Dog Breeds Codexery

Jack Russell Terrier

A working terrier bred for bolting foxes from dens.

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The Jack Russell Terrier is a working terrier breed named after Reverend John "Jack" Russell, a parson and hunting enthusiast born in 1795.[1] It derives from dogs bred for fox-hunting in North Devon in the early nineteenth century.[2] The Jack Russell Terrier and the Parson Russell Terrier, while very similar, are considered separate breeds.[2]

Biology and range

The breed's origin traces to a small white and tan terrier female named Trump, purchased by Russell in 1819 from a local milkman.[1] An important attribute was a tempered aggressiveness that would drive the dog to pursue and bolt the fox without harming the quarry.[3] The Fox Terrier Club was formed in 1875 with Russell as a founder member.[4] By the start of the 20th century, the old style of John Russell's terriers remained in some parts of the country.[4]

A 2022 UK study found the Jack Russell Terrier to have an average life expectancy of 12 years and 9 months, higher than any other breed in the study.[5] Trump was the embodiment of what Russell considered the perfect Fox Terrier, a label then applied to any terrier that would drive foxes from their burrows.[1] These dogs are tough, resilient, and persistent, with a height of 10 to 15 inches at the shoulder and a weight between 14 and 18 pounds.[6] Their coat is mostly white (over 51%), featuring black, brown, or tan patches, and can be smooth, rough, or a combination of both.[7]

What the specialist sources record

The Jack Russell Terrier Club of America breed standard states that everything about the Jack Russell has fox hunting in mind, including coloring, conformation, character, and intelligence.[8] The standard notes the Jack Russell must be totally flexible to maneuver underground, and where the fox can go, so must the terrier.[8] White should predominate (more than 51% white) with tan, black, or brown markings.[8] A Shooting UK article reports that the most striking difference between a Jack Russell and a Parson Russell is size, with Jack Russells being slightly smaller.[9]

The same article states that the distinctive fox terrier type bred by Parson Russell was adopted in 1894 by Arthur Heinemann for work with his Devon and Somerset Badger Club.[9] By the mid 1850s, Jack Russell terriers were being bought by all the fashionable foxhound packs in England, according to the Shooting UK article.[9] The article quotes expert Eddie Chapman saying the real Jack Russell must have a shallow, narrow chest similar in size to that of a vixen.[9]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Jack Russell Terrier" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nicholas, "Jack Russell Terriers", TFH Publications, 1995, p. 4; "Fox Terriers and Jack Russells", Jane Dogs; "Breed History & Club History", Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain; "An introduction to the Parson Russell Terrier", Parson Russell Terrier Club UK; "A Field Guide to the English Clergy' Butler-Gallie, F p90: London, Oneworld Publications, 2018; Davies, "Europe: A History", Oxford University Press, 1 January 1996, p. 343; "From the civil war to Jack Russell breed by Chris Koenig, Oxford Times 25 January 2007"; Coile en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Jack Russell Terrier" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Jack Russell terrier and a Parson Russell - can you tell the difference?", Shooting UK, 2021-01-26 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Jack Russell Terrier" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McKinney, "History of the Jack Russell Terrier", Parson Russell Terrier / Jack Russell Terrier.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Jack Russell Terrier" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "An introduction to the Parson Russell Terrier", Parson Russell Terrier Club UK (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Jack Russell Terrier" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Teng, "Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom", Scientific Reports, 2022-04-28, p. 6415; McMillan, "Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death", Scientific Reports, 2024-02-01, p. 531; Roccaro, "Factors related to longevity and mortality of dogs in Italy", Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2024 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Jack Russell Terrier" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Coile (2000): p. 11; "JRTCA Breed Standard", Jack Russell Terrier Club of America (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Jack Russell Terrier" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "JRTCA Breed Standard", Jack Russell Terrier Club of America (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "JRTCA Breed Standard", Jack Russell Terrier Club of America. facts only, no text reused. therealjackrussell.com
  9. "Jack Russell terrier and a Parson Russell - can you tell the difference?", Shooting UK, 2021-01-26. facts only, no text reused. shootinguk.co.uk

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Jack Russell Terrier (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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