WHAT IS A Parson Jack Russell Terrier?
A Parson Jack Russell Terrier is a breed of dog developed in the 19th century by the Reverend John (Parson Jack) Russell (1795—1883), an avid sportsman, for the purpose of hunting fox. The dog needed to be able to go to ground in search of and to hold the quarry but not kill it. As the story supposedly goes, Rev. Russell caught sight of a beautiful white terrier traveling by on a milk wagon. He was so impressed with the little dog that he bought her right then and there. He later named the little dog "Trump" and, it is said, that she was the foundation bitch of the Jack Russell Terrier. Three other known dogs that made up the beginning of the Jack Russell Terrier breed were ... Old Jock, Old Trap and Grove Nettle.
Although this terrier was originally bred for hunting fox, the JRT is an impressively versatile working terrier and will readily work a larger variety of quarry which includes fox, raccoon, woodchuck (groundhog) and oppossum, amung others. They are also know to take after the occasional above ground quarry such as squirrel, rabbit and rats.
Rev. Russell bred his strain of terriers strictly for working and they were very similar to Fox Terriers. Today the JRT we see is pretty much what the fox terrier of the pre-1900s was. Like the early fox terrier, the Jack Russell has two varieties, one with a short smooth coat, the other with a longer somewhat harsher coat. Today's JRT is also a smaller dog than the fox terrier, weighing 9 to 18 lb (4 to 8 kg) and standing about 10 to 15 in. (25 to 38 cm) at the shoulder. The color is white with reddish brown, black, or tan markings. The Jack Russell has dark, almond-shaped eyes and V-shaped ears that are carried forward.
It is also interesting that Rev. John Russell was one of the original founders of England's Kennel Club in 1873. He also judged Fox Terriers in the first Kennel Club sanctioned show in London in 1874. While he did remain a member of the kennel club for the remainder of his life, he did not show any of his dogs. Today the Jack Russell terrier is recognized by several other kennel clubs. Amung them, The United Kennel Club, with emphasis placed on both it's conforming to the breed standard and it ability to work as a hunting dog and The American Kennel Club, as a "Parson Russell" Terrier, where emphasis is placed on its conforming to the breed standard. The JRTCA registry recognizes the Jack Russell terrier on its abilities as a working hunting dog.
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Parson Jack Russell Terriers are NOT the right dogs for everyone. Please consider their needs as well as your own BEFORE you purchase ANY puppy.
Not many people like this breed’s FEISTY nature. Those with cats or other small furry pets can often run into difficulty keeping their new terrier away from the “QUARRY” (as this is what this breed tends to see these little fuzzy pets as). These little terriers are not known to be very accepting of these types of pets in the household. In some situations they MUST be the ONLY pet in the family.
Those with small children, under the age of 7 years, should give A LOT of thought into getting a Jack / Parson Russell Terrier as they are VERY active and don't take kindly to the relentless poking and prodding of those little hands. These little terriers have been known to bite in their defense. If you decide on getting one of these little terriers and you have small children, I strongly suggest talking to several different breeders before purchasing your puppy AND getting a puppy from a breeder who has socialized their puppies WITH CHILDREN!
This terrier can become aggressive and destructive if not given the attention and exercise required by a dog bred for hunting. We run our dogs daily in our yard as well as doing MANY different activities outside the home.
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The Parson Jack Russell Terrier is NOT the "shortie" type terrier. The "shortie" Jacks or "English/Irish" Jack Russell terriers (also called "Puddins") are not the same little terriers described above. They are similar but different in structure. Due to the AKC and UKC acceptance under different names, it often confuses the average person as to which is which. The UKC recognizes the "Shortie" version as "Russells" where the AKC recognizes the same dogs as "Jack Russells" thus confusing people. A lot of the taller Jack Russell breeders have since referred to calling their dogs "Parson Russell Terriers" to try to clarify the difference between the 2 different breeds. Though many also still refer to them by their original name of "Jack Russell Terriers" ... it is always a good idea to try to specify which breed you are talking about when discussing "Jack Russell Terriers"
Aug. 2008
UKC just recently dropped it's "Jack Russell Terrier" name from it's listing and refers to the 2 separate breeds now as Russell Terriers (Short breed) and Parson Russell Terriers (Taller breed).
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