can finally laugh about it now). It didn't take us long to figure out when he had to go outside. We would take him out and stand in one area. When he did his thing we would give him lots of praise. If you do this around a hundred times they start to get the idea. Any accidents in the house have to be cleaned up very well with something like Natures Miracle to prevent that spot from being used again. Back to Top
What should I do about my dogs aggression towards other dogs?We saw a professional trainer about our Dakota's aggression towards other dogs. She told us to avoid situations where other dogs would approach him off leash. She also had me work on his basic training and commands. If I am playing with Dakota off-leash he will ignore other dogs unless they approach him. If I see another dog approaching us I will tell Dakota to sit, then I walk over to him and put his leash on (that is where the basic training comes in handy). The situations usually go fairly smoothly but I keep a small fabric muzzle with me just in case and that calms him right down. If I want him to become comfortable with another dog the easiest way I have found to do this is by walking with both dogs on leash. Back to Top
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