Swiss Fox (rare variety, long haired)
The Swiss Fox were created in Switzerland with the help of a German breeder in the 1920's and introduced into the U.K sometime around 1980. They are a medium/ large breed with an ideal weight of 3 - 4kg & a coat length of 5 - 6cm.
Contrary to some opinions, this breed WILL need regular grooming!
Some people seem to think that as the Swiss Fox have fur and not wool like the Angora rabbits, they won't need much grooming, this is wrong, they can still get matts & knots especially round the back end, armpit & groin area.
The coat starts off extremely wooly when they are young and extra care is needed to prevent matts & tangles. We check our weaned youngsters and lightly run a comb through them every 2 or 3 days to keep the coat relatively knot free.
This also helps them get used to being handled.
When they get their adult coat at around 10 months old, it becomes quite dense and coarse with a thick undercoat and guard hairs. The adult coat length should be around 5 - 6cm
We find that a careful grooming once a week is enough to keep them in good show condition when they are adults.
Contrary to some opinions, this breed WILL need regular grooming!
Some people seem to think that as the Swiss Fox have fur and not wool like the Angora rabbits, they won't need much grooming, this is wrong, they can still get matts & knots especially round the back end, armpit & groin area.
The coat starts off extremely wooly when they are young and extra care is needed to prevent matts & tangles. We check our weaned youngsters and lightly run a comb through them every 2 or 3 days to keep the coat relatively knot free.
This also helps them get used to being handled.
When they get their adult coat at around 10 months old, it becomes quite dense and coarse with a thick undercoat and guard hairs. The adult coat length should be around 5 - 6cm
We find that a careful grooming once a week is enough to keep them in good show condition when they are adults.
Our Swiss Fox Grooming Kit
1 - Detangling Comb (with rotating teeth)
Our main comb for our weekly grooming sessions - we don't use a brush at all this can lead to loss of undercoat. 2 - Matt Rake Handy for the occasional matt that is expected with breeding does as we don't handle a doe (unless absolutely necessary) after mating until the babies are weaned at 8 weeks old. |
Mr. Darcy & Lizzie
Chewbacca (Chewie) & Leia