Jack Russell Terrier

The Jack Russell Terrier is a small, energetic British working terrier bred for fox hunting — bold, tireless and sharp.

History

It traces to the working fox terriers of the Reverend John Russell in nineteenth-century England, bred to bolt foxes from their earths and keep pace with the hunt. Function came first, which is why the type prizes drive and gameness over looks.

Temperament

The breed is known for being fearless, clever and relentlessly energetic, with a high prey drive and a strong will. It is affectionate and fun but emphatically not a low-effort lapdog.

Care and training

It needs a great deal of exercise and mental work, or it will invent its own — usually digging or chasing. The coat, smooth or broken, is easy to keep, but the strong hunting instinct calls for early, firm, reward-based training.

Health

The breed is generally hardy and long-lived; its main considerations are inherited eye conditions such as lens luxation, patellar luxation and, in some dogs, deafness. These are patterns for the breed rather than a verdict on one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.