I think Sunny, my dog for those of you following along, is actually a Toy Fox Terrier instead of a small Rat Terrier mix. I started researching after someone suggested that she may be that breed in a Facebook group I am in, and the pictures are spot on. According to AKC, Toy Fox Terriers are little clowns, highly energetic, and devoted to their dog parents. I can concur!
How big are Toy Fox Terriers? Small and Dainty…
Toy Fox Terriers are small like Sunny, anywhere from 4 to 9 lbs. Sunny is 6.5 lbs so that fits. They are small but active dogs, meaning they’re inclined to sports and agility. Sunny has endless energy, even though she can chill out and take a good afternoon nap. Once she wakes up though, you better take her on a walk or she’ll be driving you round the bend with her energy. I also think Sunny could do agility training really well if it wasn’t so expensive. Why is it so expensive anyway?
Toy Fox Terrier’s Temperament
Toy Fox Terriers are terriers through and through, which means they are super aware and like to explore their environment. Sunny likes to sniff and examine everything when we take walks, so that’s spot on. She also has a high prey drive, so if she sees something she wants to chase it.
The Wikipedia article about Toy Fox Terriers’ temperament also describes a personality very, very much like Sunny’s.
Toy Fox Terriers were used commonly in circus shows by clowns, and they are said to make great companions for owners with a good sense of humor.[1] As a terrier breed, they are often active, though perhaps not as active as the Jack Russell Terrier, and are said to be well suited for older owners. They are quite trainable and often cited as making wonderful companions for people with disabilities. They are also very lovable and loyal to their owners. In addition, dogs of this breed tend not to bark very much if they are trained well.[2]
Puppies.com has the following advice about Toy Fox Terriers
That’s Sunny!
Sunny is definitely all of those things and more. She loves to go on walks and play, she’s very high energy. Very intelligent and trainable, she has been quick to learn several commands that we’ve been working with her on like Lay Down, and Sit. She’s super goofy, such a playful little dog. Her fur is super shedy for a short haired dog and I need to comb her pretty often to get the shed off or I’ll be covered with white hairs.
Watchdog, TFT’s got that
Watchdog? Yeah that’s Sunny. She’ll be looking out the door and barking before I know anyone is even approaching the door. She loves being loving and affectionate. We are working on the barking, she likes to bark at dogs that walk by our house and while I think it’s good that she instinctively wants to guard the house, it can be excessive.
Barking yeah Toy Fox Terriers can bark…
She also has this super high pitched bark, I have deemed it her ‘excited’ bark that she only makes when she sees an animal she wants to chase, the animal has run away, and she feels like she is missing out on being able to chase it. It’s baby deer season in my area and it’s her absolute dream to chase a baby deer. Little does she know that those mama deer will stomp her if she got too close. We saw a possum the other morning and it was all I could do to keep her from shrilly barking like mad at 6:30 in the morning on our first walk.
Cat and Dog Friendly
She’s cat friendly enough. There are several semi-feral cats that hang around our neighborhood and she plays well with them because they’ll bop her if she gets too fresh with them. My indoor cat though, Sunny wants to play with her so bad but Elsa does not want to play at all. My 9 year old matron cat just hisses at her and runs away and doesn’t want anything to do with Sunny which sometimes results in Sunny chasing after her and Elsa hiding for a few hours. Sunny really just wants to be friends but Elsa is not on board with that.
She plays well with other dogs until she gets a toy she wants to hold onto and then some stubborn tug of wars can happen. She’s also obsessed with Yak Cheese so once she got her own Yak Cheese from a friend she was NOT friendly about potentially sharing said Yak Cheese with friend’s dog. Daisy had her own Yak Cheese but Sunny was not having anything to do with sharing her Yak Cheese.
A family vacation to Jacksonville Beach turned alarming when their dog, Sunny, ingested rat poison. After showing symptoms, they urgently took her to the vet. Sunny received immediate treatment, including a blood panel and fluids. The family is closely monitoring her with daily vet visits to ensure recovery, grateful for the vet staff’s care.
The temperatures are cooling off here. Finally! As happy as I am about the colder temps for our walks, my toy fox terrier gets cold easily, and she’s a shiverer. When she shivers it’s so…
In May, I rescued a Rat Terrier named Sunny, and she’s been the highlight of my summer. I haven’t owned a dog since before I went off to college when I was 18, and I…
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