The Wire Fox Terrier is a dog of many talents. In addition to being a family pet, hunting dog, and working dog, the Wire Fox Terrier also does very well as a performance dog in many shows. The Westminster is a dog show that the Wire Fox Terrier has done well in, winning more time than almost any other breed of dog. The Wire Fox Terrier Specialty Shows, in particular, are a big event for the terrier and are held each year in many cities.
Unlike a regular dog show, specialty shows are for one particular breed of dog. They can be either regional or national, with regional being in a smaller area or region and national being all across the nation with many competing dogs. There are often international entries in some of the national specialty shows. For a dog to win "best in show", specifically in a national specialty show is almost one of the highest honors.
There are Wire Specialty shows all over the world each year. Much training goes into getting the terrier ready for the show. A lot of the dog doing well in the specialty shows has to do with their overall physical appearance and how close it is to the required breed standard. The breed standard requires they be a specific size and cannot be bigger or smaller than that size. They should not be taller than 15 1/2 inches at the withers. The female terrier is usually smaller, however. The distance or length from the withers to the bottom of the tail should be no more than 12 inches. The head should be between 7" and 7 1/4 ". With these measurements, the Wire Fox Terrier will be around 18 pounds if he is in perfect show condition.
Their coat has to be a certain length and density. Most Wire Fox Terrier owners have a professional groomer take care of their dog's coat so it is appropriately cut and stripped for the show. Stripping requires extreme knowledge of the Wire Fox Terrier and what their show standards should be. The texture and appearance of the coat should meet certain standards that usually cannot be obtained with just a regular grooming and brushing.
Sharonville, Ohio is the location of one of the largest Wire Fox Terrier Specialty Shows. This is an annual show, with this year being their 54th show. Wire Fox Terriers from all over the world come to perform and "show their stuff" in this specialty show.
In addition to Best in Show, some of the other prestigious awards the Wire Fox Terrier may win at the specialty show are First Award of Merit, Best in Sweepstakes, or Best of Breed. These are all very high honors for the dog.
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