History of the JRT | Breed Standards | Registries & Clubs | JRT Trials & Meets | Russell Rescue

History of the
Jack Russell Terrier

Jack Russell Terriers are a type, or strain, of working terrier; they are not totally purebred in the sense that they are mirror images, like Irish Setters or Labs. JRT's have a broad genetic make-up, a broad standard, and do not breed true to type. You will see different "types" of JRTs, from wide-bodied, short legs with a more sleek, proportioned length of body and some with taller, longer legs. This is a result of having been bred strictly for hunting since their beginning in the early 1800's, and their preservation as a working breed. The Jack Russell takes its name from the Reverend John Russell who bred one of the finest strains of terriers for working fox in Devonshire, England in the mid-to-late 1800's. Rev. Russell (1795-1883), apart from his church activities, had a passion for fox hunting and the breeding of fox hunting dogs; he is also said to be a rather flamboyant character, probably accounting for his strain of terrier's notability and the name of our terrier today.

John Russell maintained his strain of fox terriers bred strictly for working, and the terrier we know today as the Jack Russell is much the same as the pre-1900's fox terrier. The Jack Russell has survived the changes that have occurred in the modern-day Fox Terrier because it has been preserved by working terrier enthusiasts in England for more than 100 years. It is the foremost goal of the JRTCA and the EJRTCA that the Jack Russell continues in that tradition. 
 

History of the JRT | Breed Standards | Registries & Clubs | JRT Trials & Meets | Russell Rescue