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Breed Characteristics
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Jack Russell Terrier
| Other Names | Russell Terrier, Rebel Terrier |
| Nicknames | JRT, Jack |
| Country of Origin | Great Britain |
| Weight | 14 - 18 lbs. (6 - 8 kg) |
| Height (at withers) | 10 - 15 in. (25 - 38 cm) |
| Coat | The coat is moderately long and not dense, but medium textured and soft. |
| Colour | The Jack Russell Terrier has a white coat with black, tan, and brown markings and often has reddish tones. |
| Litter Size | 4 - 8 puppies, average 6 |
| Life Span | 15 + years |
| Origin & History | Sporting parson; The small white-fox working terriers we know today were first bred by the Reverend John Russell, a parson and hunting enthusiast born in 1795, and they can trace their origin to the now extinct English White terrier. Difficulty in differentiating the dog from the creature it was pursuing brought about the need for a mostly white dog, and so in 1819 during his last year of university at Exeter College, Oxford, he purchased a small white and tan terrier female named Trump from a milkman in the nearby small hamlet of Elsfield. Trump epitomised his ideal Fox terrier, which, at the time, was a term used for any terrier which was used to bolt foxes out of their burrows. Her colouring was described as "...white, with just a patch of dark tan over each eye and ear; whilst a similar dot, not larger than a penny piece, marks the root of the tail." Davies, a friend of Russell's, wrote "Trump was such an animal as Russell had only seen in his dreams". She was the basis for a breeding program to develop a terrier with high stamina for the hunt as well as the courage and formation to chase out foxes that had gone to ground. By the 1850s, these dogs were recognised as a distinct breed. An important attribute in this dog was a tempered aggressiveness that would provide the necessary drive to pursue and bolt the fox without resulting in physical harm to the quarry and effectively ending the chase, which was considered unsporting. Russell was said to have prided himself that his terriers never tasted blood. This line of terriers developed by John Russell was well respected for these qualities and his dogs were often taken on by hunt enthusiasts. It is unlikely, however, that any dogs alive today are descended from Trump, as Russell was forced to sell all his dogs on more than one occasion because of financial difficulty, and had only four aged (and non-breeding) terriers left when he died in 1883. The Fox terrier and Jack Russell terrier type dogs of today are all descended from dogs of that period, although documented pedigrees earlier than 1862 have not been found. Several records remain of documented breeding by John Russell between the 1860s and 1880s. The Fox Terrier Club was formed in 1875 with Russell as one of the founder members; its breed standard was aspiration and not a description of how the breed appeared then. By the start of the 20th century the Fox terrier had altered more towards the modern breed, but in some parts of the country the old style of John Russell's terriers remained and it is from those dogs that the modern Jack Russell type descends. Many breeds can claim heritage to the early Fox terrier of this period, including the Brazilian terrier, Japanese terrier, Miniature Fox terrier, Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz, Rat terrier and Tenterfield terrier. After John Russell; Following Russell's death, the only people who made serious efforts to continue those strains were two men, one in Chislehurst with the surname of East and another in Cornwall named Archer. East, at one point, had several couples, all of which were descended from one of Russell's dogs. The type aimed for were not as big as the show Fox terrier and were usually less than 15 pounds (6.8 kg). Arthur Blake Heinemann created the first breed standard and, in 1894, he found the Devon and Somerset Badger Club, the aims of which were to promote badger digging rather than fox hunting and the breeding of terriers suitable for this purpose. Terriers were acquired from Nicholas Snow of Oare and they were likely descended from Russell's original dogs as Russell would probably have hunted at some point with Snow's hunting club and is likely to have provided at least some of their original terriers. By the turn of the 20th century Russell's name had become associated with this breed of dog. The club would go on to be renamed the Parson Jack Russell Terrier Club. Badger digging required a different type of dog to fox hunting, and it is likely that Bull terrier stock was introduced to strengthen the breed, which may have caused the creation of a shorter legged variety of Jack Russell terrier that started to appear around this period. At the same time that a split was appearing between show and working Fox terriers, a further split was occurring between two different types of white terrier, both carrying Jack Russell's name. Heinemann was invited to judge classes for working terriers at Crufts with an aim to bring working terriers back into the show ring and influence those that disregard working qualities in dogs. These classes were continued for several years by various judges, but Charles Cruft dropped the attempt as the classes were never heavily competed. Following Heinemann's death in 1930, the kennel and leadership of the club passed to Annie Harris, but the club itself folded shortly before World War II. Post World War II; Following World War II, the requirement for hunting dogs drastically declined, and with it the numbers of Jack Russell terriers. The dogs were increasingly used as family and companion dogs. Further cross breeding occurred, with Welsh corgis, Chihuahuas and other smaller breeds of terrier. The offspring of these crosses became known as Puddin' Dogs, Shortie Jacks or Russell Terriers. The Jack Russell Terrier Club of America was formed in 1976 by Ailsa Crawford, one of the first Jack Russell terrier breeders in the United States. Size ranges for dogs were kept broad, with the ability of working dogs awarded higher than those in conformation shows. An open registry was maintained with restricted line breeding. Registration for the club is made at adulthood for Jack Russells rather than at birth, to ensure the breed's qualities remain given the open registry. Several breed clubs appeared in the United Kingdom during the 70s to promote the breed, including the Jack Russell Club of Great Britain (JRTCGB) and the South East Jack Russell Terrier Club (SEJRTC). The JRTCGB promoted the range of sizes that remain in its standards today, whereas the SEJRTC set a minimum height for dogs at 13 inches (33 cm). While the JRTCGB sought to ensure that the breed's working ability remained through non-recognition with breed registries, the SEJRTC activity sought recognition with the UK Kennel Club. In 1983 the Parson Jack Russell Club of Great Britain (PJRTCGB) was resurrected to seek Kennel Club recognition for the breed. Although the application was initially rejected, a new standard was created for the PJRTCGB based on the standard of the SEJRTC, and under that standard the breed was recognised by the Kennel Club in 1990 as the Parson Jack Russell terrier. Jack was dropped from the official name in 1999, and the recognised name of the breed became the Parson Russell terrier. In the late 1990s, the American Kennel Club explored the possibility of recognising the Jack Russell terrier. This move was opposed by the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America as they did not want the breed to lose its essential working characteristics. The Jack Russell Terrier Breeders Association was formed, and petitioned the AKC with the breed's admission granted in 2001. Under the AKC recognised standard, the size of the breed was narrowed from the previous club's standard and the name of the AKC recognised Jack Russell terrier was changed to Parson Russell terrier, with the Jack Russell Terrier Breeders Association renamed to the Parson Russell Terrier Association of America. The Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) and the New Zealand Kennel Club (NZCK) are the some of national kennel associations which registers both the Jack Russell terrier and the Parson Russell terrier, however the size requirements for the Jack Russell terrier under both those standards would classify a dog as a Russell terrier in the United States. In 2009, there were 1073 Jack Russells registered with the ANKC, compared to 18 for the Parson Russell terrier. Other modern breeds are often mistaken for modern Jack Russell terriers, including their cousin the Parson Russell terrier, the Tenterfield terrier, and the Rat Terrier. Several other modern breeds exist that descended from the early Fox Terrier breed, including the Brazilian Terrier, Japanese Terrier, Miniature Fox Terrier, Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz, Rat Terrier and Tenterfield Terrier. |
| Personality | The Jack Russell Terrier is a cheerful, merry, devoted and loving dog. It is spirited and obedient, yet absolutely fearless. Careful and amusing, he enjoys games and playing with toys. Stable Jacks are friendly and generally kind to children. Children should be taught not to tease or hit the dog. They are intelligent, and if you let them take an inch, they can become willful and determined to take a mile. It is paramount that you are this dog’s pack leader. He needs to be given rules to follow, and limitations as to what he is and is not allowed to do. Do not let this little dog fall into Small Dog Syndrome, where he believes he is pack leader to all humans. This is where varying degrees of behavior problems will arise, including, but not limited to guarding, snapping, separation anxiety, and obsessive barking. They are highly trainable and able to perform impressive tricks. They have been used on TV and in the movies. However, if you do not show authority toward the dog, it can be difficult to train. This breed needs a firm, experienced trainer. Jacks that have been allowed to take over can be aggressive with other dogs. Some have killed or been killed in dog fights. Be sure to socialize the Jack. It has strong hunting instincts (stronger than your average terrier) and should not be trusted with other small animals. This hunting dog likes to chase, explore, bark and dig. Only let it off lead if it is well trained or in a safe area. Will get restless and destructive if it does not receive enough exercise and activities to occupy its keen mind. Jack Russells climb, which means they can climb over a fence; they also jump. A Jack that stands 12 inches high can easily jump five feet. JRTs are not the breed for an inexperienced dog owner. The owner needs to be as strong-willed as the dog is, or this little guy will take over. With the right owner the Jack can really excel, but is not recommended for those who do not understand what it means to be a dog’s true pack leader. Jacks that are mentally stable, with all of their canine instincts met, will not display these negative behaviors. They are not traits of the Jack Russell, but rather human brought-on behaviors, which are a result of inefficient leadership, along with a lack of mental and physical stimulation. They will thrive with a job to do. The Jack Russell Terrier must present a lively, active and alert appearance. It should impress with its fearless and happy disposition. It should be remembered that the Jack Russell is a working terrier and should retain these instincts. Nervousness, cowardice or over-aggressiveness should be discouraged and it should always appear confident. |
Care Requirements
| Health | The Jack Russell Terrier is a hardy breed and is quite healthy overall. However, there are some special medical conditions to pay attention to: Hip Dysplasia: Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) can cause mild to severe lameness. Collie Eye Anomaly: can cause blindness, but is not a progressive disease. Legg Perthes disease: a disease of the hip joints of small breeds of dogs. Deafness: Congenital Deafness can be a problem. |
| Grooming | All coat types are easy to groom. Comb and brush regularly with a firm bristle brush, and bathe only when necessary. To show, owners must strip the coat. Like the rough coat, the broken coated Jack needs to be stripped out also. |
| Exercise | The Jack Russell Terrier is a pleasant companion when it is sufficiently exercised; however if it does not get enough, it may become a nuisance. It needs to be taken on a long, daily, brisk walk. In addition, he will be in his glory with space to run, hunt and play. If the Jack is left alone during the day, be it in an apartment or a house, it should be well exercised before the human leaves for work by taking it on a long pack walk or jog, and then taken out again when returning home. |
| Other Considerations | The Jack Russell Terrier will do okay in an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised. It is very active indoors and will do best with at least an average-sized yard. Well-known Jack Russell terriers; Nipper was a dog born in 1884 who was thought to be a dog of the Jack Russell terrier type. He was the inspiration for the painting Dog looking at and listening to a Phonograph, later renamed to His Master's Voice. The painting was used by a variety of music related companies including The Gramophone Company, EMI, and RCA. Today it remains in use incorporated into the logo for HMV in UK and Europe. A Jack Russell named Bothy made history in 1982 as part of the Transglobe Expedition. Owned by explorers Ranulph and Ginny Fiennes, he became the first dog to travel to both the north and south poles. This feat is unlikely to be repeated, as all dogs have been banned from Antarctica by the Antarctic Treaty nations since 1994, due to fears that they could transmit diseases to the native seal population. Ranulph Fiennes and Charles Burton actually made the trip to the north pole by powered sledges before signalling to the base camp that they had arrived. To celebrate their achievement, a plane was sent out to take the two men champagne, along with Bothy. On 29 April 2007, a Jack Russell named George saved five children at a carnival in New Zealand from an attack by two pit bulls. He was reported to have charged at them and held them at bay long enough for the children to get away. Killed by the pit bulls, he was posthumously awarded the PDSA Gold Medal in 2009, the animal equivalent of the George Cross. A statue has been erected in Manaia, New Zealand in his memory. A former US Marine also donated to George's owner a Purple Heart award he had received for service in Vietnam. On screen and in literature; In the UK, one of the more recognisable canine stars was restaurateur and chef Rick Stein's irrepressible terrier Chalky, who frequently upstaged his owner on his various cookery series. He was unique in having his own line of merchandise, including plushes, tea towels, art prints, art paw prints and two real ales – Chalky's Bite and Chalky's Bark, which won gold in the Quality Drink Awards 2009. Chalky was given a BBC obituary when he died in 2007. Father Moose and son Enzo played the role of Eddie on the long-running TV sitcom Frasier. Eddie belonged to lead character Frasier's father Martin Crane, and constantly "stole the show" with his deadpan antics, receiving more fan mail than any other Frasier character. Moose and Enzo also starred as Skip in the 2000 film My Dog Skip. Wishbone, from the television show of the same name which aired from 1995 to 2001 in the United States, was a Jack Russell terrier. Wishbone's real name was Willowall Soccer, and was chosen from over a hundred other dogs vying for the part. Actor Gene Hackman's pet in the 1995 movie Crimson Tide was a smooth-coated Jack Russell terrier named "Bear". Max, a Jack Russell terrier, played the role of Milo who is one of Stanley Ipkiss's only friends in the 1994 U.S film The Mask starring Jim Carrey. Max also played the female dog Audrey in the 2000 film Mr. Accident. In the 2009 movie Hotel for Dogs, Friday, one of the main characters is a Jack Russell, played by the dog actor Cosmo. Cosmo went on to appear in the films Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Beginners. Jack Russell: Dog Detective is a series of children's books by authors Darrell and Sally Odgers, and published by Scholastic. It is about the adventures of a Jack Russell terrier named Jack Russell and his gang of friends including Jill Russell, Lord "Red" Setter and Foxie Terrier. Uggie is an animal actor, appearing in commercials starting in 2005 and most notably cast in Water for Elephants and The Artist, both in 2011. In the same year, based on interest following The Artist, the "Consider Uggie" campaign was launched, which attempted to gain the dog a nomination for an Academy Award.[83] In 2012 Uggie was named Nintendo's first-ever spokesdog. |
