| In Australia and other countries affiliated with the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) a fourth type, the Australian Jack Russell Terrier, is also talked about but the official name is Jack Russell Terrier. These types are not always
considered to be separate breeds, definitions are still evolving and the naming of the breeds is still sometimes unclear.
Appearance: All Russells are small terriers; The Jack Russell Terrier Clubs' breed standard recognizes Jack Russells as being from 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 cm) at the withers, The American Kennel Club's breed standard recognizes Parson Russell Terriers as being from 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm).
They are predominantly white
with black, tan, or tricolour markings, particularly on the
face and at the base of the tail. They have small V-shaped
ears that usually fold sharply forwards, and strong teeth with
a scissor bite.
They have a dense double coat
that appears in three varieties: smooth coat, where the
topcoat is very short (approx. 1cm) and stiff; rough coat,
where the topcoat is longer (as much as 10cm long, though
usually groomed shorter); and broken, which is used to
describe both dogs with topcoats of intermediate length and
dogs that have longer coats only on some parts of the body
(always on the face, frequently on the head and back,
sometimes extending to the shoulders, occasionally everywhere
except the legs).
Tails are straight, six to
eight inches (150–200 mm) long, held high and upright.
Traditionally, tails were docked to around four inches (100
mm), the length of a hand's grip. This was supposedly to aid
in pulling the animal out of a hole. In many countries,
docking is now illegal, and even in countries where it is not
undocked JRTs are becoming more common. The Parson himself did
not dock his working terriers.
The breed has a sturdy and
robust appearance and an outgoing character; breed standards
emphasize that the Jack Russell must have a "keen
expression".
Temperament: Jack Russell
Terriers are considered an intelligent, high-energy breed.
Their compact size, friendly and inquisitive nature, and
intelligence make them popular as pets. Built for speed and
strength, they will always be ready to play. However, they
require consistent training and a good deal of attention and
exercise to maintain their temperament and to occupy their
minds.
Jack Russells who are not
trained on a consistent basis, or are not exercised regularly,
may occasionally exhibit aggressive or unmanageable behaviour,
including excessive barking, escaping from the yard, or
digging in unwanted places inside and outside the house. In
America, several Jack Russell rescue networks have to work
constantly to find temporary and permanent homes for JRTs
whose owners could not meet these requirements for keeping
JRTs as house pets.
The old terriermen wanted
terriers that would bark incessently at their prey. The dog
could then be located underground, and dug out if necessary.
As a result, JRTs are most definitely vocal dogs. They lack
the nervousness that makes so many small dogs
"yappy". JRTs rarely bark without good reason.
Most JRTs easily mingle with
children, though they do not tolerate even unintentional
abuse. Most are outgoing, and very friendly towards other
dogs, but a good number show same-sex aggression issues.
However, this aggression is not shown towards the pet's owner,
despite what many Scottish canine experts claim. JRT's do tend
to exhibit a "Napoleon Complex" regarding larger
canines that can get them into dangerous situations. Their
fearlessness can scare off a larger animal, but their apparent
unawareness of their small size can lead to a lopsided fight
if not kept in check.
Health: A well-cared-for Jack Russell can live for over 15 years. One main health concern is cataracts. They are often seen in dogs bred by backyard breeders or puppy mills who have not CERF tested the breeding stock they use. Other concerns are Lens luxation, congenital deafness (responsible breeders will have their dogs BAER tested), Patellar luxation, cerebellar ataxia, Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease, and von Willebrand's disease.
History: Russell terriers were first bred by the Reverend Mr. John Russell, a parson and hunting enthusiast born in 1795. In his last year of university at Oxford he bought a small white and tan terrier bitch called Trump from the milk man. Trump was purchased based upon appearance alone.
She was the basis for a breeding programme 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, but without the aggressiveness that would result in their harming the fox, which was considered unsporting. The line of terriers developed by John Russell was well respected for these qualities and, when he died in 1883, his dogs were taken on by other hunt enthusiasts. It was unlikely, however, that many of his dogs were decended of Trump as Russell was forced to sell all of his dogs on more than one occasion because of financial difficulty.
The first split between the types of Russell terriers may have occurred early in their history with dogs being sold by the sister of John Russell's kennel man. These she described as "Jack Russells" but they may not have been part of the line of terriers developed by John Russell. Instead they may have been shorter-legged working terriers of variable heritage. Later, around the turn of the century, the secretary of the Parson Jack Russell Terrier Club bred a strain of terriers for badger digging. These needed the brave character and endurance of the Jack Russell Terrier, which were crossed with Bull Terriers to give a stronger and harder dog with shorter legs than the original type. Again these were described as "Jack Russells".
Breed development: Along with these changes, the Second World War had a great impact on the breed. Sporting dogs were needed less and the numbers of working Russell terriers were drastically reduced during these years. The original working Russells often became family dogs and were crossed with other popular family dogs including Corgis, Chihuahuas and terriers such as the Fox Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. These crosses resulted in changes in form and function and led to a new type of short-legged terrier with a variable conformation. It is this form of the descendants of Trump that are now known as "Russell Terriers", "shortie Jacks", or
"Puddin' Dogs".
The original longer-legged forms were also preserved and, in England, were called "Parson Jack Russell Terriers". This form was recognised by the Kennel Club (UK) in 1990 and gained provisional recognition by the international breeds association, the F.C.I, in the same year. The name of the breed was changed to "Parson Russell Terrier" in 1999 by the Kennel Club (UK) and gained full recognition by the F.C.I under this name in 2001.
In the United States a group of
enthusiasts opposed to the registration and regulation of the
working breed registered "Parson Jack Russell" as a
trademark. This led to the long-legged breed being recognised
by the American
Kennel Club under the name "Jack Russell
Terrier". This name was changed to the "Parson
Russell Terrier" in 2003 to conform with the nomenclature
in other countries. Breeders of the unregistered, working
strain continued to use the Jack Russell name for their dogs.
Currently there are few differences between the two types,
although working Jack Russell Terriers are sometimes smaller
than Parson Russell Terriers. Working terriermen tend to
select breeding pairs based upon size and temperment. As even
the largest quarry worked with Jack Russells reach a maximum
chest diameter of about 14 inches, this is generally the
largest chest that working terriermen will tolerate. (Burns,
2005) It is likely that the differing approaches to breeding
and the restricted gene pool of the registered type will
result in divergence between the types, possibly leading to
two very different breeds as has happened to other working
breeds following kennel club recognition.
In England, the Kennel Club
recently re-opened its registry to allow the inclusion of some
Jack Russell Terriers under the Parson Russell name. The
standard was extended to include slightly smaller dogs to
about 10 inches (25 cm) high but still with the longer-legged
form. Individuals registered with the Jack Russell Terrier
Club of Great Britain or the British Jack Russell Terrier Club
and with registered parents and grandparents were accepted for
registration. This may have a delaying effect on any
divergence of the two types, but many breeders remain opposed
to registration and are likely to continue to breed outside
the Parson Russell standard and to continue to use the
"Jack Russell Terrier" name.
Breed controversies: The working strains of Jack Russell Terriers are not recognised by the FCI, or by any major registry. Some breeders have campaigned for recognition either as part of the Parson Russell Terrier breed or separately. However, other breeders, such as the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America, feel that this working breed should not be restricted by the standardisation and limits to breeding that this would involve.
Most large registries recognise and register only breeds that they regard as "purebred", that is, dogs who breed true to form, within a set standard, and whose parentage is known to be of other examples of the breed meeting these criteria. For working-terrier enthusiasts this may not always be acceptable. They want to breed for function rather than form, which might include using dogs of variable ancestry to improve the working abilities of the offspring.
In 1990 Jack Russell Terriers
were given full recognition by the Australian National Kennel
Council. The FCI followed with recognition in 2001. This breed
is sometimes called the "Australian Jack Russell
Terrier" to distinguish it from the other forms of Jack
Russell terriers found in other countries. Its form is very
similar to the Parson Jack Russell and to working Jack Russell
Terriers, although its standard form is for the body to be
longer than it is tall. This gives it a form somewhere in
between that of "shortie" Jacks and the taller
formation of other Jack Russell Terriers and of Parson Russell
Terriers.
Because of the recent nature of
these changes there is still considerable variation in the
names used for the different types of dog. Additionally,
controversy over registration, conformity to set standards and
breeding restrictions may still lead to other variations in
the naming and classification of these dogs.
Jack Russells on screen: The Jack Russell's endearing facial expressions, feisty personality, and cuteness make it a natural choice for television and the cinema. Some famous Jack Russells include Wishbone, the title character of a popular children's television series in the United States, Milo from the hit movie The Mask played by Max, Rimshot from the comical Ernest P. Worrell movies and Bijoux the policeman-hating dog from Hooperman.
There was even a Jack Russell in the movie Crimson Tide, and in the movie the character played by Gene Hackman introduced the dog breed as one of the smartest in the world. Moreover, there is also a Jack Russell called Flike in the well-known Italian neorealist film Umberto D., who is depicted in the film as the main character Umberto D.'s only friend. In the movie, Problem Child 2, Junior's grandpa had a Jack Russell named Nippy.
Some Jack Russell Terriers have near-superstar status, including Eddie, the clever, irrepressible dog belonging to character Martin Crane on the sitcom Frasier. Eddie was played by the late Moose, who died in July 2006. Later in the series, Moose had a stunt double; his son Enzo stepped in for the more physically demanding tricks to spare his aging sire. Moose and Enzo also appeared in the movie My Dog Skip. Also prominent is Soccer, the dog star who portrayed Wishbone, a veteran performer with many television commercials to his credit. He reportedly hated swimming and had two stunt doubles and a body double.
Superman's dog, Krypto, in the older DC Comics's Superman comic books, may have been a Jack Russell Terrier. The dog which accompanies Rick Stein on his ventures is a Jack Russell Terrier, named "Chalky".
Jack Russell is also the name of the protagonist of Radiata Stories.
These dogs have overall good companionship and good quality.
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