Features of fox terrier trimming

Fox Terrier is an energetic and reckless hunting dog with excellent fighting qualities. Along with this, it is a compact animal with a magnificent decorative appearance. Thanks to the haircut, it acquires a noble look, which is an integral part of the standard breed image.

Foxes with smooth and coarse coats share the same genetic roots. The terrier (black and tan) became their progenitor. Both species were bred by crossing with a bull terrier, a beagle, it is also believed that with a greyhound. At first, smooth-haired individuals were dominant, but very soon their opponents with coarse hair, possessing predominant qualities, turned out to be at the peak of popularity.

The differences between the two types of fox terriers lie in several nuances.

• Wire-haired individuals have extremely hard hair, and the guard hair is thin at the base and thicker on the outside, similar in texture to a wire, indirect, up to 4 cm long. On the dog's face, the mustache, eyebrows and beard are also distinguished by hard hair. In addition, the Fox has a dense, but soft, close-fitting undercoat to the body.

• Distinctive qualities smooth-haired animals - Straight, rather stiff, short and thick hair, elongated in the tail area.

With regard to wire-haired fox terriers, only trimming is relevant, the main areas of processing are the neck, ears, cheeks, chest, back and sides.

Constant trimming of the fox terrier is an event that is relevant not only for ennobling the appearance. If the dog has a hard guard hair and at the same time a soft waterproof undercoat (and it is found not only in Foxes, but also in other breeds), the procedure is also necessary to preserve the health of the animal:

• processing allows to stimulate the growth of new wool;
• improves blood circulation;
• the coat looks great even without daily brushing, making it easy to care for.

Trimming is carried out with the help of special tools and is a neat plucking out of old, dead wool, after which new young hair grows instead. If you do not carry out such a removal, very soon the guard hair and undercoat become tangled, causing many problems:

• the appearance of tangles;
• the inability to access air to the skin, which is likely to cause irritation and dermatitis;
• accumulation of moisture under the hair, provoking the reproduction of pathogenic flora.

As a result, the dog may develop inflammatory and even infectious diseases, which are wiser to prevent than to treat.

The breed needs periodic trimming not only because hygiene is important to the animal - without a haircut, the dog can be disqualified in accordance with established standards of appearance.

How often is the procedure carried out:

• for the first time a puppy should be "cut" at 4 months or a little later, because at this time the puppy's coat is replaced by an adult one, and then - as the hair grows back;
• it is allowed to process a pet once every 6 months, but then it will look little like a dog with a pedigree - this requires trimming once every 3 months;
• completely standard fox can look with more frequent plucking - then its coat looks especially well-groomed.

It turns out that trimming can be done 2-3 times a year, but in order for the animal to look perfect, it is better to do it once every 1.5-3 months, it is during this time that the animal's hair has time to renew and grow back.

A full-fledged event is usually held in a salon, where professional groomers are engaged in this.

For the first time, you can trim the puppy with your own hands at home, but for this you have to be patient, since this process is quite protracted.

To work you will need tools:

• scissors with rounded ends so as not to injure the animal;
• frequent comb for combing out dead hair;
• a brush with stiff bristles to clean the dog;
• safety razor required to remove individual hairs at the end of the procedure;
• trimming knife, which is an ordinary, sturdy steel tool with a sharpened sharp end and small notches on one side;
• for adult pets use two trimming combs with a comfortable handle.

Preparation:

• pre-wash the dog with shampoo, in places where the wool has time to matted, take it apart by hand into locks, using a special oil or lotion;
• comb the animal with a stiff brush, removing dead hair;
• before starting trimming, disinfect the instruments.

Procedure for processing:

1. the animal turns to itself and begins to remove hair from the neck by trimming, leaving a length of 1 cm;
2. on the body, the hair length should be 1.5 cm;
3. then you need to briefly remove the hair from the thighs to the hock so that the muscles and paws look expressive;
4. on the front legs, the hair is not removed, but constantly combed upward for the external volume;
5. short trimming should be done on the forehead, cheeks and ears, hair is cut under the machine near the ears;
6. the tail at the top is processed by plucking, in the lower part - cut with blunt scissors, do not touch its tip if this part of the body itself is short;
7. from the chest and sides of the neck, it is advisable to cut the hair short in the same way as from the shoulders, which will help to emphasize their relief;
8. on the abdomen, hair is removed from the sides, and the transition from one part of the body to another should be smooth.

You can accustom your puppy to the procedure as early as 1.5-2 months.

The dog can be placed on a raised platform for 1-2 minutes, insuring against falling. When the fear of heights has passed, you can start training to brush, comb, be sure to encourage the animal. You need to comb your back first, and as you get used to it, the face and paws.

Experienced owners first of all simply trim the puppy by trimming, and only then carefully proceed to the standard processing. The main task at this stage is the complete removal of the puppy hair.

In adult wire-haired dogs, trim the chest, sides, ears, cheeks, back and neck as much as possible. It is also important to pluck the hair on the pads and between the toes. On the hind legs, the hair is left to the knees, but the muzzle should retain the specific squareness characteristic of terriers, therefore, regular trimming of attributes such as eyebrows, beard and mustache is required. Of course, there may be some small deviations based on the characteristics of the exterior of each animal.

How to trim a fox terrier at home, see below.