The Parson Russell Terrier

A brief history of the breed...

The Parson Russell Terrier was developed and established in the 18th Century in Devon by the Reverend John Russell. John Russell was born into a fox hunting family in 1795, where his love of hunting was nurtured. He wanted a dog that could keep up with the horses, run with the foxhounds and was small enough to flush the foxes from their dens.

While studying at Oxford he saw, and bought, the perfect dog for his purposes, belonging to the milkman. This dog was called Trump. It is thought that this was this was the first dog to be known as a Jack Russell. During his time as a clergyman, John Russell devoted himself to both the church and breeding terriers suitable for fox hunting.

Parson Russell was a founder member of the kennel club and spent most of his time living in Swimbridge, Devon where the local pub is still named after him.

For a more detailed history of the breed see here

Breed Standard...

General Appearance
Workmanlike, active and agile; built for speed and endurance.
Overall picture of balance and flexibility.
Honourable scars permissible.

Characteristics
Essentially a working terrier with ability and conformation
to go to ground and run with hounds.

Temperament
Bold and friendly.

Head and Skull
Flat, moderately broad, gradually narrowing to the eyes.
Shallow stop. Length from nose to stop slightly shorter
than from stop to occiput. Nose black.

Eyes
Almond-shaped, fairly deep-set, dark,
keen expression.

Ears
Small, V-shaped, dropping forward, carried close to head,
tip of ear to reach corner of eye, fold not to appear above top of skull.
Leather of moderate thickness.

Mouth
Jaws strong, muscular. Teeth with a perfect,
regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely
overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck
Clean, muscular, of good length,
gradually widening to shoulders.

Forequarters
Shoulders long and sloping, well laid back, cleanly cut at withers.
Legs strong, must be straight with joints turning neither in nor out.
Elbows close to body, working free of the sides.

Body
Ribs not over-sprung. Chest of moderate depth, not to come
below point of elbow, capable of being spanned behind the
shoulders by average size hands. Back strong and straight.
Loin slightly arched. Well balanced. Overall length slightly
longer than height from withers to ground.

Hindquarters
Strong, muscular with good angulation and bend of stifle.
Hocks set low and rear pasterns parallel giving plenty of drive.

Feet
Compact with firm pads, turning neither in nor out.

Tail
Previously customarily docked.
Docked: Length complimenting the body while providing a good handhold. Strong, straight, moderately high set, carried well up on the move.
Undocked: Of moderate length and as straight as possible, giving a
general balance to the dog, thick at the root and tapering towards the end. Moderately high set, carried well up on the move.

Gait/Movement
Free-striding, well co-ordinated; straight action front and behind.

Coat
Naturally harsh, close and dense, whether rough or smooth.
Belly and undersides coated. Skin must be thick and loose.

Colour
Entirely white or predominantly white with tan,
lemon or black markings, or any combination of these colours,
preferably confined to the head and/or root of tail.

Size
Ideal height: at withers: Dogs: 36 cms (14 ins);
Bitches: 33 cms (13 ins). 2.5 cms (1 in) above or below is acceptable.

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a
fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded
should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the
health and welfare of the dog.

General Appearance
Male animals should have two apparently normal
testicles fully descended into the scrotum

Breed Health - inherited diseases

Primary Lens Luxation (PLL)
Lens luxation is when the lens either dislocates or is displaced within the eye. Normally the lens is suspended between the iris and the vitreous and is held in place by small fibres called zonules.

Primary Lens luxation is an inherited condition in which these zonules degenerate over time and the lens can move around the eye. It is unusual for it to occur before the age of three.

Most cases of lens luxation cannot be prevented in the dog and so ideally affected stock should not be bred from.

By screening breeding stock for diseases such as PLL, responsible breeders can use the information to eliminate or reduce the frequency of eye disease being passed on to puppies. A scheme is offered to do exactly this, through the Kennel Club.

Dogs should be tested from two years of age and at least every two years thereafter until they reach older than 7-8 years.

To live with a Parson Russell Terrier....

"A house is not a home without a Russell"

The Parson Russell Terrier is first a foremost a working breed. The Parson John Russell required his terriers to be able to keep up with the horses, run with the foxhounds and be small enough to flush the foxes from their dens. When a fox had been run to ground (pursued by hounds), the terrier would be in charge of following his quarry and baying at him in order to bolt him.

The Russell is a different 'kettle of fish' to the Northern breeds of Terrier such as the Lakeland and Border Terriers which were required, when necessary, to hold and draw the fox if a bolt wasn't possible.

An understanding of the breeds characteristics and original purpose will go a long way in learning what to expect from your Parson and how to go about training him.

Parsons are not an unintelligent breed but as they are hunters at heart, they are prone to being stubborn and turning a 'deaf ear' especially when on the scent of something.

Make sure training is begun on a basic level as soon as you get your puppy home. It should be fun to keep his attention, but consistent and firm. Training the recall (to come back to you when called) is an essential command when you are out in public with the danger of traffic and for controlling the strong hunting instinct.

Puppy training classes are invaluable. Your pup can be socialised as soon as the isolation period following vaccination has elapsed. Terriers can naturally try to be dominant over other dogs so nipping this in the bud at an early stage can minimise the chances of dog on dog aggression. There are dog training and puppy socialisation classes run throughout the country and advertised locally.

As mentioned earlier, the Parson was originally expected to be able to run with hounds if necessary. As you can imagine, this meant tremendous stamina especially so if he was to then work underground for often long periods of time. Nowadays, most Parsons won't engage in this sort of activity but although you can take the terrier from hunting, you can't take the hunting from the terrier! He will need plenty of exercise and despite his small size, if he is fit and well he will have the determination and stamina to keep up with the fittest of hill walkers.

Although they are not what you would consider overly 'yappy', they will certainly let you know when somebody arrives at the door. A big dog in a small package, they believe they are all you need to keep you safe!

As all breeds of terriers and to be honest most breeds of dog, they do like digging so if you are a keen gardener, be prepared!

Be firm but kind, remember you are the 'Top Dog'... he will thrive with the confidence that you are his master. Lay ground rules and give clear boundaries at each stage.

Parsons are one of the most versatile of dog breeds excelling in all manner of activities from agility, flyball and drug search dogs, which is what explains their boom in popularity. Hopefully this won't lead to the surge in unscrupulous breeding as in some popular breeds but tread carefully, spend time researching the breed and talking to breeders and with time and effort you might find just find your perfect companion.

To summarise, Parsons can make the most wonderful pets but given an inch, they may take a mile... don't spoil him, remember he's a terrier, have fun with him and you may just have the best friend in the world....

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot about puppies"

Alncroft Hemlock of Morgandare with owner Jess Lumbard