Plate 202 · The Americas
Toy Fox Terrier
玩具猎狐㹴
“The fox terrier, pocket-sized.”
- Origin
- United States
- Country of origin
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Early 20th century; UKC 1936
- Today
- Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
United States
A tiny, mostly white American terrier bred down from the Smooth Fox Terrier.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Barnyard ratter, and later a circus trick dog.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Breeders crossed small Smooth Fox Terriers with toy breeds such as the Chihuahua, Italian Greyhound and Toy Manchester Terrier. The UKC recognized it as a separate breed in 1936; the AKC in 2003.
04 · Today
Companion
A lively companion and agility dog.
Personality
- Alert
- Intelligent
- Friendly
- Energetic
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Quick and athletic: walks and play, or laps of the living room.
- Grooming
- Minimal: a hound glove now and then.
- Training
- Very trainable; start house-training and nail care early.
Living with one
- Size
- Toy
- Lifespan
- 13–15 years
- Coat
- Short, fine, mainly white coat
Field note
Some breeders are reported to trace their lines to Foiler, said to be the first Fox Terrier registered by the Kennel Club in Britain.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Toy Group
- Also recognized by
- United Kennel Club
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Toy Group, recognized 2003.
AKC registrations: ranked 106 among breeds in 2025.
Sources2 references
- Toy Fox Terrier — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/toy-fox-terrier/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Toy Fox Terrier — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Fox_Terrier
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Descent from the Smooth Fox Terrier, crosses with toy breeds, Foiler, UKC (1936) and AKC (2003) recognition.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions.
