Jack Russell Terrier - A brief insight

The Jack Russel as a Breed

The Jack Russell is a small working terrier that emerged from the Reverend John Russels breeding stock around 200 years ago.  Despite being a wide spread and popular breed there is still controversial views about the breeds status and the Jack Russell Terrier has yet to be accepted by the UK Kennel Club as an official dog breed.

Origins of the Jack Russel

The Reverend John Russell was a keen hunter and bred dogs at the start of the 19th Century for his sport. The dogs at the time were used to drive foxes and other animals from sets and burrows once they had gone to ground. At the time all such dogs fell under the commonly recognised identity of Fox Terriers. The favoured and predominant colour of these dogs was white, the white helping to stand out clearly and distinguish the hunting dog from its prey.

Temperament

The Jack Russell is a hardy, fearless and tenacious little dog with a big heart and bags of energy needing more than a little exercise coupled with stimulating activities.