Fox Terrier.

Fox Terrier. Fox Terrier, breed of dog, once used for driving a fox out of its hiding place when pursued by hounds, but now chiefly a pet. Two types of fox terrier exist: the smooth and the wirehaired. Both types originated in England in the 1700s, probably stemming from different ancestors. The two types were interbred in order to give the wirehaired type the white color and more sharply defined head of the smooth type. In recent years, however, the two types have been kept separate so that each may preserve its distinctive coat, which is smooth, flat, dense, and hard in the smooth fox terrier, and hard and wiry in the wirehaired type. Otherwise their characteristics are similar. The predominant color of the coat of each is white, with markings of black or tan. The fox terrier has a fairly long, lean head, with a flat skull, a long muzzle, small, V-shaped ears, and small, dark eyes. The chest is deep but not broad, and the back is short and straight, the loins are muscular, and the tail is carried high. The male is up to 39 cm (15.5 in) high at the shoulders and weighs about 8 kg (about 18 lb); the female is slightly smaller and weighs about 7 kg (about 16 lb). Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.