THE TOY FOX TERRIER by BARBARA (BJ) ANDREWS Excerpts from her Judges Seminar T he TFT has the vivacious- ness of the Miniature Pin- scher and the keenness of the Toy Manchester, but he Size is addressed in the AKC stan- dard. Throughout his history (one of only three breeds in early UKC confor- mation), the Toy Fox Terrier has always been weighed in or out. The AKC stan- dard keeps size down by measuring out dogs over 11 ½ inches while demanding they be at least 8 ½ inches tall.
under Bite we are told he must have a full complement of strong white teeth... not tiny, poorly-rooted “toy” teeth. The eyes are dark, including eye-rims, with the exception of chocolates. The eyes are round, not oval as in the Min Pin. They should be full… and somewhat prominent and set well apart. Eyes are never bulging. The soft intelligent expression is definitely not the hard- bitten or stern expression seen in many Terriers. Ears are confusing to some but two things will keep you on track. First, they should be right up on top of the head, high and close together, but never touching. Ears size is in proportion to the head and body. As in most breeds, no exception is made for pups of show age. The ears must be erect. The skull is moderately wide and only slightly rounded. It is softly wedge shaped and the standard fur- ther explains that when view from the front, the head widens gradually right to the base of the ears. When viewed in profile, the medium stop is not abrupt, it is somewhat sloping. The head is in equal proportion from nose to stop and from stop to occiput and should be in
is decidedly different. Here are some things that make him uniquely Toy Fox Terrier. Words or phrases in bold are direct quotes from the Standard and within context. The AKC Toy Fox Terrier Stan- dard says he has Terrier attributes but reminds us that he is “diminutive” and like all Toys, he has an “endless abid- ing love for his master.” We know Ter- riers love their family but let’s admit it, Terriers may dawdle a bit when there’s an interesting sound in the bushes or another dog to be checked out. Like the Chihuahua (one of his admitted genetic contributors) when called, the TFT will stop whatever he’s doing and race as fast as his sturdy legs can carry him, straight into the arms or lap of his owner. He’s a perfect blend of the “courage and animation” so prized in the Ter- rier, and the ever-attentive, eager to please, gentler personality of the Toy dog companion.
One thing this does is prevent breed- ers from trying to breed or show “tea cups”. This dog is square in proportion as is the dog on the above right, but you will see many that are way too long, and if judges forgive the slightly lon- ger in male dogs, we’ll see even more long-bodied TFTs. The bone must be strong and although breeders have done will with it, there is a problem known as brittle bone syndrome. Some other breeds may have brittle bones but they don’t think they are superman and are not given to leaping off tall buildings as is this fear- less little fox Terrier. Head is elegant but the muzzle is strong rather than fine. While there should be no indication of coarseness, we must remember the history is that of a working Terrier. That is also why
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