About the Jack Russell Terrier
Jack Russell Terrier history
Should you own a Jack Russell?
Should you get a puppy or a grown or partially grown dog?
What about a Jack from the pound or shelter?
One Jack or two?
Thinking about having a litter for fun or profit?
The Puddin' Jack
Temperament differences between Parson and Puddin' Jacks?

About The Jack Russell Terrier

First and unequivocally, foremost, a Jack Russell Terrier is a "HUNTING TERRIER"!!!! Anyone who thinks this incredibly, energetic, highly, intelligent, incurably curious, bundle of iron muscles whose actions are directed by steel springs will be anything but miserable trying to live a sedate life in city or suburb is in for a tragic surprise. The only other drive as great as the need to hunt is their desire to please the humans they love. These fellows are often described as being 150 pounds of dog in a ten pound body and no truer words were ever spoken! They can jump (4 or 5 feet is not at all unusual). They can climb (chain link enclosures, stock fences, trees (squirrels and chipmunks beware)). They can, and many do, love to, swim and although they can retrieve with the best of them you may not get your stick back. They can keep up with a cantering horse and not break a sweat. They have noses that pay homage to their beagle ancestry. And while they DIG, DIG, DIG for that elusive quarry they like to let the world know what they are up to with voice!! They will not tolerate vermin in their world. Rats, mice (little rats) chipmunks (rats with stripes) squirrels (rats with bushy tails) all are relentlessly hunted to their eventual extermination. This has been their job for decades. But does this mean they are untrustworthy, indiscriminate killers? Does this mean that any small creature (kittens, other small puppies, the family bird, the pet ferret) are also at risk? Absolutely not! In my opinion, anyone who says otherwise is making excuses for animals and breeders that have no excuse. To say it is the "Terrier Temperament" that makes them untrustworthy maimers of what are considered "stock animals" is like saying anyone who is descended from the Huns must really be excused for raping and murdering. Ridiculous? Of course it is. Just as breeders literally genetically engineer the dog type they think they need so do they control the temperaments of these dogs. A good example if not a sad one is the strain of beagle bred explicitly for laboratory experimentation. These are highly desired by the labs because they are bred for their docility and their easy acceptance of handling. Does this mean you must sacrifice intelligent hunting ability for a more gentle temperament? Absolutely not. Jacks in Britain hunt rats in poultry sheds with the rats being bolted by jill ferrets (ferrets close to the size of rats). The only animals in any danger from the Jacks are the rats. A record 6000 pounds of rats were taken in 1977 by D. Brian Plummer's four Jack ratting team using this method and not once in all the hullabaloo was a ferret mistaken for a rat. So should it be entire responsibility of the breeder to insure the well being of non game animals around a Jack Russell? No. They should be expected to provide the best raw material possible but the rest is up to the owner of the dog!

Jack Russell Terrier History

Before we discuss who should and who should not own a Jack Russell let's first discuss some history of and dispel some myths about this amazing, little dog. It is said that Parson John Russell, Vicar of Swimbridge in Devon acquired his first terrier from a milkman in the village of Marston in Oxfordshire while studying at Oxford. The dates of this alleged purchase vary between 1815 and 1819. The fox terrier type bitch, roughly 14" at the shoulder, rough of coat and predominately white was called Thump. She was to be the ancestor to the parson's legendary strain of terriers. Of course what other type of dog the parson used to breed this terrier to create this strain will always be a source of speculation and is really of no consequence to the modern Jack Russell. Russell used his terriers to flush quarry for his hounds. He was adamant that his terriers not maim or kill the fox but rather to nip and worry it to the point that it would bolt its den and take it's chances above ground. The great fad during the nineteenth century was to cross bulldogs with various strains of terriers to produce an extremely tough and hard terrier. But Russell strongly disapproved of this practice since the inclusion of bulldog blood ruined what Russell called 'the gentlemanly characteristics' of his strain. Few of Russells terriers were docked (half of the tail removed at birth) and the "squirrel tails" that characterized his terriers were sometimes regarded with distaste by his fellow hunters. But Russell insisted that the natural, undocked tail enabled him to grab the dog by its stern and draw it from the earth whenever it was locked on to its quarry. John Russell died in 1883, and his kennels were dispersed, some reputedly passing to Squire Nicholas Snow of Oare. These became the foundation stock of Arthur Heinemann, who is often cited as the last of the breeders of the true Jack Russell terrier. Heinemann died in 1930 after reputedly squandering a fortune of 70,000 pounds and his strain of terrier was dispersed literally to the winds. Once in a while one sees advertisements for 'genuine' Jack Russell Terriers always descended from Jack Russell's dogs through Heinemann's famous Lynton Jack. The reader is warned to take such ads with a grain of salt but D. Brian Plummer one of the founders and first sitting chairman of The Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain and author of many books on working terriers recommends that you take such ads with a block or two of salt. Plummer would have you consider the logic, indeed the mathematics , behind any claim that a dog could be a 'genuine' Jack Russell Terrier. Russell died in 1883 almost 115 years ago, so unless chronic inbreeding was practiced by anyone who purchased dogs from the parson - inbreeding which could only have been detrimental to the constitution of the progeny - the original bloodline would have become highly diluted by outcrosses with other strains. Furthermore he would have you consider that few working-terrier breeders kept anything like accurate pedigrees. Joan Begbie, whose Sel Cottage strain of Jack Russell was reputedly bred from the dogs of John Russell kept accurate pedigrees tracing her bloodlines back to Nimrod Capel's 'Bluecap' a dog supposedly bred from John Russell's strain of fox terrier, but, again, it must be said that Miss Begbie also used John Cobby's (Huntsman for the South-West Wiltshire) strain for repeated outcross, and while Cobby certainly kept accurate pedigrees and had excellent working terriers, he never once claimed that his hunt terriers were descended from the dogs of John Russell. Plummer's conclusion? In his book The Complete Jack Russell Terrier he states "Frankly, the dogs of John Russell had little or no influence on the evolution of the modern Jack Russell Terrier. In time, for want of a name, any white-bodied working terrier of dubious ancestor simply came to be known as a Jack Russell, and dogs with obvious Sealyham, fox terrier and even Lakeland terrier ancestry are often seen at British Jack Russell Terrier shows. These dogs are no worse for having mixed blood, not a whit inferior for their dubious ancestry. Most modern (at the time of writing 1980) Jack Russell terriers will, if given a chance, work just as well as did the dogs of both Russell and Heinemann." So now with the 'Legend' out of the way let's deal with some fact. For as long as there has been earth living vermin there have been terriers bred to cope with them. During the sixth century terriers were given as gifts from one Germanic king to another and it is probable that these "earth dogs" existed in Britain before that time. As to the appearance, size and color of these dogs? It is a matter of pure guesswork or educated speculation at best. What we do know is that they were small enough to go to ground. But as far as uniformity was concerned, travel was long and difficult so different districts had their own types. And the terriers being on the bottom rungs of the canine ladder, were rarely bred for their good looks. A good working dog (game dog) was bred with another game dog with little regard being paid to appearance. But with the advent of the nineteenth century and the British public's macabre delight in "sports" involving the killing, maiming and crippling of animals against the clock this little terrier would be forever altered. One of these 'charming' sports was labeled competitive rat killing. An arena was made, usually about six to ten feet, of boards or netting and a dozen or so rats were tipped in where they skittered around piteously awaiting an ugly death. Then a terrier was placed in the arena. The terrier who killed the most rats in the least amount of time was the winner. But when the stakes grew to hundreds or even a thousand rats in the arena at a time the little British terrier was not up to the challenge. To harden the terrier and bolster his courage the British bulldog was used. This is not the docile, sweet, slathering bulldog we see today. The bulldog of the 1800's was the devil incarnate. Bred to bait bear and bull (clamp onto their nostrils or faces and not to let go for any reason short of death) it's tenacity was next to none and it's courage was bottomless. All he lacked was the agility and nimble qualities of the terrier. Hence the judicious marriage of these two breeds created a dog with the speed and agility of the terrier and the incredible guts of the bulldog. But such utter fearlessness had it's drawbacks. The bulldog hybrid was an extremely aggressive dog who tended to close (kill) on its prey rather than bolt it. Also these dogs fight prey by taking hold and keeping their grip until a more deadly hold can be gained. Thus they fight silently with only a grunt or a roar to indicate their underground whereabouts. Making them near impossible to dig to. This is why another ingredient was introduced to temper this volatile mix. Namely, the beagle. This resulted in a dog with nose sense and voice making them much more desirable and useful as hunt terriers. You can see evidence of this in the markings of some Jack Russells today. It was from this canine soup that the modern Jack Russell arose together with the fox terrier. That is how the mongrely, so-called Jack Russell Terrier remained well into the twentieth century.

Should you own a Jack Russell?

To own or not to own a Jack? That is the question. Well let's start out by discussing who should NOT own a Jack. A person who lives alone, works more than six hours a day away from the home, and cannot or is unwilling to take he dog to work with them every day. Anyone with short patience and a quick temper. Anyone who views these wonderful beings as 'possessions or property' that will enhance their status among their friends. Anyone with children of any age that believes dogs are playthings with no rights concerning the gentle treatment of their bodies or hearts. Anyone who does not wish to deal with holes dug all over their yards or gardens. Anyone who is "noise sensitive". Anyone who is unwilling to be inconvenienced by the little tornado about to come into their home. Anyone who does not have or is unwilling to COMMIT TIME, TIME, TIME, to this newest family member. And I am not just speaking of a few weeks or months but the rest of the Jack's life (12-16 years)! Anyone who is not willing or simply cannot enforce DISCIPLINE! I'm not talking about corporal punishment, (hitting, swatting, shaking which I find a week persons way of trying to make an unmakable point) but I am talking about a 'NO' always being a NO. These dogs not only need to know exactly what your rules are but they are much happier, better companions for it. Anyone who is unwilling or unable to spend at LEAST an hour in the morning and an hour at night running the legs off your Jack Russell. And I'm not talking little, quiet walks around the neighborhood. (How much energy do you think 4 Jack Russells have to have to take three tons of rats in one year?) Jack Russells who do not have their bodies as well as their extremely, quick minds challenged every day will find some very creative albeit incredibly destructive ways to channel their intelligent energy. Anyone who thinks puppies are trained and not raised. Anyone not willing to undergo the tedium of teaching and enforcing the two basic life saving commands of 'come' and 'stay' or 'wait'. The major cause of death to the Jack Russell Terrier is death by auto. Either by jumping from or running in front of or behind their owners or someone else's vehicle. Teaching your jack that he MUST come every time he is asked and that he MUST wait before entering or exiting ANY door (car, office or home) would cure this top killer of Jacks.   So now that we have determined who should NOT own a Jack Russell I think it's pretty obvious who may.

Should you get a puppy or a grown or partially grown dog?

Should you get a puppy or a grown or partially grown dog? People who tell me they would like a grown dog because they don't want to do all the work involved with a puppy really give me a belly laugh. Dogs, grown or not, involve work! Even if you get a well behaved grown dog from a breeder there will be time and effort teaching this new family member a completely new set of rules than the ones he or she has grown up following.

What about a Jack from the pound or shelter?

What about an adult Jack from the pound or shelter? Unfortunately, many of these are dogs that were purchased on a whim. Either from unethical breeders or even worse, someone who thought it would be fun to have a litter. Bought in haste many people have no idea what to do with these little whirling dervishes and when it gets to be too much for them, they allot their problem to the pound. These are usually very confused dogs in need of a great deal of extremely, patient behavior modification. (The worst case scenario being a dog that was so poorly bred or incredibly frustrated that he or she has turned to 'biting the hands that feed them'.) On the other hand I have known some excellent Jack Russells who were snatched from the jaws of death by wonderful, caring people who were willing to invest their time and energy in these marvelous, little creatures. Most would tell you that if they could receive the returns on their money investments that they have received from their 'time in Jack investment' they would be wealthy beyond all belief.

One Jack or two?

In spite of some of the information flying around an only Jack in a 'working all day' family is a lonely Jack. Well bred, well socialized carefully raised Jacks can only enhance their dual existence as well as raising your entertainment level off the scales.  Although a male and female (Both neutered!!!!!) do well together, it is not advised to take two littermates of the same sex. You can have very successful pairs of the same sex if you keep their ages at least one year apart and THEY BOTH MUST BE NEUTERED BETWEEN 6 TO 8 MONTHS OF AGE!!!! The most sure fire recipe for utter, tragic disaster is to have two Jack pups of the same sex (even if they are from different litters) that are allowed to become adults unaltered. Especially females!! Your girls may get through their first heat okay. But by their next cycle you will have realized NEW meaning to the letters PMS! Not to mention sleepless nights, possibly large vet bills, and a broken heart at the sight of the two girls you love wanting to severely damage each other.  The breeder from whom you purchase your puppies would be able to best advise you as to whether his or her line has the temperament to enjoy another Jack Russell or two. There are many breeders who breed as strictly for temperament as they do for hunting ability and from these come many successful multiple Jack homes.  On the other hand, other breeders have different priorities and you would be best advised to accept what they have to say about their puppies as potential housemates.  Neutered and spayed dogs run much less risk of developing hormone related diseases such as prostate of mammary cancers, and tend to live healthier lives.

Thinking about having a litter for fun or profit?

Thinking about having a litter for fun or profit? Go to the local pound or animal shelter. How many of those dogs do you think came from ethical breeders who carefully plan (puppies are all spoken for financially before the dog is even bred)? Strictly screen potential puppy owners? Commit 2 months of their lives to prenatal care and worry (no going out for too long with a pregnant bitch at home)? And the next two months after whelping to papers and piddle and puppy poop? To say nothing of socializing them and teaching all of them (4-6 sometimes as many as 9) the basics of what they need to know when they go out into the world. And that's if everything goes well. If it doesn't it can mean a Cesarean section, the loss of the pups, the loss of your bitch. Unsound pups that require euthanasia. Sickly pups that require tube feeding (inserting a tube down the throat into the stomach). Undesirable temperaments, and on and on. To say nothing of the time and expense of finding and acquiring a good stud dog, vet bills, vitamin supplements, etc. How many of those pound dogs do you think were produced by breeders who are committed to keeping contact with the owners of the puppies they have bred for the rest of those puppies lives? Now how many of the thousands of dogs, do you think, that are put to death each and every minute have come from people who thought breeding their dogs would be a fun way to make some money??? If you love your Jack and would like another like him. You have a much better chance of accomplishing this by simply going back to his breeder and getting another puppy, than by casting the 'breeding dice'!

The Puddin' Jack

Puddin' Jacks - those little Jacks who used to earn their daily 'puddin' by keeping down the rat and mouse population in and around the barns and out buildings of the small holdings on which they lived. When the gentry in Britain became interested in showing the Jack Russell Terrier they scoured these small holdings looking for them. The longer legged, flashy Jacks were carried off leaving these smart, tough, not to mention absolutely steady around stock animals, little dogs to earn their keep. Not being bred for the beauty ring, they had to prove their kind temperament, intelligence and workaholism generation after generation. Those shorter legged, bundles of muscles, some with button ears some with prick ears and some whose ears just can't decide what to do! Some are simply described as a riot of color having large and sometimes brindle colored spots. While Puddins' may not be up to snuff to the JRTCA and the JRTBA breed clubs they are no less Jack Russells. There are tens of thousands of them out there and just as many if not more humans that truly love them. I LOVE Jack Russell Terriers. ALL Jack Russell Terriers. British Jacks, Canadian Jacks, Australian Jacks, Mexican Jacks, American Jacks and Puddin' Jacks. Everyone needs to take a deep breath, and realize that this kind of quarrelling over long legs or short, prick ears or dropped, etc., has never led to the betterment of anything leastwise a breed of anything as loving as a dog. Let's not forget there was a time when the white pups in Cairn Terrier litters were put to death. These pups were considered worthless until Major Malcolm of Poltallch used them to form his legendary pack of West Highland White Terriers, which were in no way short of constitution or courage. Allow me to conclude by observing the world, like the heart of a Jack Russell, is an immense place with room in it for all.

Temperament Differences Between Parson and Puddin' Jacks?

First of all, I want to congratulate you on doing your homework! I'm sure those who favor the parsons (square Russells) would congratulate you and puddin (longer than tall Russells) owners would do the same! That is the KEY ingredient that is missing that leads to SOOOO many Jack Russells being placed in Rescue. Rescue Jacks are NOT necessarily "bad" or "aggressive" ... some of them were just not "calm" enough for their previous owners. Jack Russells are very high energy dogs that play hard, but ALSO will REST just as hard when you wear them out!! If you DON'T exercise them enough, though...that is when you start having problems. This is REGARDLESS of type. I think the temperament of a Jack Russell is determined by several things: breeding practices, the amount of time that an individual spends with their "child" (Jack) exercising and just spending quality time with him/her, and the amount of time that the Jack is socialized and trained are just a few of the factors that determine sweet vs. aggressive temperaments. You can also find a Jack that has a VERY sweet temperament and ignore him/her and he/she will become a "monster" and vice versa. Another important factor that determines temperament is whether or not you let your Jack get away with things or if you stand your ground! Jacks like to push the limits and a lot of dog owners do not know how to handle this and then the Jack becomes the head of the pack and his/her temperament will reflect this. As I finished the last sentence of this, one of my Jacks (Dr. Jakyll/Ms. Hyde...and appropriately named that because she is VERY sweet but also VERY tough and CAN be aggressive at times...and is also a Puddin) wandered into the office and looked up at me (with my peripheral vision I saw her). Then she noticed I was busy, and she turned around and started walking out of the office. I called her name and she came back and I put my arm out so that she could stand up and put her front paws on my arm and I asked her for some "kisses." She readily agreed to that (because she is the kiss-a-holic out of my four) and her tail just started wagging like crazy. Did I need to take the 5 seconds to do this? No. Did it bless her heart and thus mine for doing it? Yes. Most definitely. Will this cause her to have a sweeter temperament? I would venture to say yes. But ONLY IF I continue to spend quality time with her and play with her and let her know that she is loved. After dinner tonight, I got down on the floor, laid on my back and played tug with Monte (another one of our Jacks) and at the same time I scratched the belly of Jack of Hearts, gave kisses (yep, more kisses!) to Dr. Jakyll, while FlapJack was busy with a rawhide. But I called Flap over to spend time with him too! Our Jacks get a LOT of exercise...and we play ball with them a lot! Do they have sweet temperaments? Yes, yes, and YES!! Why? Well, for all of the reasons I've mentioned. Are they Puddins? Yes. Are there aggressive Puddins and, for that matter, could these same sweet Russells ever be aggressive? Of course. Could they be sweet if they were Parsons? Most definitely. One of the reasons that there may be this "generalization" out there about shorter legged Jacks having a sweeter temperament is because some of the Parson breeders are breeding Jacks to meet the conformation standards set by the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America and/or other clubs. The desired outcome is a Jack with a certain body type that is conducive to hunting ability as well as a temperament suitable for hunting. The temperament of a hunting dog is not necessarily the temperament of a good pet, thereby, creating the generalization that short legged Jacks are sweet and long legged Jacks are aggressive. Does this generalization not "hold water" at times? Sure. There ARE sweet Parsons and there ARE aggressive Puddins. There ARE sweet Rottweilers and there ARE aggressive Yorkies. The same is true for hunting ability. Are there Puddins that can hunt? Sure. Are there Parsons who cannot? Again, yes. Regardless of "type" you will find that ALL Jack Russells are welcome on Jack Russells Online and we do NOT discriminate. The main reason the Puddin' & Proud Discussion Forum was created on JRO is because we find that there are those people that DO discriminate based on body type and we felt it was important to provide a "safe haven" for Puddin' owners, NOT because we discriminate! We believe ALL of God's creatures are wonderful...and there are MANY lessons we can learn from them! Let's start with the lesson of unconditional love. Let's make an effort to love our terriers and each other the way our terriers love us. Unconditionally!