If you want a small dog that can accompany you for exercises such as long walks, you can consider getting a mix of a Pitbull and a Wire-Haired terrier. The following guide helps you know what a wire-haired and Pitbull mix is called and what to expect from the breed.
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What Is a Wire-Haired Terrier and Pitbull Mix Called?
A Wire-Haired Terrier and Pitbull mix is called a Pitbull Wire Fox Terrier. It’s a small dog, about 14 to 18 inches tall, and weighs 20 to 40 pounds when fully grown. Generally, this designer dog has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years.
They are energetic, alert, bold, friendly, devoted, and playful dogs that can be great pets, especially for homes with large and secure yards due to their playful nature. Depending on the dominant genes in the cross, the dog can have the following characteristics and attributes.
General Appearance
The physical appearance of the Pitbull Wire Fox terrier can resemble the pitbull or wire-haired terrier. Although this can make the cross have wide appearance variations, you can expect your dog to have the following physical appearance attributes.
Size and Weight
A Pitbull Wire Fox is a small-sized dog compared to how big other Terrier breeds are, with adults having a standing height of around 14 to 18 inches and weighing about 20 and 40 pounds.
Coat
Depending on the dominant gene, the dog’s coat can be either double-coated or single-coated. A double-coat dog will require regular grooming, while the single-coated version dog might only need clipping due to their long hair, similar to Pit Bull’s that only need minimal brushing.
Health Issues
This dog has an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years, equivalent to 60 to 75 human years. However, this dog is prone to the following health issues resulting from genetic and environmental conditions.
- Lens Luxation: Lens luxation is a condition that results from lens dislocation inside the eye. The disease can cause blindness and extreme pain. Enucleation is advisable to help relieve the pain.
- Wobblers Gait: This is a syndrome that affects the dog’s gait, which appears as a compression of the spinal cord around the neck area of the Pitbull Wire Fox Terrier. Usually, the dog with this condition steps with a wobbly or swaying gait, especially when viewed from a flat surface.
- Glaucoma: This disease causes pressure in the eye of the dog by forming a build-up fluid, also known as the aqueous fluid. This happens when a lot of fluid accumulates in the eye or too little fluid is drained, causing damage to the optic nerve and retina.
- Elbow Dysplasia: This condition starts as an abnormal elbow joint development. The condition can affect dogs of all ages. Normally, the condition results in a C-shape between the ulna and radius bones of the hybrid dog when either of the bones is too long or shorter than the other.
Diet
Without a proper diet, your terrier might be unable to accompany you when going for exercises. Generally, a healthy Pitbull Wire Fox terrier is muscular with toned muscles.
Muscle toning is the development of the dog’s muscles by forming a lean physique out of the dog’s body fat. Since almost all of the body’s cells are made up of protein, protein is essential in the diet to enhance muscular growth.
Generally, the dog’s coat can indicate whether the dog is in good health. The coat should look smooth and shiny, not coarse or brittle. Consider providing your dog with water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins to enhance its health. Similar to how much Pitbull Terrier eats, make sure to tailor their diet on their age and size.
Training
Like many dog breeds, this designer dog tends to become overweight if it doesn’t exercise and burn calories. Training and exercise can help prevent serious health conditions like heart diseases common to overweight dogs.
Also, this mix is intelligent and tends to have depression, anxiety, and destructive behavior if you don’t provide the dog with enough exercise to stimulate it mentally and physically. Consider taking your dog for around 30 minutes to one hour of daily exercise.
Temperament
This mix is generally energetic, alert, bold, friendly, and devoted. They are playful dogs, making them suitable for active families with spacious yards.
However, these dogs have the hunting instinct inherited from the Wire-Haired Terrier parent, and they can become aggressive and dangerous when provoked. It’s, therefore, important to set rules, limitations, and boundaries during training to discourage this territorial behavior.
Related Questions
Is a Wire-Haired Terrier and Pitbull Mix Noisy?
The Pitbull Wire Fox terriers are known for being moderate barkers. Generally, these breeds occasionally bark for a reason, such as when they get bored, feel protected, threatened, or provoked. They can also get noisy when sick or have joint and muscle pain.
Can a Pitbull Wire Fox Terrier Live With Other Pets?
The Wire-Haired Terrier and Pitbull Mix are peaceful dog breeds and can live comfortably with other dog breeds and animals. However, they can be overprotective, and it’s not advisable to feed them together with other pets to avoid aggression.
Conclusion
Knowing what a Wire-Haired terrier and Pitbull mix is called can help you know the exercise and diet requirements of the breed. Generally, this Pitbull mix is affectionate and loving towards the family members. However, it’s dominating and can be aggressive when provoked.
