Jack Russell Terriers

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In August of 2004 my wife and I took in a great little Jack Russell Terrier and named him Homer. He is exceptionally smart and I believe that someday he will be part of a revolution to take over the world. Below is some information I found at Wikipedia on Jack Russell Terriers.

Jack Russell Terrier

The Jack Russell Terrier is a type of small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. The name Jack Russell has been used for all of the several types of Russell terrier but is now most commonly used for working terriers similar in form to Parson Russell Terriers. The Parson Russell Terrier itself was known as the Jack Russell Terrier in the United States until 2003. In England the name has been used to refer to the Parson Russell Terrier and to the short-legged type, the Russell Terrier. In Australia and other countries affiliated with the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) a fourth type, the Australian Jack Russell Terrier, is also known by this name. These four types are not always considered to be separate breeds, definitions are still evolving and the naming of the breeds is still sometimes unclear.

Jack Russells Appearance

Broken coated JRTAll Jack Russells are small terriers less than about 42 cm in height. They are predominantly white with black, tan or tricolour markings, particularly on the face and the base of the tail. They have a short coat that may be smooth, broken, or rough (a double coat), and pointed ears that usually fold forwards, although some prick their ears when alert. The tail is often docked to about four inches (100 mm) long and is high and upright. When not docked, their tails often have a tight curl. They have a sturdy and robust appearance and an outgoing character; breed standards emphasize that the Jack Russell must have a 'keen expression'.

Jack Russell Temperament

Jack Russell Terriers are considered an intelligent, high-energy breed. As such, they require consistent training andexercise 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 exhibit behaviors that are considered aggressive or unmanageable. 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.

Origin of the Jack Russell breed

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. 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.

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".

Jack Russell 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".


Parson Russell TerrierThe 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. However, 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.

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.


Jack Russell (short legs) excelling at dog agilityIn 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 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 interminable 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, and Eddie, the clever, irrepressible dog belonging to character Martin Crane on the sitcom Frasier. Soccer, the dog star who portrayed Wishbone, is a veteran performer with many television commercials to his credit. He reportedly hates swimming and had two stunt doubles and a body double. Eddie was played by a dog called Moose, but later in the series, Moose also had a stunt double; his son Enzo stepped in for the more physically demanding tricks to spare his aging dad. Moose and Enzo also appeared in the movie My Dog Skip. Superman's dog, Krypto, in the older DC Comics's Superman comic books, was possibly a Jack Russell Terrier.


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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jack Russell Terrier".