The Jack Russell Terrier, a type of small
terrier, has a history of fox hunting. The term "Jack Russell" is
associated with working terriers and now includes Parson Russell
Terriers and Russell Terriers.Russell
Terriers were originally bred by Reverend Mr. John Russell, who
was a parson and loved to hunt. Russell Terriers originated from a
terrier named Trump, who was supposed to breed a terrier that
would have good stamina for hunting and courage to catch and chase
foxes without actually hurting them. Another form of Russell
Terriers were ones bred for badger digging. They were crossed with
Bull Terriers to create a strong, small dog which were then
described as Jack Russell Terriers.
There is controversy over the breed, as Jack
Russell Terriers were not recognized by major dog registries for a
long time. In 1990, Jack Russell Terriers were finally recognized.
However, since recognition is still quite recent, there is still
no kind of conformity on naming and classifying the different
types of dogs yet.
Jack Russell Terriers are about 25 to 30 cm
tall and are mostly white with various colors such as black or tan
on the face and tail. Their ears are V-shaped and fold forward.
Jack Russell Terriers have strong teeth and a dense double coat
which comes in three varieties.
Jack Russell Terriers' tails, which are 6 to
8 inches long, are straight and upright. In the past, the tails
were often cut short to about 4 inches, supposedly to give them a
human hand's grip so hunters could help pull them out of holes.
Fortunately, docking like this is now illegal and is less common.
An outgoing breed with a keen expression,
Jack Russell Terriers are considered intelligent and are filled
with energy. They are popular pets due to their small size,
friendly nature, intelligence and curiosity. They need a lot of
exercise as they have a hunting background and are meant to be
strong and fast. Though they love to play, training is necessary
as untrained Jack Russell Terriers tend to have difficult
behaviors.
Jack Russell Terriers make good watchdogs as
they were designed to bark at prey. Though they are very vocal
dogs, they do not bark unless there is a good reason to. They are
good with children, but any kind of abuse, even accidental, is not
tolerated by them. Most Jack Russell Terriers are outgoing and
friendly to other dogs, but some can be fairly aggressive. Jack
Russell Terriers are also known as not being afraid of larger
dogs, which can be a bad thing and lead to injuries.
Jack Russell Terriers, if taken care of, can
live for over 15 years. The main health issue with them is
cataracts, which is often seen in Jack Russell Terriers whose
breeding stock is not tested.
Jack Russell Terriers are popular on screen
as well, as they have vivid facial expressions and a feisty
personality. Famous Jack Russell Terriers include Wishbone, who
has his own television series, Milo from the popular comedy movie
"The Mask" and Eddie, the popular dog on Frasier.
Jack Russell Terriers make great pets as
they are small and friendly, yet also are attentive, strong and
vocal when they need to be.
