The Mini Foxie Club of Australia, Inc. (formerly known as the Miniature Fox Terrier Club of Australia) is an independent breed club dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Miniature Fox Terrier, aka Mini Foxie.

The Mini Foxie Club of Australia Inc. holds Mini Foxie shows, maintains the Mini Foxie Breed Register, produces a quarterly newsletter and has direct communication with its many members nationwide and internationally. The club has a highly democratic ethos and member participation is vital and lively with a focus always on breeding dogs of good quality.

CLUB HISTORY

In the early 1980s, breeders and fanciers began meeting informally to discuss the future of this endemic Australian breed. Miniature Fox Terriers were very well known, having existed in Australia for over one hundred years but the varying types all lumped together as Mini Foxies or Little Foxies had not been standardized. The political climate suggested that Breed-Specific Legislation (laws or ordinances which affect one dog breed or one category of dogs) to restrict the breeding of non-pedigreed dogs may have been imminent, and it was felt that formal organization would be necessary to safeguard the breed’s future. An informal meeting to discuss the parameters of the breed and possible Australian National Kennel Council recognition was held at the St. Ives Showground between owners and representatives of the Royal New South Wales Canine Council - Mr Bill Polley, Mr Wes Stacey and Dr. Harry Spira.

On the 20th July 1986, several prominent breeders including Mr Gordon Grant and Mr Lou Aarons met at Warwick Farm, Sydney and formed the Miniature Fox Terrier Club of Australia. Gordon Grant was the founding president. Later, the club drafted a Constitution and wrote a breed standard with the assistance of members of the Royal New South Wales Canine Council.

A significant three-day meeting was held in 1992 at Deniliquin, New South Wales. Enthusiasts from the national club were joined by owners from South Australia, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory to consider amalgamating the separate clubs that had formed. It became evident that there were differences over the type of dog that would exemplify the Miniature Fox Terrier. Another point of departure was whether or not seeking recognition by an all-breed kennel club should be an immediate priority; many MFTCA members felt that more time was needed to improve and standardize the breed.

Some owners later organized under the banner of the Tenterfield Terrier, and others retained membership with the MFTCA. The breed standard of the Tenterfield Terrier has different conformation points from that of the Miniature Fox Terrier. (See The Differences Between a Mini Foxie and a Tenterfield Terrier)

To comply with New South Wales government requirements the Miniature Fox Terrier Club became incorporated as The Mini Foxie Club of Australia in 1992. The name change for the club was as a result of a challenge to the name 'Miniature Fox Terrier' at the time of incorporation; a change that was not favoured by the majority of club members at that time. Throughout Australia, the dogs remain firm favourites as Mini Foxies, Miniature Fox Terriers and Mini Fox Terriers.

BREED REGISTRY

The MCFA is one of a few breed clubs that reclassify pedigree puppies after one year, to ensure that they are sound and acceptable for breeding. Adult dogs are graded according to how well they fit the breed standard. An adult dog of pedigree parents must be judged superior to each parent in order to receive a higher grading than its parents.

Registered MFCA breeders take steps to try to eradicate the health problems that are sometime found in small dog breeds. They consider their breeding stock carefully and breed for health, type and temperament.

This type of vigilance in breeding has proved to be highly successful for breed clubs such as that of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. The governing bodies of working dog clubs often have similar requirements and sometimes require field tests for their dogs. A downside to such strict regulation is that the breed registry grows more slowly.

The MFCA believes it is vital to the longterm success of the breed to have a large and diverse gene pool. Because of the large numbers of unregistered Mini Foxies nationwide, we believe it is important to keep the Registry open and educate the public to the benefits of owning registered dogs. As of 2005, the Stud Book of the MFCA remains open. If you believe you have an unregistered purebred Mini Foxie, please contact the Club Secretary to arrange for your dog to be examined and classified.

Because of the diligent care that the members of the MFCA have taken to ensure the soundness of Mini Foxies, the MFCA strongly recommends that prospective owners look to the registered breeders of the MFCA when looking to buy a new puppy.