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The REAL JRT

adjecyca

Good Dog
Found an article, i thought it was good,but let me know what you think...i am expanding my research on certain terriers. I didn't know the fox terrier is like the show version of the JRT, i wanted a fox terrier, but i wanted a dog who could work. I am much more interested in other terriers, Patterdale, Jagd, Border terrier. My lover is SET on a JRT though...

The website has some pictures.
Jack Russell Terrier: JRTCA: The Real Jack Russell Terrier - What's in a Name?

The Real Jack Russell Terrier may be any height between 10" and 15" (at the shoulder), it may vary in coats, markings, type, and for sure personality… they are ALL real Jack Russell Terriers. There is no "ideal" …. the "ideal" is what suits their owner for what they want/need to do with their terrier. That is the uniqueness of this diverse terrier. The diversity within the JRTCA breed standard is what makes the Jack Russell Terrier suitable for a variety of working and performance abilities - in contrast with the narrow, cosmetic breed standards of many show breeds.
The "Russell Terrier" and the "Parson Russell Terrier" are both variants of the Jack Russell Terrier made into “separate breeds†by the AKC. They are nothing more than variants of the original Jack Russell Terrier as always supported by the JRTCA. The JRTCA standard includes the full range of sizes needed for earth work. It is to be known our standard is to allow a terrier to follow the red fox to ground. The dog needed the drive and structure to mirror the agile intelligent fox. The Jack Russell Terrier had to be able to outsmart the fox and have the courage to do so for the handler as a team.
The real Jack Russell Terrier has been preserved as a working dog. Every effort has been made to eliminate and prevent genetic defects/faults within the JRTCA registry. (See the JRTCA Registry for more details.) Close inbreeding is prohibited for the mental and physical protection of the terrier.
JRTCA judging, and all aspects of JRTCA Terrier Trials, is focused on the working ability of the terrier. JRTCA Judges are specifically trained and sanctioned by the JRTCA. Because of this, the real Jack Russell Terrier remains virtually unchanged over 200 years… it still has the structure, brain and heart to work underground, and is a mentally and physically sound dog.
The working structure, brain and heart of the real Jack Russell Terrier is what gives this terrier the astounding character, athleticism and versatility that make it a great companion. It is for sure "the dog that does"…. from hunting to doing agility, racing, surfing, flyball, bird retrieval, skate boarding, search & rescue, therapy dog… and forever entertaining pet and companion.
The working brain and heart makes the Jack Russell Terrier such an intensely loyal, alert, affectionate, profound companion like no other. The Jack Russell Terrier wants to keenly interact with people… to be with you every moment of life… sharing and helping at every step. The real Jack Russell Terrier does not sit on the sidelines of life.
The JRTCA's essential mission is to "Preserve, Protect and Work" the Jack Russell Terrier. This mission equally preserves the breed integrity for the most versatile, healthy, highly intelligent, loyal and affectionate companion you will ever find… the real Jack Russell.
So what then are these "other" terriers we hear about today…. The Parson Russell, The Russell (shortie) Terrier, The Irish Jack Russell, the Miniature Jack Russell… and who knows what else?? They are simply variants of the Real Jack Russell Terrier… a type or size taken from within portions of the JRTCGB/JRTCA breed standard to suit the whims of special interest groups/individuals.
What happens when all of these variants, with a now small gene pool, are bred together to "perfect" this narrow portion of the standard? Eventually they will change and become an animal that will look very different from the original Jack Russell Terrier. Inbreeding and breeding for the show ring will change the physical and mental structure of the dog. It will lose its purpose and its original character, as well as its mental and physical soundness, and will become something entirely different… whatever suits the whim of those controlling that variant of the terrier.
Keep in mind that the "Fox Terrier" and the "Jack Russell Terrier" were the same dog at one point in history. The strain that went to the show ring quickly changed in structure and most lost the drive to hunt. Fashions of the ring changed the dog and soon an upright shoulder became a feature that impeded movement for working below ground. The Fox Terrier became the show ring dog and the Jack Russell Terrier remained as it is loved today and protected by the JRTCA.
It is history repeating itself… it is how the modern Fox Terrier of today once evolved from the original working fox terrier (now known as the Jack Russell Terrier). The original type of working fox terrier, the Jack Russell, will continue on with the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America and the Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain as its protectors. So please join the JRTCA and help us ensure that the REAL JACK RUSSELL TERRIER will be here for another 200 years!
 

DancesWithCurs

Good Dog
Yup, I find that the JRTCA as a whole is pretty straight forward and adamant about not only protecting their breed, but being very blunt about traits. They don't hem and haw about the propensity for dog aggression in the JRT at all
 

outsider

Little Dog
What's in a name? Well for Jack Russell Terrier it's more about people and politics than dogs.

People had fox terriers. One person by the name of Reverend Jack Russell bred a famous strain of fox terriers. They were enough different from the run of the mill fox terriers that people tacked on a reference to him when discussing them. Run of the mill fox terriers were basically any terrier you could get down a fox hole to chase the fox out. The 'KC' and 'AKC' registered fox terriers really came from the lines used by gentlemen who hunted with packs of fox hounds, horses, and red jackets...even though many farmers, poachers, and the like had 'fox terriers' as well...they just weren't the people setting up registries and dog shows.

Most of the other strains of working terriers died off or were incorporated into existing breeds.

Jack Russell Terriers became the name of non-AKC and non-KC 'fox terrier' working dogs (who were used on many animals not just foxes)

The FCI was one of the first registries to create a standard and start registering the Jack Russell. For quite a while the AKC and KC turned their nose up at the Jack Russell...and the Jack Russel clubs in the UK and USA were more than happy to stay far away from the AKC and KC because they thought that those two organizations in the end destroyed hunting breeds and turned them into showroom fancies.

Then the Jack Russell started to get popular (in part, thanks to the TV show Fraiser and the dog Eddie, ran from 1993-2004)

The AKC will register anything as long as any existing AKC breed isn't too similar (as decided by that breed club) and as long as the new breed has a breed club of it's own.

The existing Jack Russell group (JRCA...Jack Russell terrier Club of America) had a vote and 80% of the members were against bringing the Jack Russel into the AKC. So the 20% that wanted to bring the JRT into the AKC simply left the group and formed their own group with a very slight name change (The Jack Russell Terrier Breeders) got their version of the dog into the AKC in 2001...right in the middle of Frasier's highest popularity.

There were similar shenanigans in the UK for getting the Jack Russell into their 'big name show dog registry' the KC, involving throwing the name Parson into the mix.

It sounds like at best a bunch of hoo-haa to me, and at worst something akin to 'claim jumping' in the fact that in both countries the MAJORITY of people in the working dog community who were members of the breed clubs for this dog didn't want anything to do with 'dog shows clubs' fearing it would ruin the dog, causing splinter groups to basically do an 'end-run' to join up with the AKC or KC. Once the splinter groups joined the AKC and KC, they seemed to the average individual to be the 'real' club, because everyone already knew about the AKC and KC.

In my eye and Jack Russell type breed who bears AKC or KC paperwork is the false one, and whichever one bears FCI, UKC, or club specific registration instead of the AKC or KC registration, in my eyes those are the real JRTs...no matter what the name is.
 
I had a patterdale terrier for years! She was an amazing dog but sadly passed away, does anyone know somewhere in the east coast around pennsylvania, delaware, or new jersey that breeds pattys? Please reply
 

Gatorpit

Good Dog
John...you're far better off (as far as getting useful replies) starting your own thread with your question. Not to mention (according to general internet etiquette) it is extremely rude to hijack someone else's thread, especially with a topic that has little or nothing to do with the topic at hand.