Jack Russell Terriers

Parson Jack Russell's Terriers.

I am reading at the moment; Hunt and Working Terriers by Jocelyn Lucas, the book was recommended to me by a friend who breeds and judges working terriers. It is, without doubt one of the best books I have read on working terriers. Written in the 1920's the author has working sealyhams and has many accounts of his work with them.

What struck me was the description of Jack Russell Terriers, which alter quite a lot for the Kennel Club Jack Russell of our day. Why is it the Kennel club seem to make a real hash of preserving a breed as it was originally intended? It probably says a lot about the low self esteem of those who take part constantly seeking perfection but only succeeding in producing freaks.

Jack Russell said he sought a type rather than a breed; this type was rough haired, predominately white, with narrow shoulders and a broad head. It coated needed to be mat like to survive the weather, and Jack Russell believed a smooth coat was a sign on Bull Terrier in the type, and he did not want any of that. His terriers were to mark its prey to ground and if possible bolt it, he did not want hard terriers which would grip the fox and fight silently under ground. A broadish head because he wanted his terriers to be able to grip when necessary and be able to get them selves out of trouble.

When I look at the Jack Russells today there is an increasing divide between the show world and the working world, I know which one has a better track record and which one I trust.

As an aside Joclyn Lucas has an account of the equipment needed for Badger digging, given by a French Nobleman in the 1600's, as well as spade, iron bar and tongs, it also includes a barrel of wine a cart with a mattress and and 17 year old willing girl! Not sure the Rev Russell would approve.

Entering Terriers.

I never had a kennel of terriers so my terrier always had to perform a number of rolls; bolting quarry, working the rough, and hopefully retrieving, though the last was, most of the time, a vain hope.

My first proper terrier was a small Jack Russel type bought from a local farm which bred all manner of hunting dogs. I have no recollection of entering Rick it just seemed to happen, he happily worked anything from moles to foxes, from sparrows to pheasants.

He quickly learnt to respect ferrets, after getting bitten when sticking his nose down a rabbit hole while the ferrets were down. On another occasion he grabbed a rabbit which had bolted with a ferret attached.. That took some sorting out as it was difficult to know which animal to grab first.

He never won any shows as he had quite a broad chest and had queen Anne legs, but he worked for years, he had all the qwirks of a terrier having that sneaky intelligence which so characterised that breed. We would occasionally find a cat or chicken dead on the farm yard, but of course we never ever saw him kill them or even show any interest in them, he would be sitting innocently by the back door waiting to be let into the kitchen. But he was the only one there to do the deed.

My second terrier I remember entered himself to rabbits when he was three months old, I was walking along a hedge row and he just popped down a rabbit hole and out shot a rabbit the other end, with this tiny pup in hot pursuit. I bought him from Brecon Hunt kennels, a cross between a Jack Russell and a Border terrier, He had the shape of a Jack Russell and the colouring of a Border.

He again would work anything as well, but was not too hard and never got badly scarred. These little terriers just love to work, and I suppose that's what makes them so loved by sportsmen, they are so adaptable and full of fun. Hunting as a pack after rats they just exude enjoyment at what they do.

I suppose entering them for a specific prey is a lot more difficult and many of the old books going to great lengths in giving complicated training regimes for getting your terrier of rabbits, badgers or what ever. I have never really tried as I love to see them work. As I write my present terrier, a mix of goodness knows what, is sat by the french window staring at a mouse feeding on the bird seed. She is very much a companion dog, but even she loves to hunt, and is about to be entered to mice.