On April 1, 2003, the AKC changed the name of the breed from Jack Russell Terrier to Parson Russell Terrier. This is to distinguish between the correct, longer legged dog and the shorter legged dog, often referred to as the pudding or shortie.
The Parson Russell Terrier is a working variant of the fox terrier. The breed personifies the type preferred and developed by Reverend John Russell, an avid fox hunter from the country Devon, England, during the nineteenth century. The dog was developed to "run with horse and hound" so that when the hounds drove a fox to ground the terrier followed, baying to bolt his quarry to the surface so the chase could continue. The breed remained popular with hunters and horsemen throughout the 20th century and in January of 1990, it was recognized in England by The Kennel Club.
Well balanced. Overall length of body slightly longer than height from withers to ground. Length from nose to stop slightly shorter than from stop to occiput.
Coat: Naturally harsh, close and dense, whether rough or smooth. Belly and undersides coated. Colour: Entirely white or predominantly white with tan, lemon or black markings, or any combination of these colours, preferably confined to head and/or root of tail.
Skull: Flat, moderately broad, gradually narrowing to the eyes. Stop: Shallow. Nose: Black. Jaws/Teeth: Jaws strong, muscular. Teeth with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaw. Eyes: Almond shaped, fairly deep-set, dark, keen expression. Ears: Small, V-shaped, dropping forward, carried close to head, tip of ear to reach corner of eye, fold not to appear above top of skull. Leather of moderate thickness.
Strong, must be straight with joints turning neither in nor out. Shoulders: Long and sloping, well laid back, cleanly cut at withers. Elbows: Close to body, working free of the sides.
Well balanced. Overall length slightly longer than height from withers to ground. Back: Strong and straight. Loin: Slightly arched. Chest: Of moderate depth, not to come below point of elbow, capable of being spanned behind the shoulders by average size hands. Ribs not oversprung.
Strong, muscular with good angulation. Stifle: Good bend of stifle. Hocks: Set low. Rear Pasterns: Parallel, giving plenty of drive. Feet: Compact with firm pads, turning neither in nor out.
Customarily docked.
Docked: Length complementing the body while providing a good handhold. Strong, straight, moderately high set, carried well up on the move. Undocked: Of moderated length and as straight as possible, giving a general balance to the dog, thick at the root and tapering towards the end. Moderately high set, carried well up on the move.
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified. Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
