 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| A 19th century parson from England, Reverend John Russell, had a passion for fox hunting. This love of hunting was his driving force in developing a well-known strain of fox hunting terriers. John Russell desired a fox hunting terrier that was able to keep up with the horses and able to bolt out a fox from their den. Thus, his need was for a terrier that had great agility and flexibility combined with speed. These small terriers bred by John Russell quickly became well-known for their endurance and their ability to dig out their quarry. From this strain was developed the Parson Russell Terrier and the Jack Russell Terrier. The Jack Russell Terrier was a smaller, longer-bodied, shorter-legged dog that was used almost exclusively to hunt vermin and bolt rabbits and fox. The longer-legged square dog is known as the Parson Russell Terrier while the longer bodied,short-legged dog is known as the Jack Russell Terrier or Russell Terrier. The English Jack Russell Terrier is known by many names, Shorty Jack Russell Terrier, Short-Legged Jack Russell, Irish Jack Russell Terrier, Russell Terrier, and Miniature Jack Russell. Whatever name you know them by, if you have had the pleasure of meeting one, you are chuckling to yourself because you know just what a character they can be. These little dogs are small in size, but large in heart. They are intelligent, lively, and loving companions, who need loving,human companionship. Jack Russell Terriers have three coat types, smooth, broken, and rough. The smooth coat is not a thin coat, but is made up of very short hair. The broken coat has intermediate lengths of hair on various areas, usually around the head/neck area. The rough coat is made up of hair that is at least 1.5 inches in length. Jack Russell Terriers must be at least 51% white. The markings vary, there may be color on the head, some on the body and the tail. The recognized colors of a Jack Russell Terrier are a light tan(lemon), a rich tan(chestnut),brown, and black. It is possible for more than one color to appear on a Jack Russell. The general appearance of the English Jack Russell Terrier is that of a proud and athletic dog with an alert and intelligent expression. They have a flexible body that is slightly longer than tall. An English Jack Russell Terrier measures 8"-12" tall, has a straight back, strong muscles and good bone, v-shaped and folded ears, with a flat skull that tapers to a wide muzzle and strong jaws. Their tails are carried proud and erect, but will drop when at rest. Please refer to the English Jack Russell Terrier Club Alliance, Inc. (EJRTCA) website for exact conformation standards for the English Jack Russell Terrier and the history of the EJRTCA. A short dog at only 8-12 inches, they love to jump and do it well. These are very loyal dogs that have a natural hunting instinct, they keep rodents away, dig moles out, and have been known to catch birds right out of the air. When off-leash, they do well with a fenced in area to exercise in, so they can run, play, jump, and dig. These dogs have plenty of intelligence and stamina for hiking, hunting, or agility courses. Training your Jack Russell Terrier should be started early and training should be done consistently and in a loving manner. Exposing your puppy to many positive experiences will help them grow into confident, well-rounded adult. |
| Would you like additional information about English Jack Russell Terriers? Click on the picture below for a link to the EJRTCA website. |
| Curious to learn more about Hunt Terriers? Click on the picture below to find out more about this breed. |
 |
