Activities For Foxkers

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Activities For Foxkers

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Introduction

Foxkers are a “designer dog” breed made by combining Toy Fox Terriers and English Cocker Spaniels. The result is a loyal, calm dog that does well with families with children of all ages. Intelligent and obedient, Foxkers are a medium-sized breed with a moderate energy level. A solid 30 to 40 minutes of exercise per day is enough to keep your pup happy and satisfied.

The combo breed has a soft, silky coat that requires frequent professional grooming. The ancestry of both breeds involved hunting smaller prey, so you may want to watch your pup around small animals they might deem as prey.

Chase

Popular

0 Votes

Sunny Day

Free

Easy

30 min

Items needed

Open space

Activity description

Do you want a cheap, simple activity that will tire out both your two-legged children and your fur-kids? Set them up outside and teach the kids how to encourage your pup to chase them. Your dog will enjoy the hunt and get their daily exercise requirement. Kids of all ages and activity levels will be all tuckered out after this game!

This activity works best if you’ve already taught Fido not to nip people. Both dogs and human kids can become overzealous when playing together, so be sure to supervise any child/dog interactions. If your pup needs more stimulation, have your child run with the dog’s favorite toy.

Step

Find a suitable space

When it’s time to play chase, you will need either a fenced-in yard or a big room in the house, such as a living room or a spare room. It is not a good idea to play chase in dog parks or other areas where there might be off-leash dogs. You don’t know how another dog will respond to your child running. Just be sure to safely secure any breakable items if you plan to play indoors.

Step

Run!

The objective of chase is to have your pup run after your child without knocking them down or biting them. You may need to train your child in how to correct your pup by scolding so your child doesn't resort to spanking or hitting. That kind of negative reinforcement doesn’t work with dogs (or humans!).

Step

Reward good behavior

When a dog sees someone running, their hunting instinct can kick in and make them chase what they see as prey. It can be difficult to train Fido to tell the difference between real prey and a game. Use treats to reward positive behavior and redirect poor behavior.

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Let Fido Dig

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Any Day

Cheap

Easy

30 min

Items needed

Dig pit

Toys or Bones to Bury

Interactive Digging Toy

Activity description

With hunting in their DNA on both sides of their combo breeds, Foxkers enjoy digging. You probably won’t enjoy having a million holes in your backyard, so building your pup their very own digging pit is the pawfect compromise. With patience and a lot of treats, you can train your dog to tell the difference between the digging pit and the regular lawn where digging isn’t allowed. You'll want to make sure you have plenty of treats and toys on hand to bury in the designated spot so Fido gets the hint.

Step

Fill area with sand or loose dirt

If you have a backyard, creating a DIY digging pit is an easy task. If you don’t have a backyard, your local dog parks might have a digging pit. Once you choose the area for digging, cover it in sand or loose dirt. Be aware that eating sand can be very harmful to dogs. And Fido most likely won’t play in an area that is used as a potty area, so be sure to keep your pup from using the dig pit as a bathroom.

Step

Bury bones and treats in pit

You’ve laid the dig pit groundwork by covering the dedicated area with sand or loose dirt. Under Fido’s watchful eye, bury a bone or their favorite toy in the pit. When your pup starts to dig the bone or toy out of the pit, praise your dog enthusiastically. There are also interactive digging toys that you can use to avoid having to create your own digging pit.

Step

Redirect

Everything is going great; the dig pit is set up, your pup is digging happily. Then they start digging in an area of the yard where you don’t want them to dig. Quickly redirect your dog’s attention the dedicated pit area, perhaps by again burying a bone or toy. This shows your dog where you want them to dig and they will learn eventually. Learning might go faster if treats were involved.

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Indoor Agility Course

Popular

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Any Day

Cheap

Normal

30 min

Items needed

Weave poles

Tunnel

Dogwalk

Activity description

Looking for a cheap activity that you can do with Fido in your home? Try a DIY agility course. Easy to set up and inexpensive, agility courses give your dog the mental exercise they need, as well as the physical.

Some of the course exercises can be intimidating for dogs at first, so offer praise and treats to encourage your pup along the way. But not too many treats or that negates the purpose.

Tunnels, weave poles, dogwalk (balance beam for dogs) and hurdles are just a few simple options that can keep you and your pup occupied for a small amount of time each day, and many of these can be created from things you have lying around your home.

Step

Dogwalk

To make your own dogwalk, you will need planks of wood, slats to go on the up/down planks, and yellow paint. Dogs see colors of blue and yellow better than other colors, which is why most agility courses are mostly yellow or blue. You can find specific more specific instructions online, including videos to walk you through the process.

Step

Weave poles

Weave poles can be purchased at any pet store or you can make them from other materials. Hardware stores should sell PVC piping that can easily be placed in the ground as weave poles. Encourage your dog to go through the weave pole obstacle by walking ahead of your pup with treats in your hand.

Step

Tunnel

A tunnel for an indoor agility course can be made easily and cheaply from an old barrel or even a laundry basket. All you need to do is cut the off the ends of a barrel and put a folded parachute or other material over the barrel. Your dog might need extra encouragement (treats) to go through the tunnel at first.

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More Fun Ideas...

Off-Leash Dog Park

Foxkers enjoy romping with other dogs, so if you don’t have more than one dog, an occasional visit to the off-leash dog park is in order. Some off-leash dog parks charge a monthly fee and require proof of vaccines. Your dog’s medium size might be better suited for the small dog area of the park.

Dog parks offer a rare opportunity to socialize your pup with dogs and humans at the same time. However, it is important to keep an eye on Fido to make sure that they are behaving politely. If they aren’t, it is best to remove your dog from the situation immediely.

Grooming Appointment

Regular grooming appointments are necessary to keep Fido’s fur free from mats and tangles. While this doesn't sound like a fun activity for you, you can make it an exciting time by letting Fido ride safely with the windows cracked and even go for a pup cup of ice cream as a reward for a good cleaning!

Appointments should be every 6 to 8 weeks and include ear cleaning if your pup has long, droopy ears, as ear infections are common in dogs with long ears and can be painful for your dog.

In between appointments, it’s up to you to brush Fido’s fur often and keep an eye on nail length. If your pup needs a nail trim between grooming, most vets do it cheaply within a few minutes.

Conclusion

While Foxker dogs are medium in size, they still need a lot of daily exercise. Toy Fox Terriers were originally bred to hunt foxes out of their dens, which makes digging a fun game for them. You probably don’t think a backyard full of holes is fun, though. If you can’t find a local digging area to take Fido, alternative activities include setting up indoor agility courses, teaching the kids to play chase, or visiting an off-leash dog park.

Whatever activity you choose, your Foxker pup will enjoy it more if the whole family takes part in the activity. These dogs are loyal and affectionate with everyone, but especially with their families.