Terrier breeds have been documented in England as far back as the 1500s. One of those breeds was the Smooth Fox Terrier, developed to rout foxes from their dens during the hunt.

The Smooth Fox Terrier had always been widely divergent in size, with some dogs weighing about 20 pounds while others were as small as 7 pounds. These runts were often more prized than the larger dogs as they seemed to be feistier and more willing to jump into the fray whether it be ratting, hunting other game or defending the homestead.

The United Kennel Club began to register Smooth Fox Terriers in 1912. The smaller dogs were registered along with the larger ones as Smooth Fox Terriers. In the mid- 1920s, fanciers of the smaller dogs petitioned the UKC to make the smaller dogs a separate breed, which was finally accomplished in 1936. The breed was registered as the Toy Fox Terrier. The TFT was granted American Kennel Club recognition in 2003.

For many years there was a debate among breeders regarding size, some wanted a larger dog; others wanted the dog to remain a toy. Some fanciers introduced Toy Manchester and Chihuahua blood into the breed to help fix the size.

This move upset other breeders who did not want the contamination of other breeds in the gene pool. The UKC agreed that the dog should remain a toy and that other breeds should not be introduced into the gene pool. The Toy Fox Terrier stud book was closed by the UKC on August 31, 1960 so no more crossing of breeds could be done.

« Health | Next: Breed highlights »