One of the dog breeds that I might look at when the time is right is the Wire Haired Fox terrier. I have fond memories of children’s push-along toys that used this breed as the model! In real life, this is a breed of dog that is sturdy and tough in spite of its small size. The Wirehaired Fox Terrier does not shed a lot of hair, but the Smooth Haired Fox Terrier loses lots of fur.  To me the smooth coated Fox Terrier (pictured below) is much less attractive. Also, after experiencing Kev’s exuberant moulting all over the house I would prefer to find a dog that sheds a little less. That is easy to say in advance, but of course if you fall in love with a dog at first sight all those considerations fly out of the window!

One thing I need to check about this breed of dog is the famous terrier temperament. In common with other terriers the characteristics that can be challenging are:
- lively, bossy, stubborn, impulsive and keen to chase and bark.

These dogs need plenty of stimulation and exercise,needing regular opportunities to let off steam.  Recall can be a problem as they forget everything else when there is something to chase, so many Wire Haired Fox Terriers need to be kept on an extending lead when they go out.

With such an inquisitive and energetic breed, high fences are another must – but it is a bad idea to leave them – or any dog, in fact – unattended in the garden.

This is a fairly long lived breed, often reaching the age of 14 as long as they receive pet supplements and a good diet.  There are plenty of rescue centres here in the UK, specialising in rehoming Wire Haired Fox Terriers.

If the Obamas do decide to adopt a Portuguese Water dog this spring, the new pet has an exciting life to look forward to. There will always be someone willing to walk him – if Malia and Sasha are busy doing their homework there are dozens of staff on hand who will be only too pleased to take the First Dog for a walk.  This breed appears to be favourite after advice from Ted Kennedy, who has two Portuguese Water Dogs of his own and he thinks they sould be well adapted to life in the Oval Office.  these are not a breed of dog likely to climb on the stereo cabinet or misbehave in other ways, so they can be trusted when disinguished visitors are in the building.

One of the hardest parts of losing your dog is seeing other dogs that resemble him. Yesterday I was startled  by a Kev lookalike who came walking around a corner near the local shops.  I thought I knew most of the dogs in our locality, but not this one. Kev was a crossbreed, sometimes called a mongrel – we never insulted our noble boy with that name! His gorgeous rich black and tan colouring is a strong trait in many crossbreed dogs, and it can be very beautiful.  Today I saw this picture from one of my Twitter followers, called Dondogs. His puppy is carrying a pig’s ear home from the shops.  The resemblance between this puppy and my dear Kev is quite striking. The other pic shows Kev scavenging a burger in the street – he always sniffed discarded food out faster than we could spot it!  Guess I will have to seeing ghosts….

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After I was talking about Gracie visiting the dog breeder recently, we found some tips for anyone who wants their dog to have a litter:

The top ten tips for dog breeders

Dog breeding is not a simple job. If you are looking for ways that would help you in breeding happy and healthy puppies, then you have come across the right resource. Though dog breeding involves a lot of work and is an expensive job, it will only help if you follow some simple tips: Read more »

Gracie, that flirty little English Bulldog across the road, is going to have puppies soon. Mum was talking to Gracie’s parents and they said that she was being put to stud with a dog that her breeders have found for her. Gracie is the dog who would not stop giving me butt sniffs when she came to visit, so they will have their hands full with her. They are hoping for eight puppies and Gracie’s Mum has to watch her closely when the pups are born to make sure she does not sit on them! Anyway that is what it says in the books.