View source for Wire Fox Terrier

{{short description|Terrier dog breed originally from England}}
{{Infobox Dogbreed
<!-- Put article text AFTER this infobox markup. See: -->
<!-- Wikipedia:WikiProject Dog breeds/Templates for more info.-->
|name= Wire fox terrier
|image= Elias1červen2006.jpg
|altname= Wire hair fox terrier <br> Wirehaired terrier<br> Fox terrier
|nickname= Wire <br> WFT
|country= [[England]]
<!-----Kennel club standards----->
| kc_name        = [[The Kennel Club]]
| kc_std         = http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/74
| fcistd         = http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/169g03-en.pdf
}}<!-- End Infobox Dogbreed info. Article Begins Here -->
 
The '''Wire Fox Terrier''' (also known as Wire Hair Fox Terrier, Wirehaired Terrier or simply Fox Terrier)<ref>{{cite web |title=Wire Fox Terrier - Information, Characteristics, Facts, Names |url=http://www.dogbreedslist.info/all-dog-breeds/Wire-Fox-Terrier.html |website=DogBreedsList.info |access-date=13 February 2019 |language=en}}</ref> is a [[dog breed|breed]] of [[dog]], one of many [[terrier]] breeds. It is a [[fox terrier]], and although it bears a resemblance to the [[Smooth Fox Terrier]], they are believed to have been developed separately. It originates from England.

==Appearance==
[[File:Wera.JPG|thumb|left|Coat colour has a predominant white base]]
[[File:01 Wire Fox terrier.jpg|thumb|A wire fox terrier with tri-colour coat]]

The Wire Fox Terrier is a sturdy, balanced dog weighing {{convert|17|to|19|lb|kg|order=flip|abbr=on}} for males and {{convert|15|to|17|lb|kg|order=flip|abbr=on}} for females.  It should not be more than {{convert|15+1/2|in|cm|order=flip|abbr=on}} at the [[withers]].<ref name="ukc-standard">{{cite web |url=http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/Breeds/Terrier/WireFoxTerrier |title=Wire Fox Terrier |publisher=United Kennel Club |date=1999 |access-date=24 June 2016 |archive-date=26 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826050258/http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/Breeds/Terrier/WireFoxTerrier |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="akc-standard">{{cite web |url=http://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/WireFoxTerrier.pdf |title=Official Standard of the Wire Fox Terrier |publisher=American Kennel Club |date=February 9, 1991 |access-date=24 June 2016}}</ref>  Its rough, broken coat is distinctive.  Coat colour consists of a predominant white base with brown markings of the face and ears, and usually a black saddle or large splotch of colour; there may be other black or brown markings on the body.

==Temperament==
Two of the Wire Fox Terrier's most distinctive traits are its energy and intelligence. It has a low threshold for boredom and requires stimulation, exercise and attention. The Wire Fox Terrier is a companion animal that requires near-constant attention.

The dog should be alert, quick and ready to respond swiftly with enthusiasm. However, they should also be friendly, communicative, and playful if they receive the proper care and exercise. Bred to be independent thinkers, they are capable of tactical maneuvering for vermin and other sport.

Often, Wire Fox Terriers are abandoned or surrendered for reasons that may include: running away instead of coming on a command; chasing cars, bicycles, other dogs, etc.; or taunting and then attacking other animals, including a household's cats and other dogs –and they are able to do serious damage. But these are actually normal behaviors for a breed designed to hunt not only foxes, but also badgers and boars, with no more fear of cows or buses than they have of small prey. Keeping one as a pet requires firm control to redirect these prey instincts and provide the dog with enough exercise and diversion. With diligent supervision, Wire Fox Terriers can be amusing, exciting, long-lived companion animals.

==Grooming==
[[File:Wire Fox Terrier.jpg|thumb|Clipped four-year-old male wire fox terrier]]
Wire Fox Terriers kept for show are hand stripped; if the hair becomes too long, it is taken out by hand in order to preserve the colours and the glossiness of the coat.  Many kept as pets are clipped monthly by a groomer.  Clipping dulls the colours and makes the coat soft, curly and more difficult to keep clean, but it is preferred by many owners due to being a simpler (and cheaper) procedure than stripping.

==History==
The Wire Fox Terrier was [[selective breeding|developed]] in England by [[fox hunting]] enthusiasts and is believed to be descended from a now-extinct rough-coated, [[Black and Tan Terrier|black-and-tan working terrier]] of Wales, Derbyshire, and Durham. The breed was also thought to have been bred to chase foxes into their burrows; the dogs' short, strong, usually docked tails were used as handles by the hunter to pull them back out.

[[File:Fox Terrier (wire-hair) from 1915.JPG|thumb|Wire Fox Terrier {{Circa|1915}}]]

Although it is said{{by whom?|date=July 2025}} [[Queen Victoria]] owned one, and her son and heir, King Edward VII, did own a Wire Fox Terrier named Caesar, the breed was not popular as a family [[pet]] until the 1930s, when ''[[The Thin Man (film)|The Thin Man]]'' series of [[feature film]]s was created.  [[Skippy (dog)|Asta]], the canine member of the [[Nick and Nora Charles|Charles]] family, was a Wire Fox Terrier, and the popularity of the breed soared. Milou ([[Snowy (character)|Snowy]]) from ''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]'' comic strip is also a Wire Fox Terrier.

In the late 20th century, the popularity of the breed declined again, most likely due to changing living conditions in the Western world and the difficulty of keeping hunting terriers in cities due to their strong prey instincts.

As of 2019, the Wire Fox Terrier has the distinction of having received more [[List of Best in Show winners of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show|Best in Show]] titles at Westminster Kennel Club dog shows (currently 15) than any other breed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/history/biswinners.html|title=Best in Show Winners|work=The Westminster Kennel Club|access-date=2011-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225033923/http://westminsterkennelclub.org/history/biswinners.html|archive-date=2007-12-25|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Matford Vic]], a Wire Fox Terrier, is one of only five dogs to have won the [[Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show]] on more than one occasion. She won the competition twice, in 1915 and 1916. The only dog to win it on more occasions was Warren Remedy, a [[smooth fox terrier]], who won it on three occasions between 1907 and 1909.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/history/biswinners.html|title=Best in Show Winners|work=The Westminster Kennel Club|access-date=2009-12-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225033923/http://westminsterkennelclub.org/history/biswinners.html|archive-date=2007-12-25|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Health==
A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.5 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for [[Mongrel|crossbreeds]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1=McMillan | first1=Kirsten M. | last2=Bielby | first2=Jon | last3=Williams | first3=Carys L. | last4=Upjohn | first4=Melissa M. | last5=Casey | first5=Rachel A. | last6=Christley | first6=Robert M. | title=Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death | journal=Scientific Reports | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=14 | issue=1 | date=2024-02-01 | issn=2045-2322 | doi=10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w | article-number=531 | pmid=38302530 | pmc=10834484 | bibcode=2024NatSR..14..531M }}</ref>

==Noteworthy wire fox terriers==
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*Archie, owned by Gill Raddings [[Stunt Dogs]], starred in ITV's ''[[Catwalk Dogs]]''.
*[[Skippy (dog)|Asta]], from ''The Thin Man'' film series
*[[Beauty (dog)|Beauty]], awarded the [[Dickin Medal]] for conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving in military conflict.
*Bob, from the ''[[Hercule Poirot]]'' novel ''[[Dumb Witness]]'' by [[Agatha Christie]] (inspired by Christie's own Wire Fox terrier Peter).
*Bunny, from the film ''[[Hudson Hawk]]''
*Bella, who played Snoopy in the movie ''[[Moonrise Kingdom]]''
*Boer, the dog of [[Alexei Brusilov]], the author of the '[[Brusilov Offensive]]'.
*Caesar, the companion of [[King Edward VII]] of the United Kingdom
*Charles, brought to Ceylon by [[Leonard Woolf]] in 1905
*Chester, in the 1998 film ''[[Jack Frost (1998 film)|Jack Frost]]''
*Chico, dog of Albert Einstein
*Dášeňka, the dog of Czechoslovak writer and journalist [[Karel Čapek]] - also featured as the hero of his book ''Dášeňka čili život štěněte''
*Dodger Herbie Tobacco (only a mutt in the film) from the Disney animated film ''[[Oliver & Company]]'' is actually a Wire Fox Terrier.
*[[Dogmatix]] (''[[French language|French]]: Idéfix)'', companion of [[Asterix]] and [[Obelix]].
*Featherstonehaugh (pronounced 'Foon'), "a wire-haired fox terrier of irreproachable breeding" from [[Margery Allingham]]'s novel [[Police at the Funeral]].
*Guido from the film ''Pups United''
*Ike Larue, from the ''Ike Larue'' series, written and illustrated by [[Mark Teague]]
*J.D. from the film ''[[List of animated feature films of 1999|Millionaire Dogs]]'' (1999)<ref>{{cite web |title=Hot Dogs: Wau - wir sind reich! (1999) "Millionaire Dogs" |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138613/ |website=[[IMDb]] |publisher=Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg (ORB), EIV Entertainment Invest GmbH & Company KG, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) |access-date=6 February 2021 |date=29 January 1999}}</ref>
*Jani, owned by [[Vincent Korda]], mentioned by his son [[Michael Korda]] in "Alone" (2017)
*[[List of Best in Show winners of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show|Lacey]], Ch. Registry's Lonesome Dove, 1992 Best in Show winner at Westminster Dog Show
*Mickey, the companion of French composer [[Francis Poulenc]].
*Moll, from the book ''[[Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man]]''
*Montmorency, from the book ''[[Three Men in a Boat]]'' by [[Jerome K. Jerome]]
*Pan, the companion of A.L. Westgard, AAA pathfinder. Pan was the mascot of the dedication tour for the [[National Park to Park Highway]] in 1920.
*Pard, the companion of Humphrey Bogart character in the 1941 film ''[[High Sierra (film)|High Sierra]]''. Pard was played by Humphrey Bogart's own dog, Zero.  It is evident in the film that Pard loves his master.
*Polly, a white rough terrier companion to [[Charles Darwin]]
*[http://www.tvacres.com/dogs_terriers_scruffy.htm Scruffy], the Muirs' wire fox terrier on ''[[The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (TV series)|The Ghost and Mrs. Muir]]'' television series
*[[Skippy (dog)|Skippy]], canine actor in the 1930s
**Asta, from the film adaptation of ''[[The Thin Man (film)|The Thin Man]]'' (the novel's breed was a [[Schnauzer]])
**George, from ''[[Bringing Up Baby]]'' 
**Mr. Atlas, from ''[[Topper Takes a Trip]]'' 
**Mr. Smith, from ''[[The Awful Truth]]'' 
*Sky, winner of the 2012 Purina Thanksgiving Dog Show<ref>[http://www.petside.com/article/sky-wire-fox-terrier-wins-2012-national-dog-show  Petside: Sky, a Wire Fox Terrier, Named Best in Show at the 2012 National Dog Show.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121128054023/http://www.petside.com/article/sky-wire-fox-terrier-wins-2012-national-dog-show |date=2012-11-28 }} Retrieved 2012-11-23.</ref> and the 2014 [[Westminster Dog Show]].
*[[Snowy (character)|Snowy]] (''French: Milou''), companion of [[Tintin (character)|Tintin]]
*Topsy, the dog of actress Diana Napier while married to tenor Richard Tauber.
*Van Gogh, [[Paul Meltsner|Paul Meltsner's]] dog featured in his famous painting ''Paul, Marcella and Van Gogh''
*Vicki, [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s dog
*Watch, the pet and companion of [[The Boxcar Children]], is a Wire Fox Terrier.
*Wessex, the dog of British novelist (''[[Tess of the d'Urbervilles]]'') [[Thomas Hardy]]<ref>[http://foreverfoxed.blogspot.com/2008/10/famous-fox-terriers-no-1-thomas-hardys.html Forever Foxed: Famous Fox Terriers No. 1; Thomas Hardy's Dog]. Retrieved 2019-03-26.</ref>
*Willy, from the film ''[[Ask the Dust (film)|Ask the Dust]]''
*Wuffles, the [[Havelock Vetinari|Patrician]]'s dog in the ''[[Discworld]]'' Series

==See also==
* [[Portal:Dogs|Dogs portal]]
* [[List of dog breeds]]
*[[Fox Terrier]], for additional details on history, genetics, coat color, etc.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons|Fox Terrier}}
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{{Terriers}}
{{English dogs}}

[[Category:Dog breeds originating in England]]
[[Category:FCI breeds]]
[[Category:Terriers]]