Key takeaways
- The Chilean Fox Terrier, or Terrier Chileno, is a 9 to 18 pound, mostly white, short-coated ratter that Wikipedia calls the first dog breed from Chile; the Kennel Club de Chile recognizes it and the FCI does not.
- Almost nothing breed-specific is published in English on its health, so PetBudget's knee and dental lines come from general small-dog data, and its dollar figures are modeled, not measured.
- The model puts the dog at $3,698 for the first year and $1,623 a year after, or $23,174 over 13 years, which is among the cheapest dogs on the site.
The Chilean Fox Terrier is a small, loud, short-coated ratting terrier with one of the thinnest English-language paper trails of any breed on this site. That makes it a good test case for an honest cost guide. Some facts about the dog are sourced. Others are modeled from general small-dog data. A buyer should know which is which before spending money.
This post sorts the two, then covers the dog's background, size, health lines and yearly cost. The modeled numbers sit on the Chilean Fox Terrier breed page.
Photo: Gilberto Reyes / Pexels. A short-coated terrier shown as a similar type; the source does not name the breed.
What is a Chilean Fox Terrier?
The Chilean Fox Terrier is a small ratting terrier from Chile, known there as the Terrier Chileno or Fox Terrier Chileno. Wikipedia's Chilean Terrier entry calls it the first dog breed from Chile and dates its creation to the late 19th century. It describes a cross between the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz, a Spanish ratting dog.
English sources use three names for the same dog: Chilean Fox Terrier, Chilean Terrier and Terrier Chileno. Search with all three, because a breeder or a registry page may use only one.
Wikipedia's article carries a tag asking for more citations, and it contains a date inconsistency: it places the dog's presence in colonial times and its creation in the late 19th century. Treat the history as a summary, not as settled fact.
Why is a ratting dog a Chilean icon?
The dog worked on estates, then moved to the city with its owners. Wikipedia says it was developed on estates in south-central Chile during the 18th and 19th centuries and shared by peasants and landowners. As farmers moved to cities in the late 19th century, the dogs controlled rats in the new urban settlements. For much of the last century the breed was associated with the working class.
The dog also held a place in middle-class homes, which Wikipedia attributes to the comic Condorito and its dog character Washington. That is a cultural detail with a practical meaning. The breed is common in Chile as a family pet, which is why Chilean classified sites sell puppies across South America.
How big is a Chilean Fox Terrier?
A Chilean Fox Terrier weighs 9 to 18 pounds and stands 11 to 15 inches tall. Wikipedia gives separate ideal sizes for each sex, and females run smaller.
| Trait | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 13 to 15 inches (ideal 35 cm) | 11 to 14 inches (ideal 32 cm) |
| Weight | 11 to 18 pounds (ideal 6.5 kg) | 9 to 15 pounds (ideal 5.5 kg) |
| Coat | Short, mostly white, with black, brown or blue markings | Same |
| Ears | Set high with a forward-leaning "V" tip | Same |
PetBudget's breed data uses a 13-pound dog, a short coat with a grooming rating of 1 out of 5, and an exercise figure of 60 minutes a day. The listed temperament is alert, lively, loyal, courageous and vocal. Wikipedia adds that the dog inherited restlessness and barking from its English ancestors and balance, courage and loyalty from local dogs.
Vocal is the word to plan around. A dog bred to alert to rodents will alert to the mail carrier. Apartment owners should expect a training line in the budget and a conversation with neighbors.
Which registries recognize the Chilean Fox Terrier?
The Kennel Club de Chile recognizes the breed, and the FCI does not. Wikipedia says the Alianz Canine Worldwide has classed it in Group 3 since 2011. The article does not mention the AKC or the UKC, and I found no recognition by either.
The Kennel Club de Chile publishes its breed standard as a PDF. I could not open it during research, so I have not used it for any figure here. If you buy from a Chilean breeder, ask for that standard and read it against the puppy's parents.
A breed without FCI recognition has a practical consequence for a US buyer. International pedigree databases and health-test registries may not carry the dog, which leaves you with a breeder's word and a local pedigree.
What is sourced and what is modeled?
Most of what a buyer wants to know about this dog is modeled or unpublished. The table below lists what I could verify, what comes from general data and what I found nothing on.
| Question | Status | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Origin and history | Sourced, thin | Wikipedia, tagged for more citations |
| Size and weight | Sourced | Wikipedia; matches PetBudget's data |
| Registry status | Sourced | Wikipedia; Kennel Club de Chile, FCI, ACW |
| Breed-specific health rates | None found | No study located |
| Knee and dental costs | General small-dog data | Not breed-specific |
| Puppy price | Modeled | $900 size-tier default, low confidence |
| Yearly cost | Modeled | PetBudget model, low to medium confidence |
| US breeder count | None found | No directory located |
That table is the useful part of this post. Wikipedia's article has no health section at all, so every health claim below is a small-dog claim, not a Chilean Fox Terrier claim. PetBudget's own risk rationale says the same: a small, lean terrier with few documented hereditary disorders.
What health costs should you plan for?
Plan for kneecap and dental problems, since those are common in small dogs generally. PetBudget's data lists patellar luxation and periodontal disease for this breed, both from general small-dog sources.
Patellar luxation. The kneecap slips out of its groove on a back leg. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons says it is diagnosed in 7 percent of puppies and affects both knees in half of cases. Surgery is most often considered at grade 2 and higher, and more than 90 percent of owners are satisfied with the result. MetLife Pet Insurance puts the surgery at $1,000 to $5,000 per leg.
Periodontal disease. A Scientific Reports study of 665 small dogs from 77 Japanese clinics found that more than 95 percent had some periodontal disease. Severe disease appeared in 21.2 percent, moderate in 32.2 percent and mild in 42.0 percent. Moderate scores first showed up at age 2 and severe scores at age 3. PetBudget's data uses $300 to $600 for a cleaning under anesthesia, about once a year, with extractions extra.
The study had a Japanese clinic population, not a Chilean one, and it did not include this breed by name. Its main use here is timing. Start brushing in the first year, before the age-2 jump.
What does a Chilean Fox Terrier cost to keep?
A Chilean Fox Terrier costs about $1,623 a year in PetBudget's model, or $135 a month, after a first year of $3,698. The model uses a $900 puppy price that is an estimate and not a quote. Import and flight costs are extra.
| Annual line | Chilean Fox Terrier |
|---|---|
| Food | $219 |
| Vet care | $577 |
| Grooming | $78 |
| Insurance | $620 |
| Supplies and toys | $129 |
| Total per year | $1,623 |
Food is the smallest large line, at $219 for a 13-pound dog. Insurance at $620 is the biggest line and is scaled down from the $836 average dog plan reported in NAPHIA's 2026 State of the Industry highlights.
$23,174
Modeled lifetime cost of a Chilean Fox Terrier over 13 years, before import fees. Test your own assumptions in the calculator.
What does the first year look like?
The first year costs $3,698, and 60 percent of it is one-time spending. The puppy, first vet work, gear and a training class account for $2,204 of the total.
| First-year line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase or adoption (modeled) | $900 |
| Initial vet visit and vaccinations | $607 |
| Starter supplies | $437 |
| Training classes | $260 |
| Food, vet care, grooming and insurance | $1,494 |
| Total before import costs | $3,698 |
The training line matters more for this dog than for a quiet breed. A $260 group class is cheap next to a noise complaint.
How does it compare with other small terriers?
The Chilean Fox Terrier costs less per year than every other small terrier in this series except the Toy Fox Terrier. The coat and size are the reason.
| Breed | Weight | Annual cost | Lifetime cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toy Fox Terrier | 4 to 9 pounds | $1,483 | $21,585 |
| Chilean Fox Terrier | 9 to 18 pounds | $1,623 | $23,174 |
| Rat Terrier | 10 to 25 pounds | $1,670 | $28,795 |
| Brazilian Terrier | 15 to 22 pounds | $1,681 | $23,928 |
| Parson Russell Terrier | 13 to 17 pounds | $1,868 | $28,227 |
Our guides to the Toy Fox Terrier versus the Rat Terrier and the Brazilian Terrier in the US cover the neighbors in this table. The Brazilian Terrier is the closest in type and has more written about its import, because Brazil is on the CDC's high-risk list.
What can you actually verify before you pay a breeder?
You can verify the dog in front of you, even when the breed has little published data. Because this is Chile's first breed and a working ratter, most breeders sell through local clubs and classified sites rather than international databases. That leaves the buyer to do the checking.
Use this order of checks, from cheapest to most expensive.
- Ask for the registration paper and read which club issued it. The Kennel Club de Chile is the registry Wikipedia names.
- Ask for a video call with the dam and a clear photo of the sire. Compare both with the size and color table above.
- Ask for a written knee and teeth exam from a vet, dated within the last year, on both parents.
- Ask how many litters the breeder sells in a year and where the puppies go.
- Ask for a vet exam of the puppy before shipping, and hold part of the payment until it arrives healthy.
Skip any seller who refuses a video call, who cannot say which club registered the litter or who pushes you to pay by wire before showing the parents. A cheap puppy from a source you cannot check is the most expensive version of this dog.
Keep the paperwork too. A US vet cannot reconstruct a puppy's early vaccine history without it, and an imported dog older than 6 months will need the dates for the CDC process and for boarding or insurance later.
Can you bring a Chilean Fox Terrier to the US?
Probably, under the simpler CDC rules, but check the current list first. Chile did not appear on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies in the versions I found, so a dog that has lived only in low-risk places needs to be older than 6 months, microchipped and covered by a free CDC Dog Import Form, per the AKC's summary of the 2024 rules.
Wikipedia says the breed is sold through websites in Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Ecuador and other South American countries. A dog that spent the last 6 months in any country on the CDC's high-risk list follows the stricter rules, and Ecuador was named as high-risk in one list I checked. Ask where the dog has lived, then confirm on the CDC's Dog Importation Navigator.
Is a Chilean Fox Terrier right for you?
A Chilean Fox Terrier suits a small-space owner who wants a cheap, short-coated, energetic dog and enjoys doing homework. It does not suit a buyer who needs health-test certificates, a US breeder directory or a quiet dog.
If you cannot find one, a Toy Fox Terrier or a Rat Terrier is the practical stand-in at a similar cost. Compare both on the breed comparison page.
What is the bottom line?
A Chilean Fox Terrier costs about $1,623 a year to keep, and almost every other fact about it is thinly sourced. Ask for the Kennel Club de Chile standard, ask for knee exams on the parents, start tooth brushing in the first year and budget for noise training.
These numbers are modeled, and no veterinarian has reviewed them. Treat them as a planning floor and get written quotes for any import.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Chilean Fox Terrier?
A Chilean Fox Terrier, also called the Chilean Terrier or Terrier Chileno, is a small, lively ratting terrier developed in Chile. It weighs 9 to 18 pounds, has a short mostly white coat with black or brown markings, and barks readily.
Is the Chilean Fox Terrier recognized by the AKC?
I found no AKC or UKC recognition. The Kennel Club de Chile recognizes the breed, and the FCI does not.
Where does the Chilean Fox Terrier come from?
It comes from Chile, where Wikipedia says smooth fox terriers were crossed with Andalusian ratting dogs and local dogs in the 18th and 19th centuries. The dog worked on estates and later controlled rats in cities.
How much does a Chilean Fox Terrier cost to keep?
PetBudget models $1,623 a year, or $135 a month, after a first year of $3,698. The first year uses a modeled puppy price of $900, and import costs are extra.
See your own pet's real numbers.
Run the calculator with your breed, metro area, and care choices for a first-year, annual, and lifetime cost estimate — not a national average.
Comments
Comments are moderated before they appear. Constructive questions, corrections and first-hand pet cost experiences are welcome.
Verified Dialogue
Sort by: Chronological (earliest)Loading comments…