American Toy Fox Terrier

The American Toy Fox Terrier, usually just called the Toy Fox Terrier, is a small terrier breed developed in the United States. In Finland the official name is amerikankääpiökettuterrieri, and it is often shortened in everyday use to amerikankääpiöterrieri.

• Height22-29 cm
• Weight1.5-3.5 kg
• Lifespan13-15 years
• CoatShort and smooth
• ColorsTri-color, white & tan, white & black
• OriginUnited States

The coat is short and smooth. Three color patterns are recognized: tri-color (white with black and tan markings), white & tan, and white & black. The head is mostly colored and the body mostly white.

The breed's roots go back to 19th century United States, where Smooth Fox Terriers were crossed with smaller breeds such as the Chihuahua and the Italian Greyhound. The goal was a smaller, more agile dog that kept the fox terrier's hunting instinct and courage while suiting life as a companion dog. These small terriers started out as farm dogs, working as ratters in barns and storehouses.

The United Kennel Club (UKC) first registered the breed in 1936 under the name Toy Fox Terrier. The American Kennel Club (AKC) did not recognize it until 2003. The breed is not finally recognized by the FCI; it is registered with the AKC (Toy Group) and the UKC (Terrier Group).

The American Toy Fox Terrier is small but muscular and agile. It is intelligent, learns quickly and bonds strongly with its family. Its terrier background shows in its courage and independent streak, so training needs to be consistent from puppyhood.

The breed can do well in an apartment, as long as it gets 30-60 minutes of exercise and activity a day. It does not cope well with being left alone for long periods, since it needs human company. It can suit a family with children, provided the children handle a small dog gently.

With its strong terrier background, the breed needs consistent training and clear boundaries starting in puppyhood. It learns quickly and takes well to activities such as agility, rally obedience and scent work. Daily walks and play keep it content, and it can bark to announce visitors or changes in its surroundings, a trait typical of terriers that benefits from early, consistent training.

The breed is relatively healthy, but small dogs can develop patellar luxation (the kneecap slipping out of place) and dental problems, since a small jaw leaves less room for teeth. Less commonly, the breed can be affected by Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, a degeneration of the hip joint that typically appears in growing puppies between 4 and 12 months old, and primary lens luxation (PLL), an inherited eye condition. A responsible breeder health tests the parent dogs, including knee exams and eye checks, and screens for PLL genetically.

Very small puppies, and the smallest adults, can also be prone to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which shows up as weakness or trembling. Feeding puppies several small meals a day, rather than one or two large ones, helps prevent it.

The short, smooth coat is easy to maintain and needs only regular brushing and occasional bathing, but it gives little insulation against cold. In a Nordic climate the breed typically needs a coat outdoors once temperatures drop below about +5°C, and extra protection in harder frost. Nails also grow quickly and need frequent trimming.

The American Toy Fox Terrier is still a rare breed in Finland. Only a handful of litters are registered with the Finnish Kennel Club (Suomen Kennelliitto) each year, so puppy availability is limited and waiting lists can be long. The Kennel Club added the breed to its supplementary register on 30 June 2010.

Many Finnish breeders work closely with breeders in other Nordic and European countries to broaden the breeding base, which matters for the breed's genetic diversity given its small population. For details on finding a breeder and what a puppy costs in Finland, see our guide to Toy Fox Terrier breeders in Finland.