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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Jack Russell Terriers
Jack Russell Terriers are famous for fox hunting, as they are small in size, well-built and tough. They are mainly white in colour with black or tan markings. They either have smooth, broken or rough coats, and the skin can occasionally show a pattern of black or brown spots that do not appear in the outer coat. All the coat types are dense, double coats that are neither silky nor woolly, in the case of smooth coats and rough coats respectively.
There is a distinct stop at the end of a Jack Russell’s muzzle where it meets the head, and a black nose. The jaw should be powerful and well boned with a scissor bite and straight teeth. The eyes are almond shaped and dark coloured, and small V-shaped ears of average thickness are carried forward on its head, which should not extend past the outer corner of its eyes when it is alert. Its tail is set high, and its chest should not be so large that it forbids the terrier from entering and working in burrows. The traditional preys of the terriers are red foxes, so the terriers must be small enough to pursue the foxes, as they are mainly working terriers.

History
Jack Russell terriers were first bred by Reverend John Russell, a parson and hunting enthusiast born in 1795. In his last year of university at Oxford, he bought a small white and tan female terrier called Trump from the milkman based upon appearance alone. She was the starting point for a breeding program to develop a terrier with a high stamina for the hunt, as well as the courage and formation to chase out foxes that had gone under the ground.
An important attribute in this dog was a tempered ferociousness that would provide the necessary drive to pursue and capture the fox without resulting in physical harm to it, efficiently ending the chase, which was considered unfair. This line of terriers developed by John Russell was well respected for these traits, and his dogs were often taken on by hunt enthusiasts. It is unlikely, however, that any dogs alive today are descended from Trump, as Russell was forced to sell all his dogs on more than one occasion because of financial difficulties, and had only four aged - and non-breeding - terriers left when he passed away in 1883.

Temperament
Jack Russells are first and foremost a working terrier. Originally bred to chase out foxes from their dens during hunting, they are used on numerous ground-dwelling quarry as well. The working Jack Russell terrier is required to locate quarry in the earth, and then either chase it out of the earth, or hold it in place until they are dug to. To accomplish this, the dog must bark and work the quarry continuously. Because the preservation of this working ability is of the highest importance to most registered breeders, Jack Russells tend to be extremely intelligent, athletic, fearless, and vocal dogs. It is not uncommon for these dogs to become moody or destructive if not properly exercised, as they have an inclination to get bored easily and will often create their own fun when left alone.
Their high energy and drive make these dogs ideally suited to a number of different dog sports. Obedience classes are also suggested to potential owners, as Jack Russells can be stubborn at times and hostile towards other animals and humans if not properly socialized. Despite their small size, these dogs are not recommended for the condominium or apartment owners unless the owner is ready to take on the overwhelming task of providing the dog with the necessary amount of exercise they require. These are truly big dogs in small packages, a fact which can sometimes lead to trouble involving larger animals.

x penned @ 8:25 PM