FCI-Standard N° 345
/ 09.08.2004 / GB
JACK RUSSELL TERRIER
ORIGIN : England.
COUNTRY OF DEVELOPMENT :
Australia.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF
THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 25.10.2000.
UTILIZATION : A good
working Terrier with ability to go to ground.
An excellent companion dog.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. :
Group
3
Terriers. Section 2 Small Terriers. With
working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY
: The Jack Russell Terrier originated in England in the 1800’s due to
the efforts of the Reverend John Russell.
He developed a strain of Fox Terriers to suit his needs for a dog
to run with his foxhounds and go to ground to bolt the fox and other
quarry from their dens. Two
varieties evolved with basically similar Standards except for
differences, mainly in height and proportions.
The taller, more squarely built dog is now known as the Parson
Russell Terrier and the shorter, slightly longer proportioned dog, is
known as the Jack Russell Terrier.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : A
strong, active, lithe working Terrier of great character with flexible
body of medium length. His
smart movement matches his keen expression.
Tail docking is optional and the coat may be smooth, rough or
broken.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :
The overall dog is longer
than high.
The depth of the body
from the withers to the brisket should equal the length of foreleg from
elbows to the ground.
The girth behind the
elbows should be about 40 to 43 cm.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT :
A lively, alert and active Terrier with a keen, intelligent expression.
Bold and fearless, friendly but quietly confident.
HEAD
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : The skull should
be flat and of moderate width gradually decreasing in width to the eyes
and tapering to a wide muzzle.
Stop : Well defined but
not over pronounced.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Black.
Muzzle : The length from
the stop to the nose should be slightly shorter than from the stop to
the occiput.
Lips : Tight-fitting and
pigmented black.
Jaws/Teeth : Very strong,
deep, wide and powerful. Strong teeth closing to a scissor bite.
Eyes : Small dark and
with keen expression. MUST
not be prominent and eyelids should fit closely.
The eyelid rims should be pigmented black.
Almond shape.
Ears : Button or dropped
of good texture and great mobility.
Cheeks : The cheek
muscles should be well developed.
NECK : Strong and clean
allowing head to be carried with poise.
BODY :
General : Rectangular.
Back : Level. The length
from the withers to the root of tail slightly greater than the height
from the withers to the ground.
Loin : The loins should
be short, strong and deeply muscled.
Chest : Chest deep rather
than wide, with good clearance from the ground, enabling the brisket to
be located at the height mid-way between the ground and the withers.
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 - about 40
cm to 43 cm.
Sternum : Point of
sternum clearly in front of the point of shoulder.
TAIL : May droop at rest.
When moving should be erect and if docked the tip should be on
the same level as ears.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS :
Shoulders : Well sloped
back and not heavily loaded with muscle.
Upper arm : Of sufficient
length and angulation to ensure elbows are set under the body.
Forelegs : Straight in
bone from the elbows to the toes whether viewed
from the front or the
side.
HINDQUARTERS : Strong and
muscular, balanced in proportion to the shoulder.
Stifles : Well angulated.
Hock joints : Low set.
Rear pastern(Metatarsus)
: Parallel when viewed from behind while in free standing position.
FEET : Round, hard,
padded, not large, toes moderately arched, turned neither in nor out.
GAIT / MOVEMENT
: True, free and springy.
COAT
HAIR : May be smooth,
broken or rough. Must be
weatherproof. Coats should
not be altered (stripped out) to appear smooth or broken.
COLOUR : White MUST
predominate with black and/or tan markings.
The tan markings can be from the lightest tan to the richest tan
(chestnut).
SIZE AND WEIGHT
:
Ideal Height : 25 cm (10
ins) to 30 cm (12 ins).
Weight : Being the
equivalent of 1 kg to each 5 cm in height, i.e. a 25 cm high dog should
weigh approximately 5 kg and a 30 cm high dog should weigh 6 kg.
FAULTS : 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. However, the
following weaknesses should be particularly penalised:
Lack of true Terrier
characteristics.
Lack of balance, i.e.
over exaggeration of any points.
Sluggish or unsound
movement.
Faulty mouth.
Any dog clearly showing
physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B. : Male animals
should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the
scrotum.
