Jack Facts: Things About JRTs You Should Know
An Interesting History.
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), who apart from his church activities, had a passion for fox hunting and the breeding of fox hunting dogs; he is also said to have been a rather flamboyant character, probably accounting for his 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.
Jack's Many Faces: Description of the Breed
Jack Russell Terriers are sturdy and tough, measuring between 10" and 15" at the withers. The body length must be in proportion to the height, and the dog should present a compact, balanced image. Predominantly white in coloration (more than 51%) with black and/or tan markings, they exhibit a smooth, broken or rough coat. The skin can sometimes show a pattern of small black or brown spots, referred to as "ticking", that do not carry through to the outer coat. All coat types should be dense double coats that are neither silky (in the case of smooth coats) nor woolly (in the case of rough coats). The head should be of moderate width at the ears, narrowing to the eyes, and slightly flat between the ears. There should be a defined stop at the end of the muzzle where it meets the head but not overpronounced, with a black nose. The jaw should be powerful and well boned with a scissor bite and straight teeth. The eyes are almond shaped and dark colored, and should be full of life and intelligence. Small V-shaped ears of moderate thickness are carried forward on the head. When the dog is alert the tip of the V should not extend past the outer corner of the eyes. The tail is set high and docked to approximately five inches in order to provide a sufficient hand-hold for gripping the terrier. It is a serious fault for the dog to have its tail down when in the show ring. The Jack Russell should always appear balanced and alert.
As the Jack Russell is primarily a working terrier, its most important physical characteristic is its chest size, which must not be so large that it prevents the dog from entering and working in burrows. The red fox is the traditional quarry of the Jack Russell Terrier (JRT) so the working Jack Russell must be small enough to pursue its quarry. Jack Russells vary in size, but across the world they average about 14 pounds in weight and have a chest diameter of 12-14 inches at the widest. As Barry Jones, the founding Chairman of the National Working Terrier Federation noted:
The chest is, without doubt, the determining factor as to whether a terrier may follow its intended quarry underground. Too large and it is of little use for underground work, for no matter how determined the terrier may be, this physical setback will not be overcome in the nearly-tight situations it will encounter in working foxes. It may be thought the fox is a large animal - to the casual observer it would appear so. However, the bone structure of the fox is finer than that of a terrier, plus it has a loose-fitting, profuse pelt which lends itself to flexibility. I have not encountered a fox which could not be spanned at 14 inches circumference - this within a weight range of 10 lbs to 24 lbs, on average 300 foxes spanned a year.
The chest of a Jack Russell should be easily spannable by the average size hands, meaning that if one wraps their hands around the dogs chest, directly behind their front legs, one should be able to put thumb to thumb, and forefinger to forefinger.
Jack's Attitude: One of Kind Personality
he Jack Russell is first and foremost a working terrier. Originally bred to bolt fox from their dens during hunts, they are used on numerous ground-dwelling quarry such as groundhog, badger, and red and grey fox. The working JRT is required to locate quarry in the earth, and then either bolt or hold it in place until it is dug to. To accomplish this the dog must bark and work the quarry continuously. Because the preservation of this working ability is of highest importance to most registered 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 they are 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. Their high energy and drive make these dogs ideally suited to a number of different dog sports such as flyball or agility. 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 (a process that should continue throughout their whole lives). 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. These are truly a big dog in a small package, and most suffer from a "Napoleon complex", which can sometimes lead to trouble involving larger animals. The JRT owner must be aware of these tendencies and keep an eye out for trouble in many situations.
Healthy Jack = Happy Jack: JRTs Health
Jack Russell terriers are known for longevity and health due in a large part to a large gene pool. The JRTCA specifically regulates inbreeding and line breeding to a 16% coefficient unlike many of the kennel club show dog breeds. A well-cared-for Jack Russell can live well into its teens, remaining active right into its senior years. The typical lifespan is between 12 and 19 years.
Health concerns with the breed include hereditary cataracts, primary lens luxation, congenital deafness, medial patellar lucation, verebellar ataxia, Legg-Calve-Perthes Diesase, myasthenia gravis, atopy, general joint problems, and BAER tested for hearing as juveniles and CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation) tested annually to check for any hereditary defects. Although not commonly a problem in this breed, some breeders choose to have their dogs OFA inspected for potential joint problems.
Jack Sees Stars - In Hollywood!
On April 29, 2007, a Jack Russell named George saved five children in New Zealand from an attack by two pit bulls. He was reported to have charged at them and held them at bay long enough for the children to get away. He was killed by the Pit Bulls, and in 2009 was posthumously awarded the PDSA Gold Medal, the animal equivalent of the George Cross. A former US Marine also donated a Purple Heart award he received for service in Vietnam to George's owner.
Nipper, the RCA-Victor trademark dog, who is portrayed with head cocked listening to the horn of a phonograph player in the painting entitled "His Master's Voice" by Barraud, is generally considered to be a Jack Russell terrier.
A Jack Russell named Russell the Muscle stars in the music video for 1980's hit "Just Got Lucky" by JoBoxers.
In the UK, one of the more recognizable canine stars was restaurateur and chef Rick Stein's irrepressible terrier Chalky, who frequently upstaged his owner on his various cookery series. He was unique in having his own line of merchandise, including plushes, tea towels, art prints, art paw prints and even his own real ale - Chalky's Bite. He earned a BBC obituary when he died in 2007.
Two Jack Russells, father Moose and son Enzo, played the role of Eddie, on the long-running TV sitcom Frasier. Eddie belonged to lead character Frasier's father Martin, and constantly "stole the show" with his deadpan antics. Eddie received more fan mail than any other Frasier character.
The T.V show "Wishbone" also featured a Jack Russell as Wishbone, the story telling dog who would take you on an adventure through a famous story like "Huckleberry Finn"
