When does a comparison to a hound appear in the breed standard of a terrier?
When it is the AKC standard of the Smooth Fox Terrier.
This distinction makes the Smooth Fox Terrier standard unique among all AKC breed standards, and to the best of our knowledge, no other standard models itself after a different type of dog (think apples and oranges).
In fact, reference to the Foxhound as a positive attribute appears twice: once under the General Description (“The dog must present a generally gay, lively and active appearance; bone and strength in a small compass are essentials; but this must not be taken to mean that a Fox Terrier should be cloddy, or in any way coarse—speed and endurance must be looked to as well as power, and the symmetry of the Foxhound taken as a model”), and again under Hindquarters (“…hocks well bent and near the ground should be perfectly upright and parallel each with the other when viewed from behind, the dog standing well up on them like a Foxhound”).
A little history: According to Joe Purkhiser, who in 1993 chaired an American Fox Terrier committee that rewrote the Illustrated and Amplified Breed Standards for Smooth and Wire Fox Terriers, the breed’s initial standard was written with the founding of the American Fox Terrier Club in 1885. The club adopted the original standard, which was modeled after the 1876 English Fox Terrier Club standard. As far as we know, and curiously, the Foxhound reference didn’t appear in it.
Shortly after 1885, the standard was amended to include measurements in addition to weight (bearing in mind that this standard still regarded the Smooth and Wirehaired as varieties of the same breed; the AKC did not approve separate standards until 1985. Today, there are two Fox Terrier breeds under one parent club).
Unfortunately, the earliest breed standards for most breeds are not fully digitized, so early references may not appear in modern online archives. However, we do have the breed standard published by the AKC in 1929—and by then, Foxhound references had appeared. That this language did not appear until a bit after the first quarter of the 20th century raises the question: Why mention a Foxhound?
We can offer a guess—and if a Fox Terrier historian has more insight, we welcome it!
The Smooth Fox Terrier is a terrier, and the Foxhound is a hound, but both breeds were historically developed for fox hunting, albeit with different roles. Despite their different functions, both breeds required physical attributes that supported stamina, speed, agility, and endurance. Much of what dog people know about canine structure originated in the equine world and was applied to dogs that hunted alongside humans. Our inference is that reference to a Foxhound in the Fox Terrier’s standard is not suggesting that a Fox Terrier should actually resemble a Foxhound, but rather that the Foxhound’s balance and symmetry are to be emulated: proportional balance of body parts, efficient movement, strength without coarseness, and speed with endurance. Indeed, in an article written by Bill Potter for ShowSight Magazine, one might think of a short-backed Hunter Jumper horse.
Early Smooths often worked alongside Foxhounds and needed similar physical attributes to keep up during hunts. It stands to reason, then, that the terrier might be modeled on the hound in terms of balance and athleticism, with exceptions for the terrier’s need to go to ground.
As we see it, the inclusion of the Foxhound as a model in the Smooth Fox Terrier’s standard illustrates a nuanced understanding of function and form. Both breeds are distinct, of course, but the reference underscores working qualities, and touch upon the shared history of these classic fox-hunting companions. As to why earlier standards didn’t include reference to a Foxhound, we haven’t a clue.
Image: A 1915 cover from Jugend magazine, a pioneering German Art Nouveau publication, is in the public domain