Jack Russell Terrier

The Jack Russell is a true working terrier, They have been bred for over 100 years as the working man's terrier. They are invaluable as a fox hunting tool to the terriermen who have been working for the hunts for years in England.

When the early fox terrier became recognized by the Kennel Club in the late 1800s, the breed became extremely popular. The breed quickly lost it's ability to be an excellent working terrier. The breedings that occurred were for conformation instead of truly showing the breed as it was initially intended. These changes caused the shoulders to straighten, their jaw became long and narrow and their chests deepened.

With these characteristics changing, they could no longer be useful to fox hunters since their chests were too deep to go to ground after fox. This new type of Jack Russell Terrier is recognized as the Parson Russell Terrier by the American Kennel Club.

The Jack Russell Terrier is adaptable to many environments. They are bred to be hunting dogs, so city or apartment living do not meet the needs of the breed, nor does being confined or a mellow atmosphere. They require a great amount of human attention, outdoor activity, exercise, and discipline.

They can be aggressive with other dogs, and should not be left with other dogs unattended. Those who own the breed should also be aware of the natural hunting instinct of the true Jack Russell and that they have aggression towards other small animals such as cats, gerbils, guinea pigs and other rodents.

Jack Russell Terriers are true terriers by every means. If there is a squirrel or raccoon in your yard, they will not give up until they catch it. They will ignore your calls when going after prey.

They are not a breed that should ever be permitted to roam unattended, even in remote settings. They will go to ground at every given opportunity, to any quarry. The breed has been known to stay after their quarry for days without food or water because of their strong instinct to hunt. They have the same need for exercise as a much larger dog ... and the mentality to match -- they think they are at least 100 pounds, and are fearless, often challenging other dogs three times their size. These dogs require a fenced in yard-the fence should be a privacy fence and should be at least 6-7 feet tall and also be partly underground. These dogs can dig under, climb or jump over fences; some can climb trees and any height chain link fencing.

The Jack Russell Terrier presents a lively, active and alert appearance. They are fearless and have a happy disposition. They are very sturdy dogs, measuring between 10" and 15" at the withers. The body length must be in proportion to the height. Their chest should be shallow, narrow, and the front legs not too widely apart. They should have an athletic appearance. Their coat can be smooth, rough or broken coated, without being woolly. Their coat should mainly be white, and can have tan, black or brown markings. Over half of their coat should be white.

Jack Russell Terriers are not for the lazy owner. They are not couch potatoes, and most will tend to be on the hyper/wild side especially when young.

Health concerns include Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Sub-Aortic Stenosis, Canine Von Willebrand's Disease, Legg Perthes, and Luxating Patella.