Named after a vicar
The Reverend John Russell, a Devon parson who loved hunting, bred them in the 1800s to bolt foxes from their holes.
Small dogs · Time every day
Jack Russell terrier
Terrier · from Devon, England
A small, mostly white terrier with tan or black patches, folded ears and a short upright tail.
- Size
- 25 to 30cm at the shoulder; 5 to 8kg
- Lives for
- 13 to 16 years
- Suits
- Lively homes with a secure garden
Dashes after you and never tires. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the jack Russell
White on purpose
They were bred mostly white so that hunters could tell the dog from the fox.
Five times its height
A Jack Russell can jump about a metre and a half straight up.
A born digger
It will dig under fences and into flower beds, and go down any hole it finds.
Endless energy
It was built to run with horses all day and still be ready for work.
Carried to work
Hunt terriers were sometimes carried in a bag on horseback until they were needed.
The real thing
Photos of the jack Russell
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
Looking after one
It needs at least an hour of busy exercise a day, and games that use its nose and brain. The short coat needs little more than a weekly brush.
Before you get one
It is clever, bold and noisy, with a strong urge to chase small animals. It is not always safe with pet rabbits or hamsters.
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