Early History of the Russell Terrier

    The Reverend John "Jack" Russell was also quite a huntsman and as such, was always searching for the perfect hunting dog.  He was a breeder of hounds, of course, but he also knew the value of a proper terrier on the hunt.  An effective "pack" did not depend entirely on hounds - a hound could give chase, but if the fox "went to ground" the hound could only stand above the hole growling, barking and whining.  It required a robust and agile terrier to go in the hole after it, and agressively encourage the fox to bolt from its underground hiding place.

   Russell was born in 1795 at Devon, England, and attended the University of Oxford beginning in 1814.  While at University, Russell had numerous opportunities to indulge his love of the hunt with the superior packs of hounds and terriers in the area belonging to such notables as the Duke of Beaufort, Philip Payne, Will Long, Sir Thomas Mostyn and others.

   In 1819, his final year as a student at Oxford, Russell acquired his first terrier, a bitch called "Trump."  It is said that while walking one day near Marston, he met a milk-man who was accompanied by a terrier.  Russell was so impressed with the dog's look and demeanor that he persisted  in conversation with the man until he had become the new owner of the bitch who would be the foundation of the breed which came to bear his name. 

   Years later, "Parson Jack" relocated to Iddesleigh and was soon about the task of forming a new pack of hunting dogs.  In a short span of time Russell's pack became amalgamated with the hounds owned by Arthur Harris, and together they hunted the broad expanse of rugged terrain between Broadbury and Bodmin.

   It was hilly territory, with many rivers to cross and wild, wide open moors, so it was this type of country and work for which Russell bred his terriers.   The hounds had to cover vast distances at a fast pace, and the terriers were expected to have the stamina to travel with them as well as the intelligence to work out their best route to keep up with them so they would be in the right place when they were needed.  The terrain of Russell's home hunt was one that made enormous demands on the terriers.  After trotting to the meet behind his horse, they ran with hounds all day, dealing with the fox when it went underground to escape, and then trotting home at the end of the day.  They were expected to be cooperative with the rest of the pack and to respect the commands they were given, performing them immediately. 

   Russell also wanted a terrier with stong voice and strong desire to use it on the job.  Russell remarked one day as his dog tip was barking while in a drain six feet below the surface "You know then where they are, and what they're about."  He also wanted them to have keen nose for the scent trail left behind by the quarry, especially in the early days of the sport when finding the "cold" scent of the fox and following it wherever it lead marked the beginning of the hunt.

   Over a very long period Russell very selectively bred various terriers which strongly exhibited the qualities necessary for an efficient and effective fox-working dog, and his reputation grew as a highly skilled breeder - his dogs were welcome in any pack.  The enviable reputation of his strain of white fox working terriers was achieved because he always bred with function in mind, and his terriers functioned admirably! 

   The dogs he so scrupulously created were informally dubbed the Reverend Russell's Terriers, but Russell himself always insisted the breed not be named for him.  After his death, his protests notwithstanding, the dog world decreed the Jack Russell Terrier an Official name for the breed.

   In the ensuing years and generations, terrier breeders in widely separated areas of England continued breeding the offspring of Russell's hardy little dogs and in the process created noticeable differences in body build, "type." 

   In certain eastern areas of the country a taller, leggy looking dog was preferred for its ability to actually run in close proximity with the hounds; in other areas, especially Russell's home region in the southwest, a dog of smaller stature with a shorter-legged, slightly longer-backed build was preferred for its greater flexibility underground.  Nonetheless, the function of the terriers remained the most important factor in the selection of breeding animals in all areas of the country.  While all the dogs produced by these breeders were still Jack Russell's Terriers, they had evolved to suit a particular niche in the different hunting packs based on the differences in terrain and "style" of the hunt.  There came to be two "types" of Jack Russell Terrier, and eventually, the two distinctly different types became distinctly different breeds.  The first to become kennel club recognized was the larger, leggier looking dog, the "Parson Russell Terrier" with the smaller, longer looking dog being recognized soon after by many countries as the "Jack Russell" or "Russell" terrier.

   Contrary to popular notion, Kennel Club recognition and dog shows are not the "road to ruin" for any breed of dogs.  The real truth is, the scrutiny of  knowledgeable dog show judges is actually one of the most effective ways to ensure breeds of dogs stay true to the proper form for their function.  "Bench" shows (conformation), Obedience trials (often held in conjuction with conformation shows) and performance events such as Field Trials, Earth Dog and Agility competitions are opportunities which conscientious breeders regularly take advantage of to measure the qualities of the dogs they produce as impartially compared to other breeder's dogs.  The American Kennel Club, The United Kennel Club and many other registries offer competitions as a part of their reason for being.  The rules for those competitions may vary in some ways - but all are designed to assist breeders in their goal of producing the ultimate specimen of  their breed. 

   John Russell himself obviously shared this view,  because in the mid 1800's  he became an enthusiastic supporter of the newly popular Agricultural and Dog Shows.  He was a founding member of the Devon Agricultural Society in 1831; and exhibited his terriers and hounds at a number of shows.  He joined The Kennel Club in 1873, the year it was founded. The following year he was the judge for his breed at the Crystal Palace show  and later in 1874 he judged at Darlington and at Nottingham.

   Russell's involvement with the Agricultural Societies led to his being presented to the Prince of Wales (later to be King Edward VII) at Plymouth in 1865.  His reputation grew as a huntsman, which brought him frequent invitations to the great houses of the West Country.  He was welcome wherever he went, and in 1873, while at Norfolk, he again met the Prince - who invited him to a ball at nearby Sandringham House.  The 78 year old gentleman from the country clearly made a good impression on both the Prince and Princess, who invited him to spend Christmas Week with them at Sandringham.  The relationship continued for quite some time, with Russell being the guest of the Royal couple at Sandringham for the last time in the fall of 1882.  The Reverend  John Russell died April 28, 1883  at Black Torrington Rectory, he was 87 years old.

Time Marches On - Further "Development" of the Breed

   As we have seen, the Russell Terrier was created through the selective breeding practices of the Reverend Russell in the 1800's in England.  As with the origins of other breeds, dogs of many different breeds are used at the start to enhance the desired traits of the "target" and to minimize the less desirable traits.  The resulting offspring of the cross-bred dogs which exhibit the desired traits are bred, perhaps with another breed crossing to create a dependably reproducable genetic profile, combined over several generations.  Russell's Terriers were bred and cross-bred in the same way in the earliest history of the breed, then, as with other breeds, when the target was achieved, work began to develop the resulting new breed to its full potential.

   While the Russell Terrier originated in England, it was such a success that it became quite popular with Huntsmen and farmers both at home and far abroad.  The United States, Ireland, Scotland, France, Canada, and many other nations

participated in the "development" of the breed, although Australia is generally credited as the major place of development.  Russell's early specimens ranged far and wide over the home area, and many of their owners found themselves emigrating to countries all around the world.  Of course, they took their dogs, and a desire to maintain their bloodlines with them. 

  In addition, countries with "special ties" to England, such as the United States, Canada and Australia also shared a common interest in traditional English sports and culture.  Riding to hounds was enormously popular in those countries in their early years, and the desire to have quality dogs for the sport, many Hunt Clubs imported terriers as well as hounds for their private kennels.  They documented their dogs as carefully as their horses, and Russell's Terriers were reproduced as faithfully as the Foxhounds and Harriers in their packs.  Sportsmen were highly selective in the dogs they chose to breed.  It wasn't a case of  "Well, this bitch (or dog) isn't doing anything else, so we'll breed him/her."  In fact, "That dog won't hunt" was the surest reason for it to never be allowed to reproduce!  The resulting offspring of those very responsible breeders are the nuclei of the dogs we love today - more than a hundred years and many, many generations of dogs (and people) later! 

   As it was in England, breeders in the "new" countries had their particular preferences as to size, coat type (Smooth, Broken or Rough) and "attitude" - some prefering a more "animated" dog than others.  And some took their preferences to detrimental extremes.  Until the development of testing for genetic health problems little could be done by a breeder before the fact, so some lines ended up with a stronger genetically transferable predisposition to defects such as deafness (far too common in breeds of dogs that are predominantly white and linked to albinism or "lethal white.")  Likewise, certain lines are more likely than others to produce dogs with cataracts or other eye problems.  Bone and joint problems are common when "little" is carried to the extreme, resulting in traits of achondroplsia (dwarfism) which manifests most commonly with crooked, bent and painful joints - what some call a "Chippendale" build.  An oversized head is another characteristic of achondroplasia.  Surrendering soundness, intelligence and longevity for the dictates of fad, fashion or a whim of extreme preference is not what responsible, conscientious and caring breeders do.  Like the Terriers we treasure so, balance  and moderation are the hallmarks of sound breeding practices.

Quo Russellus?

   The larger of the two breeds - the Parson Russell Terrier, was the first to be given formal recognition by a National Kennel Club in any country, and are currently recognized by The Kennel Club (England), The FCI and their participating member countries (most of Europe and parts of South America), The Australian National Kennel Club, and in North America, by the Canadian Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club and others. 

   The smaller dog is recognized by FCI countries and some others, including Australia and some registries in the U.S. as the "Jack Russell Terrier"; the American Kennel Club decided that the breed name "Russell Terrier" would be used in their stud books, and the breed has been accepted for AKC registration thru the AKC-FSS (Foundation Stock Service) for several years. 

  As of January 1, 2010 our breed is also eligible to compete in the Miscellaneous Breeds "group" at conformation events ("dog shows") after having now spent some time being restricted to performance events such as Agility.  How long the breed will remain in the Miscellaneous category will depend on many factors, including the total number of individual registrations - AKC likes to have a great big gene pool to ensure genetic diversity - participation at events is also a factor; but there are many more.

When all of AKC's requirements are satisfactorily met the breed will "advance to full recognition status" and be eligible to officially compete with other dogs in the "Terrier Group" and earn the title of AKC Champion.

   2010 is also the first year that breeds in the Miscellaneous Breeds department will be eligible to earn an Official Title, "CM" meaning Certificate of Merit.  Like the degrees earned by dogs in obedience competition, such as CD, CDX, UDT, the CM will become a suffix to the dog's name;  the more familiar CH. title appearing as a prefix to the dog's name is limited to breeds that are "fully recognized."

  Conscientious Russell Terrier breeders the world over share the same desires for our breed.  Foremost among those desires is to maintain the function of the breed, and in the process to maintain, enhance or improve the form that makes that function so effortless for our mighty little dogs.  As with any other "recognized" breed, the burden of preserving the breed or ruining it is entirely in the hands of the breeders.  The Brittany is a prime example of a Parent Club's dedication to preserving their breed, keeping it true to BOTH form and function.  If today's breeders succumb to the whims of fad, fancy, and fashion - breeding to the "hot" dog rather than to the correct dog, breeding for the extremes desired in the marketplace rather than the balance required in the "field" - it's true for our breed as much as any other, that function will be lost. 

   The future of our breed is in the hands of those who choose to keep it pure and functional.  So far, the international community of Russell breeders are almost all on the same page.  The photos along the sidebar of this page provide convincing evidence that most of us are sticking to the proper selection process in our breeding programs.  If we compare notes frequently, compete internationally, and in both conformation and performance events we can, and will preserve the "real Russell Terrier" and that dog WILL hunt.