Mini Foxie Doxie (Mini Fox Terrier & Dachshund Mix) Pictures & Traits
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There are so many amazing small dog breeds to choose from out there, but the sweet little Mini Foxie Doxie might just be about to charge to the top of your favorites list. These adorable pups are the result of a cross between a Mini Fox Terrier and a Dachshund. These hybrid pups have it all: intelligence, energy, and a healthy dose of Terrier boldness that means you’ll always know what these little dogs are thinking.
Breed Overview
Height: | 8-11 inches |
Weight: | 11-15 pounds |
Lifespan: | 12-14 years |
Colors: | Black, brown, blue, white, pied, fawn, sable, brindle, and cream |
Suitable for: | Families with older kids looking for an affectionate and energetic small dog |
Temperament: | Intelligent, loyal, stubborn, overly protective, sweet-natured but with a Terrier twist of attitude |
Their sweet appearance and love of life might win you over, but you’ll also need to be prepared for a Mini Foxie Doxie to have plenty of opinions — and they’re not afraid to let you know about them! If they get enough exercise and a chance to use their brains, these little dogs are happy to hang out in an apartment or small home.
This hybrid breed certainly isn’t as well-known as some of its more popular buddies, so if you’re keen to find out more about the charismatic Mini Foxie Doxie, you’re in the right place! From training to exercise and nutrition to grooming, find out everything you need to know here.
Mini Foxie Doxie Characteristics
Mini Foxie Doxie Puppies
We have to warn you that a Mini Foxie Doxie pup might just be the cutest puppy we’ve ever seen. You’d need to have an iron will to visit a litter of these little pups without coming home with one.
But before you do, take a moment to remember that like any breed, the Mini Foxie Doxie has particular requirements in terms of the care they’ll need to grow into a well-adjusted adult dog. So before you sign up for one of these pups, you need to be 100% sure you can provide what they need to thrive.
Mini Foxie Doxies are energetic and intelligent, so they need a great deal of exercise and mental stimulation to keep them happy. While their little legs mean they don’t need quite as much exercise as a larger breed, they still have impressive stamina. As part Terriers, they’re also tenacious to the point of stubbornness. So, you’ll need to make sure your training skills are on point to match them.
Temperament & Intelligence of the Mini Foxie Doxie 🧠
Mini Foxie Doxies are incredibly intelligent and independent little dogs. They’re quite happy to try and solve a problem on their own rather than enlist the help of their owners. You might find your pup industriously digging an escape route under your fence if they’re determined to get out and explore.
They are loving and affectionate dogs with their families, but they can become protective around strangers. They will vocally defend you if they think you need guarding, even if that’s not the case at all! Socialization and training are essential to make sure you can effectively manage this trait without it going out of control. They may be small dogs but they can be effective at protecting you and your home.
Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡
The Mini Foxie Doxie can be a great choice for families with slightly older kids. They love to interact and play with family members of all ages, but their small size means they are at risk of getting hurt if play with younger kids turns rough. Allowing kids to pick these pups up is also not recommended because if your pup gets accidentally dropped, it can cause serious damage to their small bones.
They’re happy to hang out with older members of the family, but they need a long walk and playtime first.
Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets? 🐶 😽
They can get along well with other pets if properly managed, but this is something you need to approach with caution. The high prey drive of the Mini Foxie Doxie means they find it hard to tell the difference between a family pet and the local wildlife that they want to chase.
As such, they will never really be able to live with rodents, rabbits, or timid cats without causing stress to the other animals. A Terrier will tend to “worry” at the cage of a small animal if they’re allowed access to them, and this can cause significant stress to the poor little animal inside. Never leave your Mini Foxie Doxie unattended with smaller pets, and consider having designated areas of the house separated for each animal if you do want to keep them in the same household.
Bold cats that stand their ground and don’t run away can normally adapt to life with a Terrier-type in the household, but again, a Mini Foxie Doxie can decide that it’s a fun game to try and get the cat to run — not so much fun for the cat!
Regarding living with other dogs, if they’re introduced when your Mini Foxie Doxie is just a puppy, then you shouldn’t have any problems. If your Mini Foxie Doxie becomes territorial and you then want to add another dog to the family, that can be harder to manage.
Things to Know When Owning a Mini Foxie Doxie
Mini Foxie Doxies might be small, but they certainly need a good investment of time and energy from their owners. Before you make your mind up, here’s a few more things to bear in mind.
Food & Diet Requirements 🦴
As a small and active breed, the Mini Foxie Doxie will do best on a good-quality dog food designed for small dogs. Look for one with a high level of protein to help them build lean muscle mass. Whether you choose wet or dry food is up to you, these pups aren’t usually fussy eaters, so you shouldn’t have any worries persuading them to eat their dinner.
Treats are a great way to train these pups, but remember to account for their use when calculating your dog’s rations. As a small breed, it doesn’t take much extra food for your pup to put on weight.
Exercise 🐕
Exercise, exercise, exercise! A happy Mini Foxie Doxie will be one that gets plenty of exercise. You’ll need at least an hour a day for walks and playtime. Mixing up backyard games with training sessions and medium-length walks is a good way to keep your pup happy.
You’ll need a securely fenced backyard for a Mini Foxie Doxie, as they will happily head off for an adventure on their own if they can find a way to escape. They’ll also chase the local wildlife, so it’s best to keep them on a leash at all times.
These pups love playing, so they’ll enjoy having a wide selection of toys to choose from.
Training 🦮
The Mini Foxie Doxie is an intelligent breed who can quickly pick up new commands. They do have a classic Terrier stubborn streak, which can sometimes make training sessions a bit of a challenge.
Puppy training classes are an excellent way to find the best training methods to suit your pup, as well as getting them well socialized and used to other people and dogs.
Grooming ✂️
The coat type of your Mini Foxie Doxie pup will depend on exactly what they inherit from their parents. Their coats can either be short and smooth, medium with a wiry texture, long-haired, or any combination of the above.
Depending on the length and texture of your pup’s coat, you’ll need to give it a good brush at least once or twice a week. You might decide to get a long-haired Mini Foxie Doxie clipped in the summer, which will certainly help them to feel cooler, as well as reduce the amount of time you need to spend detangling their coat.
It’s a good habit to start checking your dog’s teeth, gums, nails, and ears at the same time that you groom them. You may want to brush their teeth a couple of times a week and trim their nails as necessary.
Health and Conditions ❤️
As a hybrid breed or designer dog, the Mini Foxie Doxie is lucky in that they suffer from fewer health problems than their purebred parents, but that doesn’t mean they automatically get a clean bill of health.
Mini Foxie Doxies can potentially inherit a range of illnesses from either parent, but the risk of them suffering from these isn’t as high as if they were purebred. That’s all to do with something called “hybrid vigor.” Any reputable breeder will be happy to tell you more about each condition that Mini Foxie Doxies can suffer from, as well as what health checks they carry out and how their breeding program minimizes the chance of puppies inheriting these conditions.
- Allergies
- Diabetes
- Deafness
- Cushing’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Hypothyroidism
- Lens luxation
- Bloat
- Patellar luxation
- Legg-Calve Perthes disease
- Intervertebral disc disease
- Patellar luxation
- Von Willebrand’s disease
Male vs. Female
Perhaps you’ve decided that the Mini Foxie Doxie is the perfect breed for you. You might even be excitedly discussing with your family who’d prefer a male puppy and who’d pick a female.
Before you all take a vote, what about waiting until you meet those puppies in person? You might find yourself drawn to a female Mini Foxie Doxie when you had all agreed that you’d pick a male. As a rare breed, bear in mind that you might need to join a waiting list for Mini Foxie Doxie puppies to become available, and you might not get to choose the sex of the puppy if you’re further down the waiting list.
A Mini Foxie Doxie puppy’s personality won’t be dependent on their sex, so we’d always recommend choosing the puppy whose temperament appeals to you the most. Any sex-related hormones will settle down once you get your puppy neutered or spayed when your veterinarian recommends.
3 Little-Known Facts About the Mini Foxie Doxie
1. You’ll never quite know what you’re going to get.
The science of producing puppies with a predictable appearance and characteristic isn’t quite as far along with hybrid breeds as it is with purebred dogs. That’s simply because when crossing two distinctly different breeds, each resulting pup has more genetic information available, so the range of possible characteristics is wider.
The good news is that this can reduce the risk of the puppies suffering from health conditions, but it also means you might end up with a pup that looks like a Fox Terrier but with the personality of a Dachshund or vice versa. Or your pup could be the perfect mix of both parent breeds. Usually, where both parent breeds share the same trait, there’s a high probability that the pups will also inherit this. In the case of the Mini Foxie Doxie, the pups are highly likely to share the high prey drive of the Mini Fox Terrier and the Dachshund.
The best thing to do before committing to a hybrid breed is to make sure you like the temperament, personality, and appearance of both parent breeds. That way, however your pup turns out, you’ll be happy!
2. Mini Foxie Doxies can be territorial.
Both the Mini Fox Terrier and the Dachshund are territorial about their home patch, so you can expect your Mini Foxie Doxie to share this characteristic! They can be wary of strangers, as well as being quite vocal about letting you know that someone is approaching your house.
Early socialization while your Mini Foxie Doxie is still as young as possible is essential for making sure they’re exposed to and learn to deal with a wide range of environments. Asking friends and family to come over to your house and letting your pup know that this is okay will also help keep their territorial instincts in control.
3. Mini Foxie Doxies have a high prey drive.
With two parent breeds designed to hunt rodents, the Mini Foxie Doxie is also going to have a high prey drive. This means it’s safest to walk them on a leash when you’re not in an enclosed space. They’re highly likely to want to chase the local wildlife, and once they’ve seen and started to run after something, their recall will be forgotten in the thrill of the chase.
Final Thoughts
With a name like Mini Foxie Doxie, it’s hard not to fall in love with this breed right away, but they do have personality traits that mean they’re not going to be the right pup for all families.
A combination of high energy, intelligence, and Terrier spark means they need an experienced home with the knowledge of training and socializing this type of breed. Their high prey drive also means they often want to chase small animals, meaning off-leash walks are definitely off the table. Their territorial nature also needs to be kept in check unless you never want another visitor!
If you can invest the time and energy that these little pups need to thrive, then you’ll have yourself a cute and sassy sidekick for life.
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