Jack Russell Terriers

[JRT Lover]

Here's a breif synopsis from the JRTCA site that should clear up any confusion among the various types of JRT dogs each being a separate entity.

Breed Comparison
Breed
Jack Russell Terrier
Parson Russell Terrier
Russell Terrier
Parent Club
JRTCA (http://www.dogforum.org/jrtca/jrtca.php)
PRTAA
EJRTCA
Club Name
Jack Russell Terrier Club of America
Parson Russell Terrier Association of America
English Jack Russell Terrier Club Alliance
Established
1976
1985 (JRTBA)
1995
AKC
No
Yes, accepted 1997
Yes, 2007
Height - Standard
10-15 inches (http://www.dogforum.org/jrtca/standard.php)
12-14 inches
8-12 inches
10-12 ideal
Body Proportion
Square and balanced (http://www.dogforum.org/jrtca/standard.php)
Square and balanced
Overall dog is longer than tall

What happens when all of these variants, with a now small gene pool, are bred together to "perfect" this narrow portion of the standard? Eventually they will change and become an animal that will look very different from the original Jack Russell Terrier. Inbreeding and breeding for the show ring will change the physical and mental structure of the dog. It will lose its purpose and its original character, as well as its mental and physical soundness, and will become something entirely different… whatever suits the whim of those controlling that variant of the terrier
The REAL Jack Russell Terrier
The JRTCA's essential mission is to "Preserve, Protect and Work" the Jack Russell Terrier. This mission equally preserves the breed integrity for the most versatile, healthy, highly intelligent, loyal and affectionate companion you will ever find... the Real Jack Russell (http://www.dogforum.org/jrtca/realjack.php).
The Jack Russell Terrier: A Working Dog
The Jack Russell is a happy, bold, energetic dog; they are extremely loyal, intelligent and assertive. Their greatest attribute is their working ability, closely followed by their excellent qualities as a companion. A Jack Russell can be equally contented bolting a fox or chasing a toy in your living room, or equally adept at killing a sock in the living room or a rat in your barn. Their funny antics will continually amuse you, their intelligence seems to know no bounds and their assertive nature and boundless energy can at times be overwhelming

The Jack Russell is a happy, bold, energetic dog; they are extremely loyal, intelligent and
assertive. Their greatest attribute is their working ability, closely followed by their excellent qualities as a companion. A Jack Russell can be equally contented bolting a fox or chasing a toy in your living room, or equally adept at killing a sock in the living room or a rat in your barn. Their funny antics will continually amuse you, their intelligence seems to know no bounds and their assertive nature and boundless energy can at times be overwhelming
The unique personality of this feisty little terrier is capturing the hearts of many, but they are not a dog for everyone (http://www.dogforum.org/baddog.php).
The points made in this Bad Dog Talk have evolved over the years, and represent the worst case scenario of owning a Jack Russell Terrier. Many experienced, as well as inexperienced, dog owners are overwhelmed by the demands of a Jack Russell Terrier, leading to the dogs being abandoned even before they reach adulthood!
Jack Russells ...
... are first and foremost hunting dogs. The traits and skills that make them excellent hunting dogs (i.e., digging, barking, aggressive nature, ability to follow scent) are often interpreted as bad habits that cause people to give them up.
... are bred to go underground, following scent to locate and bark at quarry until they are dug down to or the quarry bolts. If they do not have an outlet for their natural instincts, they will invent new and fun jobs for themselves, which frequently include guardian of the world and/or their possessions and family, chasing cars, hunting birds, bugs or leaves, or endlessly digging in the soil.
... are a big dog in a little body. They have the same need (or more!) for exercise as a much larger dog... and the mentality to match -- they think they are at least 150 pounds, and are fearless, often challenging other dogs
three times their size.
Training
Many experienced, as well as inexperienced, dog owners are overwhelmed by the demands of a Jack Russell Terrier, leading to the dogs being abandoned even before they reach adulthood. Jack Russells are first and foremost hunting dogs. The traits and skills that make them excellent hunting dogs (i.e., digging, barking, aggressive nature, ability to follow scent) are often interpreted as bad habits that cause people to give them up.
Jack Russell Terriers require a long-term commitment to obedience, activity, exercise and entertainment... their unique character, intelligence and high energy level can frustrate you, will undoubtedly entertain you, and can bring you great joy (when they're happy!) or great grief (when they're not!).
This instinctive desire for a secure den is the basis of the psychology behind using a crate (http://www.dogforum.org/crate.php) as a training aid.
Housebreaking (http://www.dogforum.org/housebreak.php) is finding a means of preventing the puppy from doing his duties in the house and giving him only an opportunity to do it outside.
Dogs with separation anxiety (http://www.dogforum.org/separation.php) are so attached to their owners that they become extremely agitated when left alone.


Grooming
Rough and broken coated Jack Russells are groomed (http://www.dogforum.org/grooming2.php) for three basic reasons: appearance, comfort, and most importantly, to help the dog continue to develop a good hard coat that will repel water.
Coat Types
Coat type (http://www.dogforum.org/coat.php) can be divided into three different categories: smooth, broken, and rough. Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to distinguish what category a terrier falls into. What is your favorite coat type?

(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764536095/officiajackrusse/)

[JRT Lover]

The Power of Positive Dog Training (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764536095/officiajackrusse/)


... are often aggressive with other dogs. Same-sex aggression and aggression towards other breeds of dogs is well documented with this terrier. It is strongly recommended that no more than two Jack Russells (of opposite sex only) ever be permitted to stay together unattended.
... are NOT a non-shedding breed! All coat types shed! Smooth coats shed the most, dropping hair continuously year round. Rough coats maintain the guard and dead coat, requiring manual shedding a few times a year. The broken coat is an intermediary coat, between the two types.
... require firm, consistent discipline. They are extremely intelligent, continue to test their limits throughout their life. More often than not, train their owners before the owner knows what has happened! This ability to train their owners can include displays of aggressive behavior. Their assertive nature must be understood and handled properly!
... can become very possessive of their owner or a favorite member of the family or of what they consider to be their personal property if allowed to do so to the point of showing aggressive protective behavior that must be controlled from an early age.
... are commonly known to harass, injure or kill other small pets, such as cats, birds, rabbits, mice, rats, etc., simply due to their strong natural hunting instinct. Raising a puppy with a cat does not guarantee the cat's life-long safety!
... remain active well into their 15-year-plus life span; their need for activity and desire to hunt continues for their entire lifetime. Untrained, unsupervised dogs rarely meet their life expectancy.
... require at least basic obedience training. The dog's life may depend on it! Even well trained dogs will be tempted to chase something interesting, or even disappear into a hole while you are not looking. Off-lead is always a dangerous situation for a Jack Russell unless in a safe environment with experienced JR owners.
... absolutely need a securely fenced yard! Jack Russells will roam due to their hunting instincts.... even if left in an unsecured for a few minutes! You can let them out every day for three years with no trouble....but one day they will disappear and may never come back. Many JR's have been killed by cars by darting into the road in pursuit of a squirrel, cat, etc. They can also dig under, climb or jump over fences; some can climb trees and any height chain link fencing.
... can be very destructive if left unattended and unemployed! Most behavioral problems are due to a lack of companionship, discipline, activity and exercise. If you've only seen perfect, well-behaved JR's, they are ones that were lucky enough to be exercised, well socialized, and trained.
... are country dogs. When made to live in a city or suburban-type environment, their needs and instincts do not change. It would be unreasonable to expect them to be anything other than what they are genetically bred to be -- a serious hunting dog. Your lifestyle must be adjusted to meet their needs; they must have jobs to perform -- an outlet for their considerable energy and intelligence.
... are NOT recommended as apartment or condo dogs. They need a great deal of exercise and outdoor activity, and are usually too loud for such high-density living. They need room to run; leash walking does not satisfy their boundless energy. Unless your schedule permits many hours at home and a lot of outdoor activity, with a safe place the terrier can run, this is not the dog for you. MANY rescues come from apartments, condos, or homes where the owners work away from the home for long periods of time.
... will NOT TOLERATE even unintended mistreatment from a child. They will not put up with typical child handling such as pulling of ears, tails, etc., or taking or "sharing" of the dog's bones, food, toys, etc. They are very assertive and demanding, and never still... jumping all over whoever will allow it. Jack Russells are not recommended for households with children under the age of six unless you are previously experienced with this feisty little bundle of energy.
... are NOT as they are portrayed in the movies, on TV, or other forms of media. Those dogs are professionally trained and handled, and are very obedient only for VERY short periods of time. Celebrity dogs have their needs met by the trainer, and perform their jobs accordingly.
... require a long-term commitment to obedience, activity, exercise and entertainment... their unique character, intelligence and high energy level can frustrate you, will undoubtedly entertain you, and can bring you great joy (when they're happy!) or great grief (when they're not!). If this type of relationship does not appeal to you, then consider another breed. Jack Russell Terriers are always a work in progress!

[skunkstripe]

JRT Lover thanks for the thread - I'm still confused though. I had tried to make sense of this a few years ago and thought I understood. The reason I got intersted in it was that I was on a forum where someone started to "correct" members who were joining and saying they had a "Jack Russell Terrier." She was educating them to the fact that they were now properly called "Parson Russell Terriers." ;)

Aside from the fact that there may be different developments in different countries, it seemed to me that her view was not quite right and so I dug around to see what I could find out. In the US it looked like one of those disputes between breed clubs where one wanted AKC recognition and the other didn't. (similar to Border Collies by the way).

So after all that blather on my part :p if you want to say in your own words what the difference is or isn't, I'd be very interested in hearing the perspective from someone who is closer to the breed.

[JRT Lover]

In my own words a Jack Russell Terrier is a working dog there are differences in conformation. I was once at a show spectating and looking at the gifts for sales and I noticed a definite difference in the appearance of the Parson's Russell and the stuff for sale was of Parson's Russell so I asked "Don't you have any Jack Russell stuff?" And the reply was "You mean Parson's Russell." And I said "No Jack Russell," and left shaking my head that some people don't know the difference or think there is no such thing as a Jack.

What about slideshows how do I post them?

[skunkstripe]

I can think of two ways to post a slideshow.
One is if the pics are in your "gallery" then there is a slideshow option.
The other is to create or remix a slideshow on an external hosting site like photobucket and post the link.

[JRT Lover]

Thanks the slide show is posted but the 6 photos I upload to the gallery never made it there.

[skunkstripe]

That's odd. You do have one photo in your gallery.

[JRT Lover]

Where are the rest?

[skunkstripe]

http://www.geocities.com/mymixedbreeddog/smileys/oops/dontknow.gif
Try again is all I can say....

[SirHobbs]

Hi... I have two JRT's, both entirely different looking. The first is very solid square and short, with rough fur.
The second is like a parsons I think with longer legs and her head looks a bit like a Beagle. They are both gorgeous to me.:D
Could you explain the difference between broken and rough fur?:cool: