Fun Smooth Fox Terrier Facts For Kids

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Oct 20, 2022 By Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Originally Published on Aug 06, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Gowri Rao
Smooth Fox Terrier facts about the smooth-coated dog breed
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 9.3 Min

Originally a hunting dog, the smooth fox terrier is a medium-sized dog that’s best described as a creature full of life.

The smooth fox terrier is a delightful companion that can also double down as a guard when its family is threatened. The smooth fox terrier is relatively low maintenance and makes for a fine family companion, even one with kids.

Being really intuitive and intelligent, smooth fox terriers are well suited for small spaces as well as large spaces, as long as it has opportunities to be active and manage its high energy level.

Some people used to believe that the smooth fox terrier and the wire fox terrier dogs belonged to the same breed.

But now an increasing number of experts believe that smooth fox terriers and wire fox terriers belong to different breeds and are not related at all. Keep reading to find out whether the Smooth Fox Terrier is the right fit for your family and home with these amazing smooth fox terrier dog facts.

Afterward, do check our other articles on cairn terrier facts and bull terrier facts as well.

Smooth Fox Terrier Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a smooth fox terrier?

The smooth fox terrier is a dog breed that belongs to the biological family of Canidae and has been accorded the same name as its larger species Canis lupus familiaris. These are extremely smart and intelligent dogs that have loads of energy and can do extremely well as family pets with proper training.

What class of animal does a smooth fox terrier belong to?

The smooth fox terrier belongs to the class of mammals on account of the fact that it has a vertebrate column, hair on its bodies, and gives birth to its young one, and feeds them milk for nutrition.

How many smooth fox terriers are there in the world?

Since the smooth fox terrier is a breed dog that was specifically created for hunting and bolting foxes, their population is largely determined by the demand that exists for the breed in the dog buying and adopting market. There is no real-time data that can accurately quantify the smooth fox terrier’s population all over the world.

Where does a smooth fox terrier live?

The smooth fox terrier is best suited to live in a house or a farm since it is a domesticated breed of dog.

What is a smooth fox terrier's habitat?

The smooth fox terrier’s habitat is basically housing and farms where it has enough space to be active or it has an owner that is active and takes care of the dog’s physical exertion requirements.

The smooth fox terrier would thrive just as much in an urban or suburban environment as it would on a farm that has vast open spaces and prey to hunt.

Who do smooth fox terriers live with?

Smooth fox terriers typically live with human beings that either buy or adopt them. Smooth fox terrier grooming and training are extremely important requirements for their health.

How long does a smooth fox terrier live?

A smooth fox terrier has an average life expectancy of 10-14 years of age, which is slightly more than many dog breeds in the world. The smooth fox terrier's life span can be increased through proper training, grooming, exercise, and medical care routine.

How do they reproduce?

The smooth fox terrier follows the same pattern and behavior for reproduction that all dogs do.

Typically, in order to show an interest in a female for the purposes of reproduction, the male will approach the female’s private parts and smell them.

If at all the female wishes to proceed, she will cooperate and move her tail to one side as a concrete communication of her mutual desire to reproduce.

If, however, the female does not wish to reproduce with that male, she will either deny any further opportunity to the male by either sitting down or becoming aggressive toward the male.

If the female is fertilized after intercourse with the male, she will be pregnant for about two months, following which she will give birth to 4-6 smooth fox terrier puppies.

What is their conservation status?

The smooth fox terrier is a dog breed that was created for domestication and hunting purposes by humans. Since their population does not predominantly survive in the wild as a natural species, the smooth fox terrier is not listed by any organizations according to its conservation status.

Smooth Fox Terrier Fun Facts

What do smooth fox terriers look like?

Starting with their size, the smooth fox terrier is a small-sized dog breed. With a generally short stature and muscular features, the smooth fox terrier makes for a fantastic hunting dog and playmate for adults as well as children.

The smooth fox terrier coat sheds only the bare minimum of fur, making this breed easy to maintain.

Their tails are usually short and straight. The smooth fox terrier breed typically comes in the colors of white, black, tan, brown, and some, bearing a slight resemblance to its ancestral beagle breed of dog, are colored in patches of black and white or brown and white.

Smooth Fox Terrier

How cute are they?

The smooth fox terrier is extremely cute due to its flopped ears and emotive eyes, coupled with its short and muscular stature. Adding to that, these dogs can be extremely playful and loving; the smooth fox terrier would score a perfect 10 on the scale of cuteness, with 10 being the cutest.

How do they communicate?

The smooth fox terrier, being an active breed of dog, usually barks energetically to communicate any emotion that it feels. Like most other dogs, the smooth fox terrier will growl to warn its family or prepare itself for any danger or threat.

It will wag its tail to show that it is happy or exciting, and like every other dog, it will lick you to show affection.

Ultimately, every dog has idiosyncrasies that every owner will have to figure out for themselves. However, all in all, the smooth fox terrier communicates by using the generic ways of communication employed by dogs.

How big is a smooth fox terrier?

The smooth fox terrier is a small-sized dog that usually grows to an average of 12-16 in (30-40 cm) of height, whereas female smooth fox terriers are generally slightly smaller than male smooth fox terriers at around 11-15 in (28-38 cm) height.

This means that the smooth fox terrier would be about knee height for a human being of average height.

How fast can a smooth fox terrier run?

A smooth fox terrier was specifically bred to bolt foxes from holes in the ground when owners went hunting. Owing to its short stature and muscular physique, the smooth fox terrier is an incredibly quick and fast-paced dog that also secures the capability of being extremely agile.

However, nobody has ever published or documented the speed with which the smooth fox terrier can run. However, it would suffice to say that this breed of dog is fairly a fast runner and has a large reserve of stamina.

How much does a smooth fox terrier weigh?

A smooth fox terrier, at adulthood, generally weighs about 15-19 lb (6.8-8.6 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

No specific names are allocated to the males and females of this breed of dog, respectively. Like other breeds of dogs, males are referred to as dogs, whereas their female counterparts are referred to as bitch.

What would you call a baby smooth fox terrier?

No specific name is allocated to a baby smooth fox terrier. Therefore, it is usually referred to as a smooth fox terrier puppy.

Are they hypoallergenic?

The smooth fox terrier's hypoallergenic status has been awarded to this dog breed as these animals shed minimal fur during seasonal changes. Hence, the level of care required for their predominantly white coat is not too much.

What do they eat?

Smooth terrier foxes typically eat food that is served to them in households, such as commercial dog food, chicken, mutton, bones, fish meat, rice, and so on. However, smooth foxes have also been known to hunt rats, mice, and some small animals.

Are they slobbery?

No, the smooth fox terrier not a slobbery dog.

Would they make a good pet?

Smooth fox terriers require physical activity.

Being a breed of dog that has massive reserves of energy, the smooth fox terrier  requires a minimum of moderate to intense physical activity in the day. In the event that the dog does not get this kind of activity, it will get irritable, make noise and sometimes become depressed.

However, if you can ensure that level of physical activity for the required amount of time, the smooth fox terrier would make for a fantastic pet.

Add to that the fact that the smooth fox terrier  is extremely intuitive and a faithful breed of dog that can double down as a great protective guard dog, and that these dogs don't shed much or require high maintenance in terms of food and, generally, healthcare. This makes the smooth fox terrier a fantastic pet.

The smooth fox terrier  temperament is also extremely friendly, making this an ideal breed for families with kids.

Did you know...

The smooth fox terrier was bred as early as the late 17th century.

This breed of dog was a royal breed that usually ended up being the royal family’s hunting companion in England.

The smooth fox terrier was created by breeding beagles with other breeds that fall under the bracket of terriers.

Characteristics and health issues

The most characteristic health issue that arises for smooth fox terriers is the slippage of its knee cap. This condition is considered and referred to as Patellar luxation.

Another common health issue experienced by this breed of dog is heart disease, wherein the heart becomes weaker with age, and the last common issue is that of kidney stones.

These health issues are typical of the complete bracket of terrier breeds all over the world. Hence, proper training, grooming, and exercise are dearly required to manage the temperament and health of these energetic dogs.

Getting your own smooth fox terrier

There are predominantly two ways you can get a smooth fox terrier  to be your pet.

Obviously, you can buy this breed for hefty prices that go north of $1100, or you can always adopt a smooth fox terrier  from a rescue or a shelter where these energetic dogs have been abandoned; you can give them a home, the care, and the love that this active dog breed deserves.

If you decide to purchase the smooth fox terrier from a pet shop, then you must note that the price of a smooth fox terrier mix dog is different as compared to a purebred smooth fox terrier.

History of the smooth fox terrier

Now, the provenance of the smooth fox terrier is fairly unsubstantiated by reports and the likes.

However, there is plenty of evidence to establish that the smooth fox terrier  was first bred in England in the 19th century.

This breed was predominantly a hunting companion that would bolt foxes out of their holes and make it easier for the accompanying royal family to get a good shot. Because of this profession that was attributed to the smooth fox terrier, this dog was preferred in fur coats of white to increase its visibility to its owners.

In roughly 1885, the dog breed came to be recognized by the American Kennel Club, and it was established by then that the dog breed was a result of genes from the beagle and another terrier breed.

Today, it retains its playful and protective nature and has proved to be a loving companion as well!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these American pit bull terrier facts, or border terrier facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our smooth fox terrier coloring pages.

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Written by Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason

Bachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason picture

Adekunle Olanrewaju JasonBachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

With over 3+ years of professional experience, Olanrewaju is a certified SEO Specialist and Content Writer. He holds a BSc in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Throughout his dynamic career, Olanrewaju has successfully taken on various roles with startups and established organizations. He has served as a Technical Writer, Blogger, SEO Specialist, Social Media Manager, and Digital Marketing Manager. Known for his hardworking nature and insightful approach, Olanrewaju is dedicated to continuous learning and improvement.
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Fact-checked by Gowri Rao

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Economics

Gowri Rao picture

Gowri RaoBachelor of Arts specializing in Economics

With a bachelor's degree in Economics from Krea University, Gowri is a highly skilled data analyst and an expert in regression and causation modeling. Her interests in economic trends, finance, and investment research complement her professional expertise. In addition to her professional pursuits, Gowri enjoys swimming, running, and playing the drums, and she is also a talented tutor.

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