Plate 046 · British Isles
Jack Russell Terrier
杰克罗素㹴
“A parson's fox terrier, small enough to go to ground.”
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Devon, south-west England
- Region of origin
- Named after Rev. John 'Jack' Russell; the FCI standard lists England as the country of origin and Australia as the country of development.
- The point marks the region the breed comes from, not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- Early 19th century
- Today
- Companion · Earthdog sports · Performer
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Then → Now
Historical depiction not yet verified.
NowBernt Rostad from Oslo, Norway · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
History
01 · Origin
Devon, south-west England
Named after Reverend John 'Jack' Russell, a Devon parson and keen fox hunter.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Ran with foxhounds and went to ground to bolt foxes out of their dens.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
After Russell's death the name came to be used for any mostly white terrier that worked underground, so the type long varied in size. Registries later separated the taller, squarer Parson Russell Terrier from the shorter, slightly longer Jack Russell Terrier, which was first standardized in Australia; in the US the AKC registers the latter as the Russell Terrier.
04 · Today
Companion · Earthdog sports · Performer
A tireless, clever companion and a frequent star of films and TV.
Personality
- Energetic
- Fearless
- Clever
- Tenacious
- Vocal tendency
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Small
- Lifespan
- 12–14 years
- Coat
- Smooth, broken or rough coat, predominantly white
Field note
Russell's first terrier, a bitch called Trump, is said to have been bought from a milkman while he was a student at Oxford.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Terrier Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 3, standard 345), The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Terrier Group, recognized 2012 under the name Russell Terrier. The AKC has recorded the breed in its Foundation Stock Service since October 2005; Wikipedia reports that it was taken in on the FCI Jack Russell Terrier standard, the standard this profile follows. The AKC and FCI give the same country of origin (England) and of development (Australia), the same 25–30 cm (10–12 in) height, a rectangular build and a mostly white coat. The AKC has used its own revised standard since 2010 (for example, at least 51% white, and under 10 or over 12 inches disqualifies), so the two standards are not identical in every detail. In the US the name 'Jack Russell Terrier' already meant other dogs: the AKC registered the taller Parson Russell Terrier under that name from 1997 to 2003, and the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America registers a wider range of sizes. The Parson Russell Terrier is a separate breed with its own profile.
A lively small companion. In 2025 it had the 12th-highest number of registrations with Dogs Australia, and as the Russell Terrier it ranked 60th in AKC registrations.
Sources7 references
- Russell Terrier — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/russell-terrier/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · The AKC's name for this breed (Russell Terrier), Terrier Group, recognized 2012; originated in England and developed in Australia; in the Foundation Stock Service from 2005 (AKC page).
- Official Standard of the Russell Terrier — American Kennel Club
https://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/RussellTerrier.pdf
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · AKC standard (approved May 2009, effective 1 January 2010): 10–12 in, marginally longer than tall, smooth, broken or rough coat, at least 51% white; compared with FCI standard 345.
- FCI-Standard N° 345: Jack Russell Terrier — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/345g03-en.pdf
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Origin England, country of development Australia; Group 3, Section 2 (small terriers); height 25–30 cm, longer than high; smooth, broken or rough coat, white predominating.
- Russell Terrier (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Terrier
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Wikipedia gives 8 December 2004 for the AKC's acceptance of the breed into the Foundation Stock Service, on the FCI Jack Russell standard (the AKC's own page says October 2005); the UKC named the FCI type Russell Terrier because the name Jack Russell Terrier was already used for the longer-legged dog; the AKC parent club introduced its own standard in 2010.
- Parson Russell Terrier (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parson_Russell_Terrier
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · The AKC recognized the Parson Russell Terrier as the Jack Russell Terrier effective 1 November 1997 and renamed it on 1 April 2003.
- Jack Russell Terrier (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Russell_Terrier
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-06 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
- Jack Russell (priest) (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Russell_(priest)
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-06 · Background on Rev. John Russell.
Image credits
Bernt Rostad from Oslo, Norway · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: Named after Rev. John 'Jack' Russell; the FCI standard lists England as the country of origin and Australia as the country of development.
