“Old” terrier men had such a way with words. Within the very first line of the Wire Fox Terrier standard appears the vivid phrase, “On the tip-toe of expectation.” To our way of thinking, there exists no more apt description of a breed ready to act at the slightest provocation, whether the provocateur is a sassy squirrel, a plastic bag blowing in the wind, or the vacuum cleaner. We don’t think “lively” covers it, but “attitude” might.

Descended from the old rough coated Black and Tan Terriers of Wales crossed with the Smooth Fox Terrier by early breeders, the result was a hardy, game dog small enough, to enter a fox’s den, and brave enough to mix things up with vermin. Though they came from different lines, Wire and Smooth Fox Terriers were commonly interbred in the early days of the WFT’s history, but as each variety became increasingly unique, interbreeding became less frequently practiced, and the Wire as we know the breed today evolved in the 18th century as country squires embraced fox hunting as a gentleman’s sport. Nevertheless, both were considered to be varieties of one breed for generations. The American Fox Terrier Club, founded in 1885, was the first specialty club to become a member of the American Kennel Club in 1888, and by the time the AKC approved separate standards and breed status for each coat in 1984, interbreeding between the two had been discontinued for decades.

Wire Fox Terrier by Mugur Popa is available in prints here.