Smooth Fox Terrier health: what owners should know

For a small terrier, the Smooth is fairly healthy, but primary lens luxation (where the lens of the eye slips out of place), deafness in some mostly white dogs, kneecap luxation and a hip condition called Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease are all known in the breed. A DNA test exists for primary lens luxation, and good breeders use it and have puppies' hearing checked.

Keep your dog slim and look at its teeth regularly. Seek a vet the same day if an eye suddenly looks cloudy, red or painful or your dog starts squinting, because lens problems can damage sight quickly. A young dog that limps on a back leg for more than a couple of days also needs an examination.