Jack Russell Terrier

There are now two Kennel Club registered versions of this terrier, the Jack Russell Terrier and the Parson Russell Terrier, the difference between them being fairly minimal. The JRT is a few inches shorter, and a little less feisty than the PRT.

The Jack Russell type terrier however predates these neat, standardized breeds by over 200 years, and still exists today, though whether the ‘Sporting Reverend’ John Russell would recognise all who lay claim to the name as such, who can say.

Rev. John Russell’s goal was to create a terrier that could go to ground, chase out a fox but not kill it, and keep up with horses without needing to be carried over the saddle. As many dog hunting dog breeders realised, a dog with large amounts of white on their bodies was at far less risk of being mistaken for quarry and accidentally shot – so he favoured mostly white dogs.

Arguably, the two recognised versions of the breed do fulfil these criteria more closely than the ‘type’ version, however it is far less likely that they will be found actually doing the job!

Asides from evicting foxes from their dens to meet their fate with the hounds or the gun, the Jack Russell has long been an excellent household companion, farm-yard and stable yard ratter, lorry-companion and watch-dog. Leaving aside Reverend Russell’s criteria, a ‘Jack’ should be a small terrier, economical to feed, hardy, clever, friendly to people and the sworn enemy of cats, rats and other small furry things.

The one constant between both the recognised pedigree and the unregistered Jack Russell ‘type’ terrier is that they are a white terrier with patches of tan or black colour (although this has slipped in some ‘types’ due to breeder preference). 

The Jack Russell type terrier’s ancestry lies with working foxhound types, and despite Reverend Russell’s involvement in founding the Kennel Club, he had no desire to have his particular strain of terriers recognised as a pedigree breed. Temperament and working ability were far more important to him than the show-ring. As such, the breed was very late being registered and still the more usual and eternally popular working type and shape isn’t!

These days it would appear that anything goes – if a dog is small, has a terrier-ish face, is white with coloured patches, has a feisty nature and likes to berate the postman daily and chase next door’s cat – it is called a Jack Russell!

They range from the rather stout straight legged, short-coupled type to the dainty, foxy-faced short or ‘Queen Anne’ legged (front legs bent inwards, feet twisted outwards), slightly long in the back with a jaunty swagger kind… and everything in between.

There are some who claim solid black and tan dogs to be Jack Russells too – and this colour scheme is often just the preference of whoever has bred them or maybe to the area they live in (as there may be addition of Manchester Terrier blood or other local terrier breeds).
 

You’ll be the kind of person who is happy however your puppy turns out as unless you go for one of the registered versions, a Jack Russell terrier type puppy is always a bit of a gamble, and they may turn out larger, smaller, or simply somewhat different to what you had in mind! If this isn’t a risk you want to take on, then go for one of the recognised pedigree versions instead.

You’ll need a sense of humour, a lifestyle that lets you be with your dog most of the time, and ideally spend a lot of time outdoors, doing things your Jack can be involved with. They make fantastic ratters on farm or stable yards, are brilliant at minding lorries and vans (though care should be taken when leaving any dog in a vehicle!) and will adore being a ‘drivers mate’. 

They are clever, and need those sharp minds entertaining, so you’ll need to have an interest in training, whether that’s for work or sport.
 

An hour a day of dedicated walking, on top of accompanying an owner with daily chores, plus some training and fun dog games will suit the smaller, shorter legged variant nicely. For the straight legged and taller, more robust types, two hours a day is not excessive and again, this is in addition to training and games. Very delicately built and fine coated Jacks may dislike going out in the cold wind and rain but more robust types, rough coated and wire coated dogs should not mind a bit. 

Capable of a variety of dog sports if that is where your interest lies, they can do very well at agility, parkour, hoopers, Mantrailing and even CaniX, but you’ll need to add some training, some games, puzzle solving, and some appropriate outlets for their chasing, hunting, ripping, tearing and digging  behaviours, to have a truly happy Jack.

The Jack Russell type terrier can fit anywhere… flat, bedsit, under your jacket – they don’t mind. Life with a Jack will be easier if you have a very secure garden and live somewhere reasonably peaceful as they are an active watch dog and very vocal about anything suspicious (and as far as they are concerned, everything is suspicious!).

Your dog’s diet needs to have the right balance of all the main nutrient groups including a constant supply of fresh water. It's important to conduct regular body condition scores for your dog to ensure you keep your pet in ideal shape. Remember to feed them at least twice daily and in accordance with the dog feeding guidelines of their particular food.

Smooth coated Jacks need a brush with a stiff bristle brush once a week to keep skin and coat in top condition, and a wipe down most days. 

Rough and wire coated Jacks will need a bit more dog grooming, several times a week, and those with a very heavy coat may benefit from hand stripping twice a year to keep the coat tight and weather proof. It is sensible to check paws and ears for debris on a daily basis whatever coat type they have.

Jack Russell type terriers have a reputation for being hard to train, but this isn’t entirely true. They’re hard to train if you try to push them about and force your will upon them. If you work hard to motivate them, build a strong relationship based on reward and fun, and engineer things so that they want to work with you, they can be very highly trained indeed. It is all a matter of effort and attitude – you do not ‘make’ a Jack do anything, you teach them what you want and will reward handsomely, and you set them up so that they want to do!

Early and consistent habituation and socialisation with children, other dogs, other pets particularly cats and livestock (if you are a country-dweller) are essential, along with teaching a rock-solid recall and a ‘stop’ cue. This can be a gung-ho terrier who if allowed to believe no one is paying attention, will absolutely do as they please, and the things that please a terrier, tend not to please anyone else! Positive reinforcement based training works extremely well, and they are clever and fast learners who will enjoy training as long as it is done with care, thought and kindness.

Jacks are capable of a variety of doggy activities and sports if that’s what you’d enjoy, some are particularly good at flyball, every dog ever born can take part in Mantrailing, and if that isn’t your thing, they’ll still enjoy a good ramble, a game with a ball or furry tugger and a wander to the pub. Recall, ignoring cats, getting along with other dogs, tolerating children – these things will require work, good socialisation and habituation and sensitive ongoing dog training and management.

As a small breed with a spicy terrier nature, the Jack is disinclined to tolerate very small children who are still wobbly, grabby, and unable to follow instructions and may mistake the dog for a toy. Although more laid back than some terriers, this is still a dog who will not tolerate being manhandled or the clumsy attentions of very young children. For older children who can respect a dogs space, and follow instructions, a Jack Russell terrier type can make an excellent companion, assuming good temperament has been a focus for the breeder.

While many dogs are traditionally thought of as being good with children, all dogs and children need to be taught to get on with and respect each other, and be safe together. Even so, dogs and young children should never be left alone together and adults should supervise all interactions between them.