The first Toy Fox Terriers (or TFTs as they are often called) originated from the Smooth Fox Terrier and were usually the "runts" of the litter. They became popular but difficult to obtain (not all runts remained as small as some would have liked). Some breeders admit that Chihuahua and Toy Manchester were introduced to some lines in order to get the "toy" size. Due to concerns about crossbreeding, the UKC closed the stud book on the Toy Fox Terrier breed in 1960 and no more crosses were done. The "true" Toy Fox Terrier is claimed to be directly descended from the runts of the Smooth Fox Terrier litters and some believe that most of todays Toy Fox Terriers are free of Chihuahua and Toy Manchester bloodlines.
On February 24, 1936, the UKC (United Kennel Club) granted the Toy Fox Terrier official recognition. They were accepted into the Miscellaneous class by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in April 2001. In January 2003 the AKC allowed the Toy Fox Terrier to be elligible to compete for Championship points. January 5, 2003, CH Merrylegs' The Mischief Maker "Mindy," owned by Susan McCoy became the first Toy Fox Terrier AKC champion. Since then, the Toy Fox Terrier has gone on to compete and do well in Agility and Obedience events.
The Toy Fox Terrier is a toy dog with terrier attitude! This attitude is an important part of the standard. TFTs are quick to learn, but can be stubborn. They are small enough for apartment life, but do best when they have somewhere to run and play. However, in colder climates, it is best to keep them indoors as they are not tollerant of extremely cold temperatures.
The Toy Fox Terrier is not for everyone. Keep in mind that this breed can live for up to 15 years. So owning a TFT is a lifetime commitment. Toy Fox Terriers do well with children, but toddlers and other young children need to be supervised when playing with them as the Toy Fox Terrier is a small breed (especially as a puppy) and may be harmed by rough play.
Our Toy Fox Terriers
Our laundry room is now the gated "dog community" where each dog has their own Pup Pocket for sleeping and anytime access to our fenced back yard by use of the doggy door.
Our dogs play in harmony with our children and love to go for walks around the neighborhood. They like playing with toys and basking in the sunshine. They are greatly loved and we look forward to spending many happy years with them.
We recently discovered that they also love to hunt the birds that alight in the back yard. As the TFT is bred initially for hunting, it is not surprising to note that they did manage to catch and kill a poor bird. I've posted a warning to all other birds, but since birds can not read, I doubt it will be the last time I find one dead on my porch and my "dog community" awash in feathers.
For more information about the individual dogs, click on the links to their pages. If you have any questions or comments, please
contact us.