August 22, 2022 5 min read

Why the Fox Terrier Might be The Right Choice for Your Emotional Support Animal

• Three Breeds in One:

  The Fox Terrier is split into three different breeds under AKC registration. That means you have some choices when you are considering this breed.

  Do you want a small or a tiny dog? What kind of coat do you prefer? Answering these questions will help you to choose the ideal option in Fox Terriers and decide if this is the right breed for you.

• Convenient Coat:

  The standard-sized Fox Terrier comes in two different coat types which the AKC considers distinct breeds: wire and smooth. Both coat types are fairly low-maintenance, which can be a very convenient characteristic in your emotional support animal.

  You probably have enough to worry about without taking care of a difficult to maintain coat or spending a lot of time cleaning up hair after your dog has shed everywhere. The Fox Terrier is a great solution if you’ve been worrying about coat upkeep for your emotional support dog.

  1. Smooth Fox Terrier: As the name implies, the Smooth Fox Terrier has a very sleek, dense coat. The hairs are rather hard and do not shed readily. To maintain your Smooth Fox Terrier coat, just brush them weekly with a thick brush or a hound glove and give them a bath every month or so. That is, of course, unless your dog manages to get into some kind of mischief and a bath is needed.
  2. Wire Fox Terrier: The Wire Fox Terrier requires, if possible. even less maintenance than the Smooth Fox Terrier. Dogs that will be shown need their coat to be hand stripped, which requires some skill or paying a groomer who knows the process.
     However, if you don’t want to show your Wire Fox Terrier, you can simply clip away unwanted hair as needed. You’ll need to brush your Wire Fox Terrier regularly to avoid matting, but generally, weekly brushing is sufficient.
     Dogs should be bathed as needed. You likely won’t find very much hair shed around your house from your Wire Fox Terrier. These tend to be dogs who shed very infrequently.
• Pick a Size:

  There are two sizes of Fox Terrier, one of which comes in either the smooth or wire coat and one of which only comes in the smooth coat. Smooth and Wire Fox Terriers are between 15 and 18 lbs, a very convenient size for many people looking for an emotional support animal.

  If you’d like to go a bit smaller, The Toy Fox Terrier only weighs 3 ½ to 7 lb. Even among small breed dogs, this is an exceptionally small dog. The Toy Fox Terrier has some significant differences from the standard, but there is no reason to believe that they are not a good option as an emotional support animal for the right person.

  Both types of Fox Terrier are a great size for most people. These dogs are big and energetic enough at between 16 and 18 lb that they are happy to go wherever you want to go and strong enough to keep up with you.

  However, this is also a dog small enough to get out their energy by running around your home and on a brisk walk or run. Like most terriers, they love chasing things, so a good game of fetch in the backyard is usually all it will take to tire them out.

  If you decide on the smaller option, you will have no trouble exercising your dog in the home and getting out their drives in constructive ways that don’t interfere with their work as your support animal. Keep in mind that a dog this size will not be able to walk everywhere with you.

  You will need to carry your Toy Fox Terrier emotional support animal when you are walking long distances or going through crowds where they may feel threatened by all the people. Keep in mind that toy Fox Terriers are still terriers and can have strong prey drive, so it’s important to never let your Toy Fox Terrier off the leash in areas that are not enclosed and protected.

  This dog is small enough to fall prey to predators, but it likely won’t think of the potential danger when it is chasing something into the woods. Being responsible for your Toy Fox Terrier requires you to consistently be aware of how little your dog is and how big and dangerous the world can be for them. In return, you will likely find the Toy Fox Terrier to be a committed and devoted companion.

• Energetic:

  Whatever size of Fox Terrier you choose, you are likely to find them to be a very playful, outgoing, and energetic companion. This is not a dog likely to leave you to go on your walks alone.

  Whatever size of Fox Terrier you choose, you are likely to find them to be a very playful, outgoing, and energetic companion. This is not a dog likely to leave you to go on your walks alone.

  This energetic nature can be highly beneficial in an emotional support animal, since you want a dog who is more than happy to go on adventures with you and accompany you wherever you may need them.

  This energy level would likely be a downside in a larger dog, but in such a small breed, it can typically be accommodated indoors without too much trouble. Most Fox Terriers are happy enough to keep along with you throughout your day, chase the ball a few times in the afternoon, and occupy themselves indoors the rest of the time.

  This energy level would likely be a downside in a larger dog, but in such a small breed, it can typically be accommodated indoors without too much trouble. Most Fox Terriers are happy enough to keep along with you throughout your day, chase the ball a few times in the afternoon, and occupy themselves indoors the rest of the time.

• Trainable:

  Both sizes of Fox Terrier are quite trainable. The Toy Fox Terrier may tend to be a bit more trainable than the standard size. However, even the standard terrier is quite agreeable. They are very smart, but they might get bored easily, so it is very important that you keep it fun and interesting.

  Because Fox Terriers are so willing to go along with what you want to do, it isn’t hard to motivate them. On the other hand, Fox Terriers do have their own mind. If they are distracted by wanting to chase some kind of prey item or smell something, they may be less than willing to answer your commands. Calm and steady training is key.

  Toy Fox Terriers tend to be considerably more eager to please than their larger cousins. They enjoy learning many different activities and are very naturally intelligent extroverted. All kinds of training are very easy for them. They are even very good at house training, which can otherwise be a challenge for many toy breeds.

  You can train your Toy Fox Terrier to use a pad indoors to make it more convenient for you or you can train them to go on command wherever you like. If you are looking for an emotional support dog that may also be trained as your service animal and you are looking for a very small breed dog, The Toy Fox Terrier may be an excellent choice. These dogs are extremely intuitive and intelligent so they can be trained for service work like seizure alert and hearing assistance.

Downsides to Choosing the Fox Terrier as an Emotional Support Animal

• Energetic:

  The Fox Terrier is, like most terriers, is prone to going non-stop all the time as much as possible. These energetic dogs may be too much for some households. Because their energy so often focuses on satisfying their prey drive or desire to play, you may have a hard time directing it into serving you as a good emotional support dog.

  If you are a very energetic person, you may find this non-stop lively spirit engaging and uplifting, but if you want a dog who is very committed to sticking to your side, the Fox Terrier may not be the ideal choice.

• On the Stubborn Side:

  Most sizes of Fox Terrier are a bit on the stubborn side. These are dogs that were bred to think on their own to chase after foxes and it was up to hunters to follow them. The dogs take the same sort of independence and leadership qualities into their relationship with you.

  This can make it difficult to train a Fox Terrier. The difficulty isn’t so much in teaching the dog what you want but in convincing them to do it once they’ve learned it. You will need to work to motivate your Fox Terrier.

• Who is the Best Fox Terrier Owner?
  1. Loves to laugh: The Fox Terrier is a constant comedian. Whether you like it or not, they’re likely to get up to all sorts of antics, so it’s best that you have the sort of personality that enjoys laughing if you’re going to have a Fox Terrier in your life.
  2. Okay with letting the dog take the lead: Fox Terriers are unlikely to be consistently compliant with your requests. You have to know how to physically manage your emotional support dog and give them freedom safely to have a good relationship with this breed.
  3. Energetic: The Fox Terrier likes to be on the go. The smallest size may be okay with entertaining themselves in your apartment, but even the Toy Fox Terrier is likely to want you to get up and do things with them pretty often. It is best that you are an energetic owner if you have a Fox Terrier in your life.
• Is the Fox Terrier the Best Emotional Support Animal for You?

  The Fox Terrier is the best emotional support animal for you if you want an independent, outgoing, vivacious companion who will always get your spirits up but may not always be willing to do what you want them to do.