Feeling foxy?
Well, so were we.
In this edition of Animal Facts we’re counting down seven of our favorite fox-like dog breeds.
From triangular ears, to slender muzzles, to bushy tails and more, these canines check
all the boxes that make them look like foxes.
7.
Alaskan Klee Kai
Developed in the 1970s, the Alaskan Klee Kai fulfills its original breeder’s goal of
creating a pint-sized Siberian Husky that’s perfect for lap lounging.
So, since the Husky resembles a wolf, it’s only natural that the Klee Kai looks like
the wolf’s smaller cousin—the fox.
Klees come in toy, miniature, and standard sizes, and weigh anywhere from 5 to 22 pounds
with a height range of 11 to 17 inches.
Their coats come in varying shades of gray and white, black and white, red and white,
and solid white.
Though all Klees have a fox-like appearance, those with red and white coats seem to look
more like foxes because the red fox is the most common and widely known species of fox.
Fun Fact: Klee Kais have three basic eye colors: brown, blue, and green.
But some Klees have heterochromatic (each eye is a different color) or parti-colored
eyes (each eye has two colors).
6.
Pomeranian
The Pomeranian is the epitome of a big dog in a small body.
At between 7 and 12 inches in height and weighing 3 to 7 pounds they are one of the world’s
smallest dog breeds.
While they are fun-sized, friendly and frisky with familiar faces, Poms can be quite feisty
with other dogs and strangers when they feel they have to prove themselves or defend their
territory.
We know we just used a lot of f-words, but there’s one more we’d like to use to describe
Poms—fox-like.
There are several physical similarities between Poms and foxes, including wedged-shaped heads,
upright ears, almond eyes, and fluffy tails.
Pomeranians have a thick double-coat that comes in the widest array of colors of any
dog breed, including black, white, orange, tan, brown, blue, sable and the most popular
fox-like color—red.
These colors can also show up in any combination and pattern including parti, brindle, and
spotted.
5.
Icelandic Sheepdog
The Icelandic Sheepdog is an ancient breed thought to have been brought to Iceland by
the Vikings to protect livestock from raptors.
With Iceland being a rather isolated country, and a strict embargo placed on dog imports
after plague and distemper epidemics decimated the breed in the late 1800s, they have remained
virtually unchanged and have survived extinction at least twice.
Pretty sly for a dog that looks like a fox, huh?
Icelandics are small to medium-sized dogs, standing 16 to 18 inches at the shoulder and
weighing 20 to 30 pounds.
They come in long- haired and short-haired varieties, both of which have features similar
to those of the fox—a narrow muzzle, erect ears, oblique eyes, and furry tail.
Coat colors come include shades of cream, tan, brown, red, grey and black.
All have white markings, and some Icelandics have black masks.
4.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
According to folklore, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is an enchanted creature beloved by
fairies and elves.
The legend probably stems from their friendly nature and dwarf-like stature—which would
be the perfect height for accompanying and transporting these mythical creatures throughout
their realms—and the fact that they look like forest-dwelling foxes.
A “true dwarf” breed right down to their name (Corgi means “dwarf dog” in Welsh),
the average Corgi is 10 to 12 inches tall and weighs about 25 to 30 pounds.
They’re an adorable, yet peculiar breed, that’s long like the Dachshund with short,
muscular legs, a thick chest, and the head, eyes and ears of the fox.
Their coats come in red, fawn, sable, and black and tan, sometimes with splashes of
white interspersed throughout.
But the similarities don’t end there.
Like their wild cousins, Pembrokes are clever, intelligent, independent, and can be strong-willed
on occasion.
Fun Fact: Pembrokes are born with bobbed tails or (depending on the gene mutation) no tail
at all.
3.
Canaan Dog
When it comes to dogs, sometimes there’s a fine line between wildness and domestication.
Our next pup, the Canaan, effortlessly walks that line.
Not only are Canaans physically similar to the fox, their roots as a pariah dog influence
their behavior, making them more fox-like overall.
Since they possess all the physical attributes that make the previously mentioned dogs on
our list fox-like, we’ll focus on the Canaan’s history and behavior.
The Canaan Dog is an ancient breed, native to the Middle East, including Israel, Lebanon,
Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and the Sinai Peninsula.
They are believed to have been originally used by Hebrews to herd sheep and guard their
campgrounds, and desert Bedouins still use them in those capacities.
In North America and Europe they are exclusively kept for companionship, and frequently compete
in agility, tracking, and flyball trials.
Canaans are pack oriented, so they tend to be alert, loyal, and gentle with their families,
but are standoffish with strangers.
Extremely territorial, they will bark to let you know when someone is on your property.
Their suspicious nature can muddle their judgement as to who is a threat and who isn’t, but
with extensive training and socialization, they can be wonderful watchdogs.
2.
Finnish Spitz
Finland’s national dog, the Finnish Spitz, is a breed that was originally developed to
hunt both small and large game, such as squirrels, bears and everything in between.
Known as a “bark pointer,” the Finkie barks to alert their human hunting companion
to the location of game, which at that point is probably confused and distracted by how
much their nemesis looks like a fox.
Finkies stand anywhere from 15 to 20 inches tall and weigh 22 to 30 pounds.
They’re squarely built with plume-like tails, classic foxy wedge-shaped heads, almond-shaped
eyes, and prick ears.
In typical Red Fox fashion, their coats can be one of several shades of scarlet—from
a light honey to rich auburn.
Finkie puppies are actually born with black hair, which they shed by the time they reach
adulthood.
Fun Fact: They may look like foxes, but Finkies share DNA with the Taimyr Wolf, which has
been extinct for thousands of years.
1.
Shiba Inu
The Shiba Inu is the smallest of the six original Japanese dog breeds.
They range in height from 13 to 17 inches, have a stocky, athletic build and their facial
features are very similar to those of the fox…but you knew that already.
Shibas have a short, double coat of fur.
Their outercoat is coarse and straight, with guard hairs that protect the skin and are
rain and snow repellent.
The undercoat is soft, thick, and serves as a barrier to frigid winter temperatures, as
does its tail, which they wrap around their faces while sleeping, like foxes.
Shibas have a grey, buff, or cream undercoat with an outercoat that is black and tan, red,
or sesame (black-tipped red fur).
But the similarities between the Shiba and its doppelganger are more than just skin deep.
Like foxes, Shibas are intelligent, stubborn, independent, and instead of barking, they
let out a high pitched “Shiba Scream” which sounds like one of the many vocalizations
foxes use when mating, fighting, or alerting their skulks when danger is near.
What does the Fox say?
Nothing…they scream—and so does the Shiba.
Catch more awesome dog facts here.
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