Russell Breed Std
The AKC breed standard which we all strive for or work towards.
Billie Sumrell, based on ARTC standard.
Small, athletic, lithe and tough; these little dogs are as loyal as they are fearless, tenacious as they
are endearing. The correct JRT is not overly heavy, or frontloaded and built like torpedo on splayed legs…. nor is he built with high tuck up and overly long thin legs. His depth of body from wither to brisket should be equal to length of leg from elbow to a moderate foot. He has straight front legs, sometimes with a slight turn out,
and with good angles in his rear legs, hocks should be low set and parallel, perpendicular to the ground. The tail may be uncut or docked so that ideally, if docked, the tip of the tail is level with the top of the ears. It should be carried up, or slightly forward when moving, and may drop when they are standing or at rest.
They should NOT be too deep in the chest, there should definitely be some daylight between the underside and the ground; he should have moderate to little tuck up. The length of the body, from wither to base of tail should be slightly longer than tall, so that from point of shoulder to point of buttock, the profile should present a rectangular dog.
One of the most important functional physical characteristics a Russell should have is a spanable chest. The ribs should NOT be barrel, nor should they be slab sided (flat), but should be oval shaped and compressable,
to enable him to manouver
underground in a tunnel or foxhole..
He should not be overly
muscular and should have a very alert demeinor; confident and a bit mischievious; neither viscious or shy. He embodies moderation in all ways from his statue to his muscling, with head, neck and topline flowing smoothly from one to the other.. He is not fragile or “racey”, nor does he have overly dense bone and muscling. Looking down on him, shoulder area and hip area should be the same width, with sufficient muscling to pull as well as push his way underground.
He is built to be able to go to ground as well as give chase to his prey and is an excellent vermin eliminator. He is also used for above ground hunting of rabbit and squirrel.
ARTC History – AKC Parent Club
By JoAnn Stoll… Pres. and Founder of AKC approved parent club for the American Russell Terrier
The foreign community and Americans who are newcomers to this breed must understand the Americans have English lines imported by Americans from legitimate Hunts in England preserved over the years utilized for work only. These old working lines are recorded in the ARTC, Inc. stud books
They were kept by the early American Hunts and individuals who preferred the smaller Jacks to utilize in terrain specific to the US. In 1911 the Shelburne Hunt changed from Drag hunting to fox hunting. They found the the terriers imported into the US prior to that time much too large for fox hunting in the US. The sport of fox hunting became very popular in the US during this time with more early American Hunts taking up the sport.
The JRTCA in 1976 was the first breed registry to combine both the leggy and more rectangular types of Jack Russells.However, the more rectangular types were eventually eliminated with their preference for the more elegant leggy types. Due to the popularity for work many Americans remained outside the confines of the JRTCA maintaining strains of the smaller Jack types. In the 50’s and 60’s Americans on buying trips for hounds in England brought back more the small Jacks purchased from such English hunts as the Warwickshire, Beaufort Hunt, and South Staffordshire just to name a few. Americans imported small Jacks from the Waterford Hunt in Ireland. Many of these old strains are represented in the stud books of the ARTC, Inc.
The more recent influx of small hunt terriers imported primarily from Ireland into the US.in the early 1990’s do not represent old working strains from England or Ireland. They were crossed with other small companion breeds to minimize their hunting instinct and size for the companion market in the US.
Our club was not established until 1995 at which time we began including these old working strains in our registry to preserve the remnants remaining in the US eliminating any influence of the JRTCA type of Jack Russells. We have spent many years preserving and protecting these old English working lines. Always striving to improve the phenotype without sacrificing function or the will to employ to work below ground to seek Kennel Club recognition. We are not as far in development as Australia but we are very protective of our English lines and are constantly striving to improve. There is no reason why we can’t all share the love for all Russell/Jack Russell Terriers without prejudice as to what country they represent with respect.
The true English working lines imported into the US directly from England are small in numbers. Their blood can’t be duplicated. If the Americans do not perserve them they will be lost forever and just a page in history. And grand little sporting hunting terriers they are. They may very well be the oldest English lines in the world at this point and time, from the research I have done.
Joann Stoll