The small white working terriers developed for fox hunting that we know today were first bred by the Reverend John "Jack" Russell, a clergyman and hunting enthusiast born in 1795. Their origins can be traced back to the now extinct English white terrier.
Difficulty in differentiating fox-hunting dogs from the foxes they were pursuing brought about the need for a mostly white dog, and so in 1819 during his last year of university at Exeter College, Oxford, Reverend Russell purchased a small white and tan terrier female named Trump from a local milkman. Trump epitomized the ideal Fox Terrier, in Russell's mind, which at the time was a term used for any terrier that was used to bolt foxes out of their burrows. Trump's coloring was described as "white with just a patch of dark tan over each eye and ear; whilst a similar dot, not larger than a penny piece, marks the root of the tail." She became the basis for a breeding program 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. By the 1850s his efforts had paid off, and these dogs were recognized as a distinct breed. An important attribute in this dog was a tempered aggressiveness that would provide the necessary drive to pursue prey, without resulting in physical harm to the fox which would spoil the hunt for the hunter. Russell was said to have prided himself that his terriers, "never tasted blood." This line of terriers he developed was well respected for those qualities, and his dogs were often taken on by other foxhunt enthusiasts. It is unlikely, however, that any dogs alive today can be proved to be descendants from Trump, as Russell was forced to sell all his dogs on more than one occasion because of financial difficulty, and had only four elderly terriers left when he died in 1883.
The Fox terrier and Jack Russell Terrier type dogs of today are all descended from dogs of that period, however. Documented pedigrees earlier than 1862 have not been found, but several records remain of documented breeding by John Russell between the 1860s and 1880s. The Fox Terrier Club was formed in 1875 with Russell as one of the founder members. Its breed standard was actually comprised of attributes they hoped to one day breed into the dogs, and was not an actual description of how the breed appeared at the time. By the start of the 20th century, the Fox Terrier had altered more towards the modern breed. Many breeds have used the Jack Russell as their base breed including the Brazilian Terrier, the Japanese Terrier, the Miniature Fox Terrier, the Rat Terrier, and others.
Arthur Blake Heinemann created the first official breed standard and in 1894 he founded the Devon and Somerset Badger Club, the aims of which were to promote badger digging rather than fox hunting, and the breeding of terriers suitable for this purpose. By the turn of the 20th century, 28 years after his death, Russell's name had become permanently associated with this breed.
The club started by Heinemann was later renamed the Parson Jack Russell Terrier Club. Badger digging required a different type of dog than fox hunting, and it is likely that Bull Terrier stock was introduced to strengthen the breed, which may have caused the creation of a shorter legged variety of Jack Russell terrier that started to appear around this period. At the same time that a split was appearing between show and working Fox terriers, a further split was occurring between two different types of white terrier, both carrying Jack Russell's name. Heinemann was invited to judge classes for working terriers at Crufts with an aim to bring working terriers back into the show ring and influence those that disregard working qualities in dogs. These classes were continued for several years by various judges, but Charles Cruft dropped the attempt as the classes were never heavily competed. Following Heinemann's death in 1930, the kennel and leadership of the club passed to Annie Harris, but the club itself collapsed shortly before World War II.
Following World War II, the requirement for hunting dogs drastically declined, as did the numbers of Jack Russell Terriers. The dogs were increasingly used as family and companion dogs, but their population was dwindling. It was but a few passionate enthusiasts in England and the US that managed to save the breed.
The Jack Russell Terrier Club of America (JRTCA) was formed in 1976 by Ailsa Crawford, one of the first Jack Russell terrier breeders in the United States. Size ranges for dogs were kept broad, with the ability of working dogs awarded higher than those in conformation shows. An open registry was maintained, with restricted line breeding. Registration for the club is made at adulthood for Jack Russells, rather than at birth, to ensure the breed's qualities remain into maturity.
Several breed clubs appeared in the United Kingdom during the 1970s to promote the breed, including the Jack Russell Club of Great Britain (JRTCGB) and the South East Jack Russell Terrier Club (SEJRTC). The former promoted the range of sizes that remain in its standards today, whereas the latter set a minimum height for dogs at 13 in. While the JRTCGB sought to ensure that the breed's working ability remained through non-recognition with other breed registries, the SEJRTC activity sought recognition with the UK Kennel club.
In 1983, the Parson Jack Russell Club of Great Britain (PJRTCGB) was resurrected to seek Kennel Club recognition for the breed. Although the application was initially rejected, a new standard was created for the PJRTCGB based on the standard of the SEJRTC, and under that standard the breed was recognized by the Kennel Club in 1990 as the Parson Jack Russell Terrier. Jack was dropped from the official name in 1999, and the recognized name of the breed became the Parson Russell Terrier.
In the late 1990s, the American Kennel Club explored the possibility of recognizing the Jack Russell Terrier. This move was opposed by the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America as they did not want the breed to lose its essential working characteristics. The Jack Russell Terrier Breeders Association formed and petitioned the AKC; the breed's admission was granted in 2001. Under the AKC-recognized standard, the size of the breed was narrowed from the previous club's standard, and the name of the AKC-recognized Jack Russell Terrier was changed to Parson Russell Terrier, with the Jack Russell Terrier Breeders Association renamed to the Parson Russell Terrier Association of America.
Today the Jack Russell Terrier and Parson Russell Terrier breeds are similar, sharing a common origin, but have several marked differences – the most notable being the range of acceptable heights. Other differences in the Parson Russell can include a longer head and larger chest as well as overall a larger body size.
The Jack Russell's tails are traditionally docked. This began in order to prevent breakage when they were backing out of fox holes. Hunters would often carry the Jack Russell Terrier in a sack on the side of the horse so the dog could conserve energy and use it to dig out the fox rather than use it up running alongside a horse. Many hunters today still carry their JRTs when hunting.
Because the preservation of this working ability is of highest importance to most registered JRTCA/JRTCGB breeders, Jack Russells tend to be extremely intelligent, athletic, fearless, and vocal dogs. It is not uncommon for these dogs to become moody or destructive if not properly stimulated and exercised, as they have a tendency to bore easily and will often create their own fun when left alone to entertain themselves, leading to the semi-affectionate nickname among suburban pet dogs of "Jack Russell Terrorist".
Their high energy and drive make these dogs ideally suited to a number of different dog sports such as flyball, agility, and barn hunt. Obedience classes are also recommended to potential owners, as Jack Russells can be stubborn at times and aggressive towards other animals and humans if not properly socialized. Despite their small size, these dogs are not recommended for the condominium or apartment dweller unless the owner is ready to take on the daunting task of providing the dog with the necessary amount of exercise and stimulation. They have a tremendous amount of energy for their size.
A 2022 study of life expectancy of dogs in the UK using veterinary data found the Jack Russel Terrier to have an average life expectancy of 12 years and 9 months, this was higher than any other breed in the study including crossbreeds. A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.3 years.
The majority of Russell Terriers are happy, healthy little dogs. Responsible breeders screen their stock for health conditions such as patellar luxation (loose kneecaps), deafness, and eye disease, and are dedicated to preserving the genetic health of the breed by doing health testing on all their breeding stock.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
Patella Evaluation
BAER Testing
Primary Lens Luxation (PLL) - DNA Test
Ophthalmologist Evaluation
Resources:
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