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The History
Jack Russell Terriers are a type, or
strain, of working terrier; they are not pure bred in the sense that they have a broad genetic make-up, a broad standard,
and do not breed true to type. This is a result of having been bred strictly for hunting since their beginning in the early
1800's, and their preservation as a working breed since. The broad standard, varied genetic background based on years of restricted
inbreeding and wide out crossing, and great variety of size and type, are the major characteristics that make this strain
of terrier known as a Jack Russell (a.k.a. Parson Jack Russell Terrier®) such a unique, versatile working terrier.
The Jack Russell Terrier takes its name from the Reverend John Russell who bred one of the
finest strains of terriers for working fox in Devonshire, England in the mid-to-late 1800's. Rev. Russell (1795-1883), apart
from his church activities, had a passion for fox hunting and the breeding of fox hunting dogs; he is also said to be a rather
flamboyant character, probably accounting for his strain of terrier's notability and the name of our terrier today. His first
terrier, the immortal TRUMP, is said to be the foundation of John Russell's strain of working terriers.
Everything about the Jack Russell has fox hunting in mind.... coloring, conformation, character,
and intelligence. The body is compact, of totally balanced proportions, the shoulders clean, the legs straight, and most importantly,
a small chest (easily spannable by average size hands at the widest part behind the shoulders). The Jack Russell must also
be totally flexible, allowing him to maneuver underground. This conformation allows the terrier to follow his quarry down
narrow earths. The fox is a good model for the Jack Russell-where the fox can go, so must the terrier. Although originally
bred for fox hunting, the Jack Russell is a versatile working terrier to a variety of quarry including red and grey fox, raccoon
and woodchuck.
John Russell maintained his strain of fox terriers bred strictly for working, and the terrier
we know of today as the Jack Russell is much the same as the pre-1900 fox terrier. The Jack Russell has survived the changes
that have occurred in the modern-day Fox Terrier because it has been preserved by working terrier enthusiasts in England for
more than 100 years; it has survived on its merits as a worker.
Two varieties evolved with basically similar
Standards except for differences, mainly in height and proportions. The taller, more squarely built dog is now known
as the Parson Russell Terrier and the shorter, slightly longer proportioned dog, is known as the Jack Russell Terrier.
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REGISTRIES
There are several registries whether they are all breed or only Jack Russell registries. They vary on the standards
they accept, the name they choose to register them as and the size of the JRT they recognize. The following information was
gathered from each of their websites.
NKC
Recognized as the Jack
Russell Terrier
General Appearance:
Exuberant compact, active, small-to-medium lively looking little dog. The body is slightly longer than tall. Regardless
of the size of the dog, the legs must be long enough to allow the dog to move quickly and with agility in rough terrain.
Size: Females:
up to 11 inches // 10-14 pounds
Males: up to
11 inches // 10-14 pounds
For more information visit NKC
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UKC
Recognized as the Jack Russell Terrier
UKC
recognized the short-legged dogs as Russell Terriers on January 1, 2001; and on January 1, 2009 revised the breed name to
Jack Russell Terrier.
GENERAL APPEARANCE
The
Jack Russell Terrier is a small, agile, active hunting terrier, built to go to ground. The length of back from withers to
set-on of tail is slightly longer than the dog’s height at the withers. The length of the front leg (measured from point
of elbow to the ground) is approximately equal to one-half of the dog’s height at the withers. The body is capable of
being spanned by an average man’s hands placed behind the front legs. The head is moderately broad, with a flat skull,
a well-defined stop, and a powerful muzzle that is slightly shorter than the skull. Ears are button or drop, and very mobile.
The tail is straight, set high, and, if docked, is normally docked to a length where the tip is level with the top of the
ears. The skin is thick, and the coat, whether wiry or smooth, is always dense. The Jack Russell Terrier is solid white, or
predominately white with black, tan or brown markings. The Jack Russell Terrier should be evaluated as a working terrier,
and exaggerations or faults should be penalized in proportion to how much they interfere with the dog’s ability to work.
Scars should neither be penalized nor regarded as proof of a terrier’s working abilities. Click here to see more about their standard.
EJRTCA
The English Jack Russell Terrier Club Alliance, Inc.
(EJRTCA)
is determined to establish recognition for our little guys and to keep their lines pure.
We are dedicated in the
creation of a proper registry to guide both breeders and
owners in the perpetuation of the breed as a working terrier, judged as much by working ability as by
conformation.
First incorporated in 1996 as EJRTCA "America".
The English Jack Russell
Terrier Club Alliance, Inc. or better known as the EJRTCA provides a membership and registry that is dedicated to preserving
the English Jack Russell Terrier. We are dedicated to setting the type of terrier that was used in the early 1800's.
JRTCA
The Jack Russell Terrier Club of America
(JRTCA), founded in 1976, is the National Breed Club and Registry for the
Jack Russell Terrier in the United States. The JRTCA is affiliated with the Jack Russell Terrier United World Federation (JRTUWF),
an organization of Jack Russell clubs dedicated to protecting the working Jack Russell Terrier worldwide. Please note that
the JRTCA is NOT affiliated in any way with the American Kennel Club (AKC).
The JRTCA is the largest Jack Russell
Terrier club and registry in the world. JRTCA membership includes members from the U.S. and other countries including Canada, England, Scotland, Australia,
South Africa, Sweden, Japan, and the Bahamas. The JRTCA Annual National Trial attracts
approximately 1,200 Jack Russells from all over the U.S. and Canada, and is the largest exclusively Jack Russell Terrier gathering
in the world.
The JRTCA and its registry were founded
in 1976 for the purpose of protecting and preserving the unique characteristics and working heritage of this great little
terrier, and remains dedicated to that purpose today. The Club is, and always has been, emphatically opposed to recognition
of the Jack Russell Terrier by any kennel club or all-breed registry. Recognition, it is believed, will be detrimental to
the preservation of the Jack Russell as the sound, intelligent strain of working terrier it has been for more than 100 years.
The Real Jack Russell Terrier may be
any height between 10" and 15" (at the shoulder), it may vary in coats, markings, type, and for sure personality… they
are ALL real Jack Russell Terriers. There is no "ideal" …. the "ideal" is what suits their owner for what they want/need
to do with their terrier. That is the uniqueness of this diverse terrier. The diversity within the JRTCA breed standard is
what makes the Jack Russell Terrier suitable for a variety of working and performance abilities - in contrast with the narrow,
cosmetic breed standards of many show breeds. To Read more click here
To see their breed standard click here.
AKC FSS
Registered as the Russell Terrier
The American Kennel Club created the Foundation
Stock Service® (FSS®) to answer the needs of today's rare breed fanciers. The Foundation Stock Service® is an optional record-keeping
service for all purebred breeds not currently registrable with the American Kennel Club.
The AKC is committed to taking the necessary
action to ensure the continuation of purebred dogs. In accord with this objective, the AKC created the FSS® record-keeping
service to allow rare breed fanciers to continue their commitment to the improvement of their breed.
The Foundation Stock Service® allows purebred
rare breeds to continue to develop while providing them with the security of a reliable and reputable avenue to maintain their
records.
FSS® breeds may now compete in Companion
Events and in Performance Events that AKC determines to be applicable. Breeds must have dogs with three-generation pedigrees
recorded in the FSS®, a breed standard, and an active breed club in order to compete. Recording your dog in FSS® can help
catapult your breed into AKC competition.
While the recording of a dog in FSS® does not guarantee eventual full AKC
registration, it does provide the avenue to compete in the exciting world of Companion and Performance Events.
· The American Russell
terrier Club will serve as the AKC Parent Club to represent the Russell Terrier and will be eligible to compete in the Miscellaneous
Class, effective January 1, 2010
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The Russell Terrier will be eligible to compete in Companion Events and
in Earthdog Events, effective January 1, 2007
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The Russell Terrier has been assigned the Terrier Group designation.
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The Russell Terrier has been recorded in the Foundation Stock Service since October
2005
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Country of origin England, Country of development Austrailia.
Eligible Registries: American Russell Terrier Club, American
Russell Terrier Foundation, American Jack Russell Terrier Association, Any Acceptable Domestic or Foreign Registry
Normally breeds
remain in the Miscellaneous Class one to three years. However breeds with 1,000 or more do9gs enrolled in FSS may be evaluated
after six months. Breeds with less than 1,000 dogs will be evaluated at the end of each year in Miscellaneous. When all criteria
are met the information Is presented to the AKC Board of Directors for approval to move to full AKC recognition and breed
conformation competition.
CKC
Registered as the Jack Russell Terrier
Appearance: Head: Skull is flat, with moderate
width at ears. Eyes: Dark in color and deep set. Ears: V-shaped and dropped. Muzzle: Medium and tapering to a point. Nose:
Black and self-colored according to coat. Bite: Scissor or level. Neck: Muscular, and of good length. Topline: Level. Chest:
Shallow and narrow. Body: Compact, and well balanced. Legs: Straight, with slight bend in stifles. Feet: Round, cat like.
Tail: Docked. Movement: Quick, yet well balanced movements. Temperament: Fearless, loyal, and willing to please.
*There are 2 size classes of the Jack Russell Terrier: 9-12 inches
and 12-15 inches. There are also 2 coat varieties: the rough coat and the smooth coat.
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