Wire Fox Terrier breed guide

Wires are delightful pets for families wanting an upbeat, friendly companion with loads of personality. AKC says they have the usual terrier independence and prey drive.

Spunky and happy-go-lucky, they are very smart but somewhat independent and bore easily, so training needs consistency, patience, a great sense of humor and fun, interesting sessions with positive methods.

Wire Fox Terriers live 12 to 15 years. Breeders screen for eye disorders such as cataracts, primary lens luxation and glaucoma, for luxating patellas, for elbow and hip dysplasia and for a neurological condition known as wobbler's gait.

Grooming a Wire Fox Terrier takes very different time and effort depending on what you plan to do with the dog: for dog shows you must learn to hand-strip the coat or pay someone to do it regularly, while pets may be clippered into a trim like the Smooth.

Like most terriers, the Wire needs a good bit of exercise through long walks, a tennis ball in the backyard or play in a large, securely fenced area. It should never be allowed off lead because it is likely to follow its nose.

Fox Terriers as we know them took shape in the late 1700s, during the heyday of British foxhunts, with the job of bolting the fox from its lair so hounds and horsemen could join the chase. Their coats are mostly white, with no red allowed, so they would not be mistaken for foxes during a hunt.

The Wire has always been a consistently successful show dog, with a record 13 Westminster Kennel Club Bests in Show at the time of AKC's writing.