Sunset Kennels visits the Standard
The Jack Russell Terrier Breed Standard
"Warning" If you want the Official Standard for the Jack Russell Terrier please visit this site run by the ANKC.
The blue text is the standard as issued by the ANKC.
My own words are in fuchsia.
General Appearance. A strong active lithe working Terrier of great character with flexible body of medium length. His smart appearance matches his keen expression. Tail docking is optional and the coat may be smooth, rough or broken.
Nowhere does it say well built working terrier.
The key word here is lithe which is meant to mean flexible, supple, and slimly built. The dog should not be to wide or deep in chest. The weight should indicate a slim terrier. A 10" dog should weigh approx 11 lbs where a 12" dog should weigh approx 13 lbs. (25cm = 5kg or 30.5cm = 6kg) Remember the work intended of this terrier was to enter the earths of the fox and follow him to underground. A well built terrier will not be supple enough to turn in a tight tunnel.
Sturdy, tough terrier, very much on its toes, measuring between 25.5-30.5cms(10-12ins) at the withers. The body length must be in proportion to the height and it should present a compact, balanced image, always being in solid hard condition.
Avoid long backs, short backs, and roach backs. Remember 9 as to 10 is a good guide. Use your walking lead to measure from the shoulder to the root of tail. Let the tail end of the lead drop to the ground and decide if your dog is correct. Marginally longer than tall.
Characteristics. A lively, alert and active Terrier with a keen, intelligent expression.
This dog is a smart mover, and exhibits great character. He should have a keen expression that looks workman like.
Temperament. Bold and fearless, friendly but quietly confident.
The dog should not be aggressive, nervous or shy. They should look as if they are enjoying themselves. These dogs have a wonderful temperament, they are very brave for their size and should have their own strong personality.
Head & Skull . The skull should be flat and of moderate width gradually decreasing in width to the eyes and tapering to a wide muzzle with very strong jaws. There should be a well defined stop but not over pronounced. The length from the stop to the nose should be slightly shorter than from the stop to the occiput with the cheek muscles well developed. The nose should be black.
No domed or apple heads are allowed. No snipey muzzles allowed. Parallel planes for the skull and foreface.
Eyes. Small dark and with keen expression. not be prominent and eyelids should fit closely. The eyelid rims should be pigmented black. Almond shape.
Light eyes and large eyes should be avoided. The expression on the face is spoilt if these faults are present. White faced dogs should still have pigment on the eye lids, and should not be penalised if it is present. Pups may be lacking pigment on the eyes, nose and lips. It rarely comes so don't expect it. Take it into consideration when inspecting animals for stud.
Ears. Button or dropped of good texture and great mobility.
Button or dropped ears are acceptable. The leather should be soft and fine to touch. They should not be course or heavy. Avoid large houndy ears, and ears that tend to stand up or are flighty. Low set ears tend to make the head look apple shaped.
Mouth. Deep wide and powerful jaws with tight fitting pigmented lips and strong teeth closing to a scissor bite.
All hunting dogs should have a full set of teeth set in a scissor bite. No other bite is acceptable and should be considered a serious fault. A working terrier may loose or break teeth whilst in work and should not be penalised provided that the bite is correct.
Neck. Strong and clean allowing the head to be carried with poise.
The neck should be strong as it should be remembered what the dog is intended for. A short or weak neck would not be able to protect the feet of the working dog in confined spaces.
Forequarters. Shoulders well sloped back and not heavily loaded with muscle. Forelegs straight in bone from the shoulder to the toes whether viewed from the front or the side and with sufficient length of upper arm to ensure elbows are set under the body with sternum clearly in front of shoulder blades.
The Jack Russell does not have a terrier front. The sternum must be clearly visible. Legs must be straight. Avoid bench fronts, knuckled over, out in elbow, toed out, or down in pastern fronts. Rough dogs should be examined closely as some faults can be groomed out. Well angulated shoulders and upper arm should be maintained. The shoulder should not be upright. (hackney movement)
Body. Chest deep rather than wide, with good clearance and the brisket located at the height midway between the ground and the withers. The body should be proportioned marginally longer than tall, Measuring slightly longer from the withers to the root of the tail than from the withers to the ground. Back level. Ribs should be well sprung from the spine, flattening on the sides so that the girth behind the elbows can be spanned by two hands - 40cms to 43cms. The loins should be short, strong and deeply muscled.
The dog has to be spannable. It is one of the most important points. Practice spanning sewer pipes that are about 40cms in diameter. If the pipe is not exact you will still be able to get an idea of your hands span to measure a dog. It is important to realise that all people don't have the same hand span, but everyone should be able to practice their span and become reasonably accurate. (40 - 43cms = 151/2 - 17 ins.)
Marginally longer than tall not square. Remember 9 as to 10 is a good guide. Use your walking lead to measure from the shoulder to the root of tail. Let the tail end of the lead drop to the ground and decide if your dog is correct. Jacks are not a short legged dog, and they are not square like a Parson. The dogs legs should be in proportion, or 50% of the dogs height at the withers.
Hindquarters. Strong and muscular, balanced in proportion to the shoulders, hind legs parallel when viewed from behind while in free standing position. Stifles well angulated and hocks low set.
Strong drive with no hops or skips that are usually indications of patella or hip problems.
Feet. Round, hard, padded, not large, toes moderately arched, turned neither in nor out.
Round like a cats foot with thick pads.
Tail. May drop at rest. When moving should be erect and if docked the tip should be on the same level as ears.
The tail dropping at rest is not a normal feature of terrier behavior or temperament. If the tail is docked it should be on the same level as the ears. When on the move the tail should be up for both docked and undocked tails.
Gait/Movement. True free & springy.
The movement should be cocky, bounce, springy, with drive. The rear pasterns should have parallel movement. Many have hops and skips or a hackney action which is not correct.
Coat. May be smooth, broken or rough. Must be weatherproof, preferably unaltered.
All three types should feature a dense coat. The rough coats should be hard not woolly or silky. A broken coat should not be a rough coat stripped out. Watch for the over groomed roughs that look more like smooths. Roughs should only be tidied up for the show ring. Traditional stripping is better than clippers and scissoring. Over grooming thins out the coat so that it is no longer weather proof.
Colour. White must predominate with black, tan or brown markings.
Tri colours are acceptable, but the white must be the main feature. The brown may vary from lemon to mahogany.
Size. Ideal height. 25cms (10ins) to 30cms (12ins). The weight in kg being equivalent of 1kg to each 5cms in height, i.e. a 25cm high dog should weigh approximately 5kg and a 30cms dog should weigh 6kg.
Avoid Jacks that encroach on the Parson standard and those that are under the 10 inch margin. The dog should look balanced height for weight. Avoid the very heavy dogs as they will not be able to work.
Faults. Any departure from the foregoing should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree. However the following weaknesses should be particularly penalised.
a. lack of true terrier temperament. b. Lack of balance, i.e. over exaggeration of any points. c. sluggish or unsound movement. d. Faulty mouth
These weaknesses should be penalised.
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.