Canis lupus familiaris
Smooth Fox Terrier
Featured photosmooth-fox-terrier.jpgThe Smooth Fox Terrier is a 19th-century English foxhound-pack fox-bolting terrier. The Smooth Fox Terrier was developed in mid-19th-century England by foxhunting masters as the fox-finding terrier of the foxhound pack — the small, quick terrier carried in a saddle bag by a foot-follower or huntsman that would be set down to enter the fox's earth and bolt the fox.
Quick facts
- AKC group
- Terrier
- Origin country
- England
- Origin period
- Mid-19th century (formalized 1876)
- Coat type
- Short
- Coat colors
- Predominantly White (with markings of Black, Tan, or Black-and-Tan)
- Average lifespan
- 13-15 years
- Recognition
- AKC 1885 · FCI 1954 · UKC 1948 · Group 3 — Terriers (Section 1: Large and medium-sized Terriers)
Origin
The Smooth Fox Terrier was developed in mid-19th-century England by foxhunting masters as the fox-finding terrier of the foxhound pack. Foundation crosses involved the now-extinct English Black-and-Tan Terrier (which contributed the predominantly-white coat with tan markings, prized so the dog could be distinguished from the fox at the earth), the Beagle (which contributed scent), the Bull Terrier (for tenacity), and the Greyhound (for speed). The Smooth and Wire Fox Terriers were registered together as a single Fox Terrier breed by the Kennel Club until 1985, when the two coat varieties were formally split. The Fox Terrier Club was founded in 1876 — the oldest continuously-running British breed club — and the AKC admitted the breed in 1885.
Recognition
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1885, the United Kennel Club followed in 1948, and the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 12) in 1954. The FCI assigns the breed to Group 3 — Terriers (Section 1: Large and medium-sized Terriers).
Standard
The AKC and FCI standards describe a friendly, alert, smartly-built terrier of clean outline, neither short-coupled nor long-bodied — square and well-balanced. The defining features are the predominantly-white coat with markings of black, tan, or black-and-tan (white prevailing was selected so the dog could be distinguished from the fox at the earth), the strong, slightly-narrow head, and the V-shaped drop ears falling forward close to the cheek. The short, smooth, hard, dense coat lies close to the body. The breed stands 35-39 cm at the withers and weighs 6.5-8 kg.
Sources & further reading (3)
- kennel-club-registry — accessed 2026-04-30
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-30
- fci-standard — accessed 2026-04-30
Frequently asked questions
What is the Smooth Fox Terrier's AKC group?
The American Kennel Club places the Smooth Fox Terrier in the Terrier Group. The Terrier Group gathers breeds developed to hunt and dispatch vermin or to go to ground after fox and badger; the name derives from the Latin terra ('earth'). The breed's foundation working role was as a 19th-century English foxhound-pack fox-bolting terrier.
When was the Smooth Fox Terrier officially recognized?
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1885; the United Kennel Club followed in 1948; the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 12) in 1954.
What is the average lifespan of a Smooth Fox Terrier?
Kennel-club longevity surveys place the Smooth Fox Terrier's average lifespan in the 13-15 years range. The figure here represents the spread reported by the major parent-club studies and the Kennel Club (UK) purebred-dog health surveys.
