Over the last several years the general
public, as well as the members of
the canine sporting community have
been totally confused and perplexed
with the multitude of names and name
changes, all referring to the same
breed of dog. Compounding the difficulty
has been the recognition of the new
Russell Terrier in both of the major
American registries, the American
Kennel Club and the United Kennel
Club. The brief explanation of the
different breeds, hopefully, clarifies
some of the confusion involved in
an attempt to assist interested parties
with understanding the differences
in the names and the breed type of
these two terriers.
In
the interest of further education,
the RoHM has added the following link
the UKC Earthworking
Guide.(under construction) This presentation
gives the basics involving traditional
earthwork for both of these marvelous
terrier breeds. Perspective
into the conformation required by
both terriers in order to accomplish
their utilitarian duties can be gleaned
by studing the material.
_______________________________________
The AKC Parson Russell Terrier
In
the 1990's a group calling themselves
the Breeders Association, formed within
the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America
(JRTCA), an independent registry for
the Jack Russell Terrier. Over time
members of the Breeders Association
(BA) became disgruntled with
the politics and restrictions of the JRTCA
registry, and became themselves another
independent Registry for their style
of Jack Russell Terrier. Over time
it became apparent that the new BA
group could not survive as an organization,
so the American Kennel Club was petitioned
to accept the Jack Russell Terrier
as a new breed.
In
2000 this quest was accomplished and
the newly recognize Jack Russell Terrier
began AKC Group competition. Prior
to full admission into the world of
dog show competition, however, it
was soon discovered that many newly
imported Jack Russell Terriers did
not meet the AKC breed standard. Around
that same time the "Mother Club",
The Kennel Club of England, approved
a name change for their own registered
Jack Russell Terriers to that of Parson
Russell Terrier. This move was to
define the breed as the Parson Type,
the taller and squarer profile style
of the Terrier, making the breed distinctly
separate from the shorter more rectangular
bodied style of dog. Registries around
the world had always recognized the
Jack Russell Terrier as the "longer
and smaller" style of dog and
the taller version was known worldwide
as the Parson "Type" Russell
Terrier. The AKC Breed Club followed
suit and with approval from the AKC,
renamed its terrier the Parson Russell
Terrier.
The
AKC Breed Standard recognizes the
taller more square body style or proportion,
measuring between 12"-15".
It requires a three generation numbered
pedigree certified by an acceptable
foreign or domestic registry. The
AKC is a closed registry, meaning
that it registers dogs on lineage
rather the type.
Click
here
to view the AKC Parson Russell Terrier
Breed Standard.
The
United Kennel Club recognized the
Jack Russell Terrier as a breed in
1991. The UKC breed standard also
defines the breed as a square body
type or proportion, or the Parson
Type. The UKC breed standard is similar
to that of the AKC, but allows for
two height varieties, dogs measuring
from 10"-12.5" and from
12.5"-15". UKC had kept
the name for the Parson Type as The
Jack Russell Terrier until April of
2008, now becoming the Parson Russell
Terrier. Many AKC registered Parsons
Russell Terriers are also UKC registered
Parson Russell Terriers and compete
in both conformation and performance
events within each respective venue.
In January of 2009 the breed standard
for the smaller and more rectangular
built type became the official UKC
Jack Russell Terrier.
The
UKC is still considered an open registry
as it qualifies registration more
on type than on lineage. Should a
dog apply for registration to the
UKC stud book for its respective breed,
a dog's pedigree is considered a part
of the registration process, but no
certification may be required for
most breeds. Some breeds are required,
however, to furnish photographs with
the application. Should the individual
look more like a Russell Terrier it
is added to that breed's database.
Should it present he picture of a
Jack Russell Terrier it is added to
that database, regardless of what
the pedigree may indicate.
Click
here
to view the UKC Parson Russell Terrier
Breed Standard.
Historically,
although bred from similar bloodlines
of the Parson type, in the 1800s,
enthusiasts infused very dissimilar
strains of blood to develop
a smaller version of fox working
terrier that could be more easily
transported in terrier bags
and work in smaller earthen
dens in more rugged terrain.
Australia has been designated
the country of development for
this breed and the AKC breed
standard reflects this influence.
Since
1995, The American Russell Terrier
Club, Inc. Inc has served the
breed as the premier domestic
registry for the purebred Russell
Terrier. The ARTC ushered the
Russell Terrier breed to AKC
recognition in 2005. The American
proponents of this newly recognized
AKC breed have worked tirelessly
to solidify the consistency
of domestic breed type while
eliminating any influence of
the Parson/JRTCA Jack Russell
blood within their breeding
lines. By selectively breeding
the domestic foundation stock
of the shorter height and longer
body type to quality purebred
imports of the same breed, the
members of the ARTC have effectively
and very specifically eliminated
"Parson or domestic JRTCA
Jack Russell" blood. The
ARTC registry has solidified
the purity of the Russell Terrier
in American.
The purebred Kennel Club registered
Russell Terrier is not to be
confused with the traditionally
named Puddlin Dogs found in
the English or Irish country
sides. The traditional Puddlin
Dog has shorter benched legs
and an extremely elongated body,
usually with a pointed rounded
head. The Puddlin is generally
not noted for pleasant disposition
nor has it been bred for hunting
or any utilitarian purpose.
Click
here
to view the AKC Russell Terrier
Breed Standard
In
2001 the United Kennel
Club recognized the
Russell Terrier also
known as the Jack Russell
Terrier worldwide. UKC
adopted the FCI standard
for the breed which
they named the Russell
Terrier due to the fact
that they had already
assigned the Jack Russell
Terrier label to the
breed with the taller
stature and squarer
body proportion. In
January of 2009, updated
their standard for the
breed and reverted to
the original nomenclature
of the Jack Russell
Terrier. The 2001 Foundation
Stock taken in by the
UKC registry is indeed
the very same foundation
stock that the American
Kennel Club has taken
as their Foundation
Stock Russell Terrier.
Both registries found
merit in the work accomplished
by the English Jack
Russell Terrier Club
®, now The American
Russell Terrier Club,
Inc, the AKC Parent
Club for the Russell
Terrier.
Again, The purebred
Kennel Club registered
Jack Russell Terrier/Russell
Terrier is not to be
confused with the traditionally
named Puddlin Dogs or
the American Stable
Dog, found throughout
the American, English
or Irish country sides.
The traditional Puddlin
Dog has benched legs
and an extremely elongated
body, with a pointed
rounded head. The Puddlin
is generally not noted
for pleasant disposition
nor has it been bred
for hunting or any utilitarian
purpose.
Click
here
to view the UKC Jack
Russell Terrier Breed
Standard
Click here ( under construction) to view a slide presentation,
produced by the ARTC, Inc
____________________________________________________
The
JRTCA Jack Russell Terrier
The
Jack Russell Terrier
Club of America (JRTCA),
founded in 1976, is
an independent, private
and open registry of
Jack Russell Terriers
whose tenants are opposed
to any Kennel Club registration
of the breed. Interestingly
enough, most of the
domestic breeding stock
for the AKC Parson Russell
Terrier and UKC Jack
(now Parson) Russell
Terrier are and were
bred from individuals
whose primary registry
was originally the JRTCA.
The respective Kennel
Club breed standards
are simply variations
of the JRTCA breed standard.
The UKC breed standard
is the most similar
to the JRTCA breed standard.
The JRTCA is an open
registry, meaning that
any Jack Russell looking
dog applying for registration
which meets the JRTCA
registration requirements
is either registered
or recorded on its merit.
The JRTCA "registers"
a dog, which closely
meets the breed standard
on looks (type) rather
than a lineage of pure
blood. It will register
a dog whose parentage
is of several different
breeds of dogs, even
as close as the parents.
In other words should
a mating between a Jack
Russell and a Border
Terrier occur, any puppies
from that litter which
look like a Jack Russell
can be fully registered
as a JRTCA Jack Russell
Terrier. The dog still
must pass a vet check,
have a pedigree, however,
the individual dog does
not need to prove registration
in any other Registry.
For many years the JRTCA
has "recorded"
dogs that do not meet
all of its registration
requirements; either
failure to meet minimum
vet certifications,
absence of a pedigree
or failure to meet the
look dictated by the
breed standard. In years
past the JRTCA did fully
register the longer
bodied, shorted legged
"Puddlin"
style. But since the
mid to late 80s, efforts
were made to eliminate
this style of dog as
breeding stock and subsequent
Puddlin types were merely
recorded. In the JRTCA
"recording"
a dog means that the
dog is restricted from
all conformation classes
intended for breeding
stock but it is allowed
to participate in all
performance events.
