BREED HISTORY

The Parson Russell Terrier was first bred in the south of England in the mid-1800's to hunt European red fox, both over and under the ground. The Parson Russell ran with horse and hound as the hunt trailed the fox across the Devon countryside. When the hounds drove a fox to ground the terrier followed, baying to bolt his quarry so that the chase could continue.

Everything about the Parson Russell Terrier says foxhunting: conformation, character, attitude and intelligence. He is of balanced and flexible build with straight legs and a narrow chest. He measures ideally between 12" and 14" in height. Coat is broken, dense, straight, harsh and tight so as to give a smooth appearance from a distance. His height gives him the length of leg to follow the fox and hounds, and the narrow chest, flexible frame and tenacity to follow a fox below ground. He is bold though cautious in temperament, an independent, intelligent terrier accustomed to working alone with only his instincts to guide him. Indeed, many a tale has been told of a Parson Russell finding the fox before the hounds could.

The Parson Russell is named for the most renowned of British huntsmen, Rev. John Russell, "The Sporting Parson" (1795-1883), whose passion for foxhunting, hounds and working terriers is legendary. Rev. Russell and his compatriots bred with care uniform terriers measuring 14" in height and 14-17 lbs. in weight. Rev. Russell's own terriers were known to be of a distinct type: white or predominantly white with tan or black and tan markings traditionally confined to the head and base of tail.

Rev. Russell was a founding member of England's Kennel Club in 1873, and in 1874 he judged fox terriers for The Kennel Club. In his day, Rev. Russell was called "The Father of the Wirehaired Fox Terrier", at a time when it was thought that wire coats were a passing fad. Rev. Russell's bloodlines are found in the pedigrees of early smooth fox terriers, for as a breeder of broken coats he often bred to smooth-coated fox terriers to improve coat quality. His bloodlines are also found on both sides of the wire-coated bitch, L'il Foiler, dam of the well known wire champion, Carlisle Tack, said to be indistinguishable from the type terrier bred by Parson Russell.

Foxhunting in the southern part of Great Britain was, and is today, comprised primarily of mounted hunts riding over the fields of the countryside. Terriers working these hunts were required to be baying terriers. Parson Russell demanded that his terriers be "steady from riot", for the hunt ended if the fox did not bolt. In the south, "hard" Russells who tried to kill the fox underground were suspected of carrying undesirable bull terrier blood (hence the brindle disqualification in the standard). In the northwest of England near the Scottish border, foxhunts are not mounted and man and dog follow the fox on foot over rocky terrain. Northern terriers are often expected to be hard dogs who can latch onto their quarry and drag it from the earth as the rocks make it difficult to dig. In the north, hard Russell-type terriers were suspected of carrying Lakeland or fell terrier blood (hence the faulting in the standard of a curly or kinky coat).

The Parson Russell Terrier was, and should remain, a baying terrier whose job is to bolt, not kill, his quarry. This part of the breed's history affects both its correct type and attitude in the show ring today.

After Rev. Russell's death, the name "Jack Russell Terrier" was misused to describe all mix and manner of working and hunt terriers, many of which bore little, if any, similarity to Rev. Russell's own terriers. The mounted style of foxhunting in southern England had been hampered by expanding agricultural practices and the sport became expensive. Those without sufficient land or resource took to fox and badger digging for terrier sport. Terriers were carried to known settes and released down an earth to attack whatever they found, no horses or hounds required. These terriers were more aggressive than intelligent, and needed not the leg, stamina nor common sense of the early Parson Russell. The public came to know a "Jack Russell" only as a game working terrier, regardless of shape or size. Unfortunately, it was this kind of terrier: long-backed, short-legged, prick-eared, frequently achrondroplastic and of questionable temperament, that was imported to America incorrectly bearing the name "Jack Russell Terrier". Rev. Russell and his compatriots would never have recognized these terriers as the Parson Russell or the Fox Terrier, for indeed they are not.

The first breed Standard was drafted in 1904 by Arthur Heinemann, who founded the Parson Jack Russell Terrier Club in 1914. The standard called for a 14" terrier and accurately reflects the original Parson-type terrier. This type terrier was kept alive by sportsmen in southern England and recorded through the years by well-known dog fanciers.

In England in the early 1970's, a 10" to 15" height standard was devised to encompass the myriad of commonly popular post-war breed distortions. The 10" to 15" standard calls for a "balanced" terrier as does the 12" to 14" standard. From a breeder's standpoint, the 10" to 15" standard is impossible to reproduce as a 10" balanced terrier has none of the bone, substance, or stature necessary to satisfy breed function.

The Jack Russell Terrier Association of America (JRTAA), originally the Jack Russell Terrier Breeders Association (JRTBA), was founded in 1985 to help restore and breed to the original Parson Jack Russell Terrier breed standard. The JRTAA standard was based upon the Heinemann standard and was written to represent the Parson Russell Terrier as a working terrier to red fox and red fox alone. With the specified 12" to 14" standard height range, the JRTAA breed standard defined a terrier that could perform the dual functions required of Rev. Russell's terriers, to both follow the fox both above and below ground.

In January of 1990 the breed was recognized on the 14" standard in England by The Kennel Club as the Parson Jack Russell terrier, a working variant of the fox terrier. The Parson Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain (PJRTC) was composed of working terrier people who felt the breed was seriously endangered by the practices of those who advocated a 10" to 15" standard, and they took the breed to Kennel Club recognition to protect the original standard.

In July of 1997, the Board of Directors of the American Kennel Club unanimously accepted the Jack Russell Terrier into its registry, effective November 1, 1997. On January 1, 1998 the breed became eligible for competition in all AKC events, including conformation participation in the Miscellaneous Class at all-breed shows. The breed was accepted into the AKC Terrier Group on April 1, 2000. On April 1, 2003, the name of the breed was changed from Jack Russell Terrier to Parson Russell Terrier to differentiate the true Parson-type terrier from little generic terriers casually referred to as "Jack Russell". The Jack Russell Terrier Association of America club name was changed to Parson Russell Terrier Association of America (PRTAA). The Breed Standard was revised effective September 29, 2004.

 "To function as a working terrier, he must possess certain characteristics: a ready attitude, alert and confident; balance in height and length; medium in size and bone, suggesting strength and endurance. Important to breed type is a natural appearance: harsh, weatherproof coat with a compact construction and clean silhouette. The coat is broken or smooth. He has a small, flexible chest to enable him to pursue his quarry underground and sufficient length of leg to follow the hounds."  

OFFICIAL BREED STANDARD

General Appearance:

The Parson Russell Terrier was developed in the south of England in the 1800's as a white terrier to work European red fox both above and below ground. The terrier was named for the Reverend John Russell, whose terriers trailed hounds and bolted foxes from dens so the hunt could ride on. To function as a working terrier, he must possess certain characteristics: a ready attitude, alert and confident; balance in height and length; medium in size and bone, suggesting strength and endurance. Important to breed type is a natural appearance: harsh, weatherproof coat with a compact construction and clean silhouette. The coat is broken or smooth. He has a small, flexible chest to enable him to pursue his quarry underground and sufficient length of leg to follow the hounds. Old scars and injuries, the result of honorable work or accident, should not be allowed to prejudice a terrier’s chance in the show ring, unless they interfere with movement or utility for work or breeding.

Size, Substance, Proportion:

Size - The ideal height of a mature dog is 14 inches at the highest point of the shoulder blade, and bitches 13 inches. Terriers whose heights measure either slightly larger or smaller than the ideal are not to be penalized in the show ring provided other points of their conformation, especially balance, are consistent with the working aspects of the standard. Larger dogs must remain spannable and smaller dogs must continue to exhibit breed type and sufficient bone to allow them to work successfully. The weight of a terrier in hard working condition is usually between 13 to 17 pounds.


Proportion - Balance is the keystone of the terrier's anatomy. The chief points of consideration are the relative proportions of skull and foreface, head and frame, height at withers and length of body. The height at withers is slightly greater than the distance from the withers to tail, i.e. by possibly 1 to 1½ inches on a 14 inch dog. The measurement will vary according to height. Substance - The terrier is of medium bone, not so heavy as to appear coarse or so light as to appear racy. The conformation of the whole frame is indicative of strength and endurance.  

Disqualification - Height under 12 inches or over 15 inches.

Head:

Head - Strong and in good proportion to the rest of the body, so the appearance of balance is maintained. Expression - Keen, direct, full of life and intelligence.

Eyes - Almond shaped, dark in color, moderate in size, not protruding. Dark rims are desirable, however where the coat surrounding the eye is white, the eye rim may be pink.

Ears - Small "V"- shaped drop ears of moderate thickness carried forward close to the head with the tip so as to cover the orifice and pointing toward the eye. Fold is level with the top of the skull or slightly above. When alert, ear tips do not extend below the corner of the eye. Skull - Flat with muzzle and back skull in parallel planes. Fairly broad between the ears, narrowing slightly to the eyes. The stop is well defined but not prominent.

Muzzle - Length from nose to stop is slightly shorter than the distance from stop to occiput. Strong and rectangular, measuring in width approximately 2/3 that of the backskull between the ears. Jaws - Upper and lower are of fair and punishing strength.

Nose - Must be black and fully pigmented. Bite - Teeth are large with complete dentition in a perfect scissors bite, i.e., upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and teeth set square to the jaws.

Faults - Snipey muzzle, weak or coarse head. Light or yellow eye, round eye. Hound ear, fleshy ear, rounded tips. Level bite, missing teeth. Four or more missing pre-molars, incisors or canines is a fault.

Disqualifications - Prick ears. Liver color nose. Overshot, undershot or wry mouth.

Neck, Topline, Body:

Neck - Clean and muscular, moderately arched, of fair length, gradually widening so as to blend well into the shoulders. Topline - Strong, straight, and level in motion, the loin of moderate length.

Body - In overall length to height proportion, the dog appears approximately square and balanced. The back is neither short nor long. The back gives no appearance of slackness but is laterally flexible, so that he may turn around in an earth. Tuck-up is moderate.

Chest: Narrow and of moderate depth, giving an athletic rather than heavily-chested appearance; must be flexible and compressible. The ribs are fairly well sprung, oval rather than round, not extending past the level of the elbow.

Tail - Docked so the tip is approximately level to the skull. Set on not too high, but so that a level topline, with a very slight arch over the loin, is maintained. Carried gaily when in motion, but when baiting or at rest may be held level but not below the horizontal.

Faults - Chest not spannable or shallow; barrel ribs. Tail set low or carried low to or over the back, i.e. squirrel tail.

Forequarters: Shoulders - Long and sloping, well laid back, cleanly cut at the withers. Point of shoulder sits in a plane behind the point of the prosternum. The shoulder blade and upper arm are of approximately the same length; forelegs are placed well under the dog. Elbows hang perpendicular to the body, working free of the sides. Legs are strong and straight with good bone. Joints turn neither in nor out. Pasterns firm and nearly straight.

Feet - Round, cat-like, very compact, the pads thick and tough, the toes moderately arched pointing forward, turned neither in nor out. Fault - Hare feet.

Hindquarters: Strong and muscular, smoothly molded, with good angulation and bend of stifle. Hocks near the ground, parallel, and driving in action. Feet as in front.

Coat: Smooth and Broken: Whether smooth or broken, a double coat of good sheen, naturally harsh, close and dense, straight with no suggestion of kink. There is a clear outline with only a hint of eyebrows and beard if natural to the coat. No sculptured furnishings. The terrier is shown in his natural appearance not excessively groomed. Sculpturing is to be severely penalized. Faults - Soft, silky, woolly, or curly topcoat. Lacking undercoat. Excessive grooming and sculpturing.

Color: White, white with black or tan markings, or a combination of these, tri-color. Colors are clear. As long as the terrier is predominantly white, moderate body markings are not to be faulted. Grizzle is acceptable and should not be confused with brindle.

Disqualification - Brindle markings.

Gait: Movement or action is the crucial test of conformation. A tireless ground covering trot displaying good reach in front with the hindquarters providing plenty of drive. Pasterns break lightly on forward motion with no hint of hackney-like action or goose-stepping. The action is straight in front and rear.

Temperament: Bold and friendly. Athletic and clever. At work he is a game hunter, tenacious, courageous, and single minded. At home he is playful, exuberant and overwhelmingly affectionate. He is an independent and energetic terrier and requires his due portion of attention. He should not be quarrelsome. Shyness should not be confused with submissiveness. Submissiveness is not a fault. Sparring is not acceptable.

Fault: Shyness. Disqualification - Overt aggression toward another dog.

Spanning: To measure a terrier's chest, span from behind, raising only the front feet from the ground, and compress gently. Directly behind the elbows is the smaller, firm part of the chest. The central part is usually larger but should feel rather elastic. Span with hands tightly behind the elbows on the forward portion of the chest. The chest must be easily spanned by average size hands. Thumbs should meet at the spine and fingers should meet under the chest. This is a significant factor and a critical part of the judging process. The dog cannot be correctly judged without this procedure.

Disqualifications: Height under 12 inches or over 15 inches. Prick ears, liver nose. Overshot, undershot or wry mouth. Brindle markings. Overt aggression toward another dog.

Approved: July 13, 2004

Parson Russell Terriers ​are playful, affectionate, fun-loving companions. They are also high-energy terriers with powerful hunting instincts. An ideal day for a pet Parson Russell Terrier would include a long walk in the woods, where he could explore every hole and sniff every tree trunk. They’re not the first breed we’d recommend for life in a city apartment, but we have heard success stories about urban Parson Russell Terriers—but it does take time, commitment, and imagination to make it work.

At home he is energetic, playful, overwhelmingly affectionate and highly active. He can be difficult if not properly trained. From the time he is a puppy until old age, he will require a great deal of attention and exercise. Outgoing and friendly, the Parson is tenacious in the field and affectionate in the home. No matter the venue, the breed is filled with energy, so he requires regular exercise and attention. Although good with children, he does not tolerate rough handling from toddlers.

The breed got its name from the most renowned of British huntsmen, Reverend John Russell, "The Sporting Parson," whose passion for fox hunting, hounds, and working terriers is legendary. The Parson Russell Terrier was first bred in the south of England in the mid-1800's to hunt European red fox, both over and underground, for the sport of kings. After John Russell's death, the name "Jack Russell" was misused to describe all mix and manner of working and hunt terriers, many of which bore little, if any, similarity to Russell's own terriers. Arthur Heinemann, who founded the Parson Jack Russell Terrier Club in 1914, drafted the first Jack Russell breed standard in 1904.

He is an active and versatile Terrier.  Easily trained to tackle many activities - Agility, Barnhunt, Companion, Conformation, Coursing, Earthdog, Hunting, Obedience, and many others.