Wire Fox Terrier Grooming

A Wire Fox Terrier, with its harsh, thick coat, will require a fairly good bit of grooming (which may include intermittent stripping/plucking). Below are details on WFT coat maintenance, instructions on hand-stripping, and optional grooming styles.

A Wire Fox Terrier has a dense, wiry, medium-length coat that can get tangled or matted, so Wire Fox Terrier grooming is an important step in keeping these dogs looking sharp. They will need brushing once or twice per week, and baths every 4-6 weeks; if you merely keep your WFT as a pet (and depending on your dog's hairstyle), it can be clipped about every 3 months, but show dogs will definitely need to be stripped/plucked, which will leave much of the outer coat on the dog. (More details on the stripping process are in the "Plucking & Stripping" section.)

Brushing should happen 1-2 times per week; you'll need a slicker brush, a medium-tooth comb, and possibly a mat rake to work through any stubborn mats. First wet the coat with mist from a spray bottle, then use the slicker brush to "line brush" the coat, brushing in the direction of hair growth. Then use the comb to go through the head and ear hair and the facial furnishings. If required, work through any mats with the mat rake or your fingers. If you're following the brushing with a bath, use canine shampoo (available at pet stores), then towel- or blow-dry the coat; finish with another quick brush-through to neaten the coat.

Whether your dog needs clipping or stripping, it's recommended that you have the procedure done at least once by a professional groomer; the groomer can instruct you on doing the clipping/stripping process yourself, and can give you tips on how best to groom a Wire Fox Terrier in general.

Wire Fox Terrier brushing isn't necessary more than twice per week. The coats don't shed very much, but they do tend to tangle pretty easily--so consistent brushing will be necessary to keep the coats tangle-free and looking their best.

The best brush for a Wire Fox Terrier is a slicker brush; a greyhound comb will be useful to have too, as is a mat rake or other de-tangling tool.

To brush your WFT: first wet the coat with water mist from a spray bottle, then go through the coat section by section with the brush, moving in the direction of hair growth. If you run across a tangle or mat, first try separating it with your fingers, then if needed continue working it out with the mat rake, de-tangling tool, or greyhound comb.

The natural outer coat of a Wire Fox Terrier is coarse, thick, and colorful. Cutting the hair (either with clippers or scissors) causes the hair to lose its wiriness and luster over time, so many owners, particularly those who show their dogs, pluck or strip their WFTs in order to leave as much of the original hair as possible. In a nutshell, when a dog is plucked/stripped, the dead hairs are pulled out from the root, allowing new hair to grow in.

Hand-stripping a Wire Fox Terrier is widely accepted as the best method. It should be done about every 3 months; it's recommended that owners have the procedure done the first time by a professional groomer, who can instruct them on the process. To hand-strip your WFT:

• Brush the dog thoroughly.
• Starting at the shoulders, grasp a few strands of hair between your thumb and forefinger, and gently pull; if a dead hair is ready to be removed, it should come out easily. (TIP: The fewer the hairs with each pull, the better. Though this may take longer, you'll get more complete coverage.)
• Repeat the process as you work back on the body, then do the legs and tail.
• Finish with the head, ears, and facial furnishings. (TIP: use the process sparingly on the beard, which takes a lot of time to grow.)

The hand-stripping process should take 60-90 minutes, so it might be good to give yourself (and the dog!) a break every 20-30 minutes.

Some people opt to use a stripping knife (available at many pet stores), but most agree that hand-stripping is the best method.

Since the breed's coat is dense and coarse to the touch, Wire-Haired Fox Terrier haircuts can make these dogs more "genteel" in appearance. Here are three of the most popular (all of which can be done at home with instruction from a groomer):

• Puppy Cut: In this style, a Wire Fox Terrier is cut short (1.5-2 inches) all over; some owners choose to leave the head hair and facial furnishings a bit longer.
• Schnauzer Cut: The body hair is cut to about 3 inches, but the leg hair is left longer, and the facial furnishings are at full length; the overall appearance makes the dog resemble a Schnauzer.
• Teddy Bear Cut: Similar to a Puppy Cut, but the overall length is a bit longer, and the leg and tail hair and facial furnishings are carefully sculpted and rounded to make the dog resemble a teddy bear.