Jack Russell Terriers are the imps or the Terrier world. Both strong willed and loving, gregarious yet independent, the Jack Russell Terrier is always on the go. These little dynamos have a fierce fan club and with good reason, Jack Russell Terriers are nothing if not a tuff, scrappy little dog that can infuriate at times and be the apple of your eye at others, and always a Terrier.

Jack Russell Terriers are hunters through and through. They live for the chase and they chase just about anything. Rabbits and squirrels thoroughly qualified as quarry, cats are the perfect opponent and even lizards will put up a good chase.

Jack Russell Terriers are a bundle of energy and require lots of exercise. For people living in apartments, condos or town homes, the Jack Russell may not be a good choice for a pet. But if you have a spread or large yard where these little firecrackers can run and chase, you might just be the perfect candidate for their new person.

The Jack Russell Terrier will make an excellent pet…for the right owner.

Looks

Jack Russell’s are considered a hunting breed, therefore their temperament and working qualities are considered more important than a common appearance, coat type and breed size. As a rule though, the Jack Russell Terrier can stand anywhere from 10 to 15 inches in height, their coat is usually predominantly white with tan, brown or black mask and markings. They can have a rough, smooth or broken (combination of smooth and rough) coat.

The Jack Russell should appear sturdy, fit and balanced. As a working dog their chests are usually narrow and shallow, which adds to their athletic appearance. Their ears are small and upright with the tips bent forward. They have a strong muscular back end, they are light on their feet and their tail is high set and docked at about 4 inches. Shy, overly aggressive, uncoordinated, and less than optimum conditioned are all considered faults in the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America.

Attitude

The Jack Russell Terrier is an alert, energetic, intelligent and fearless companion. This little terrier requires a great amount of daily exercise in order to channel its curious side to worthy and worth while pursuits. The Jack Russell is happy and friendly with people and well behaved children but can be aggressive with other dogs. His hunting instincts exclude friendships with small animals like rats, hamsters, ferrets and rabbits, though cats can be tolerated if they have been constant companions since puppy hood. Despite the Jack Russell’s happy go lucky nature this little terrier is not a good pet for everyone.

Hardiness

Terriers in general are healthy dogs and the Jack Russell is no different. When these terriers get the proper amount of exercise they are relatively disease free and have little problems with common canine illnesses. Their coats need no special care and shed very little, they have no particular eye or ear problems and usually the only reasons they visit the vet aside from routine check ups, is their natural curiosity and inclination to hunt has produced some injury or other.

Training

With the abundant energy and curiosity the Jack Russell possesses they most certainly need to have some obedience training. This task should be approached with a fun and energetic attitude as Jack Russell’s can get easily board and distracted if you do not hold their attention. Walking calmly at you side on a leash and coming when called are two of the most important commands a Jack Russell must learn. Although extremely intelligent, the Jack Russell also possesses a very strong hunting instinct that can easily over rule any hastily taught commands. Be thorough and consistent with your dogs training and you will have a happy and controllable companion, you can comfortably take with you on outings and into public.

The Jack Russell Terrier is one of only two breeds that have remained constant to their original working standards. The breed remains a true hunting and working breed, unlike many others who have developed two standards within the same breed; one that is show ring quality and possess little of its original hunting traits and characteristics, while the other standard is more of a working breed and exhibits less of the mild mannered ring qualities.

All Jack Russell Terriers must possess certain traits in order to be registered with the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America, not to be confused with The American Kennel Club. The JRTCA does not recognize the AKC standard for the Jack Russell and therefore will not permit a Jack Russell Terrier registered with any kennel club to be also registered with the JRTCA. They are adamant about preserving the original working Jack Russell Terrier standard and will abide nothing less.

Origins

The Jack Russell is descended from Wire Fox Terriers and was originally bred to be an aggressive terrier that could easily go to ground after a fox, maneuvering in the under ground dens of these animals, flushing them for the huntsman and hounds. They needed to be bold and flexible and willing to dive into any underground opening to flush the intended quarry.

The man that first bred the Jack Russell Terrier, Parson Jack Russell, was himself an enthusiastic hunter and wanted a small energetic terrier that could flush a fox from its den though not killing it. The parson bred these little dogs throughout his life and the breed was eventually named for him some time after his death in 1883. Russell bred his dogs to be small, agile and completely devoted to their jobs. He succeeded on all three counts.

Today the Jack Russell remains in temperament and appearance much the same as the original working dogs the parson bred so many years ago. With the inclusion of a breed standard in the UKC and the AKC in recent years, this is starting to change as a show ring version of the Jack Russell is starting to emerge.