Jack russell/Parson russell terrier

Anyone who has ever met a russell terrier can confirm the everlasting energy that radiates from such a small vessel. They are adorable small dogs, contrasted by a stubborness and toughness that's on par with The Big Dog League. While they make amazing companions and can do okay with children, it's important to look beyond the shallow cutesy looks and provide for their highly active needs. If you able to provide them with enough exercise and mental stimuli you'll end up with one of the goofiest bravest littlest fellows that will be loyal and dear to you for many years to come.

Average lifespann: 13-16 years

Height:

• Jack russell: 20-30cm or 7.9-11.8 inches

• Parson russell:
  Males : 34-38cm or 13.4-15 inches
  Females: 31-35cm or 12.2-13.7 inches

Weight:

• Jack russell: 5-7kg or 11-15.4 lbs
• Parson russell: 6-8kg or 13.2-17.6 lbs

Looks and characteristics:
The russells comes in small, compact, rectangular bodies. They have ears folded forward, creating the V-shapes that is so familiar to the breed. Their almond shaped brown eyes are deep and adds to the adorableness. They come in different coats, ranging all the way from shiny and smooth to really rough and wire-haired, though the most common occurring is somewhere in between.

Colors:
White with markings; black markings, brown markings, cream markings, tan markings and tri color markings are all accepted. White is always covering a minimum 55% of the body.

History and origins:
Jack russell and Parson russell terriers originally comes from England. Pastor John Russell is the creator of the breed(s), he wanted a brave and good sized dog to assist foxhounds during hunts. Both Dog breeds comes from the same lineage, the only difference between both of them being the height: Parson Russell's are taller while the Jack russells are lower.

Their prey drive persists as they are still used in hunting. Today they are mainly used for ground-dwelling quarries such as groundhog, badger, otter, and red and grey fox.

Temperament:
Beneath their cute and plushy-like exterior, there is a tough and hardworking terrier, they are known to never get tired and to easily bark. They're extremly independent dogs, with an explosive energy and a high prey drive. In order to do their work as earth working dogs, their stubborness and their courageous nature comes in handy and also makes for interesting personalities. A common saying is that they're a big dog in a small package. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not consider their activity level and their needs before decidingto get one. They get russell terriers solely because of how small and cute they look. In such cases, people end up with unhappy and destructive dogs, it's not uncommon for said dogs to be abandoned by their guardians and given up for adoption.

Health:
The majority of Russell Terriers are happy, healthy little dogs. Responsible breeders screen their stock for health conditions such as patellar luxation (loose kneecaps), deafness, and eye disease, and are dedicated to preserving the genetic health of the breed by doing health testing on all their breeding stock.

Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:

• Patella Evaluation
• BAER Testing
• Primary Lens Luxation (PLL) - DNA Test
• Ophthalmologist Evaluation