Origin & Purpose - 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 county 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.
General Appearance -
Workmanlike, active and agile; built for speed and endurance. Overall
picture of balance and flexibility. Honourable scars permissible.
Temperament - Essentially a working terrier with ability and
conformation to go to ground and run with hounds. Bold and friendly.
Size - Dogs ideal height at withers 36 cm (14 ins) and Bitches
ideal height at
withers 33 cm (13 ins). 2 cm above or below is acceptable.
Important Proportions - 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 & Colour - 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.
Head - 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 jaws. 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.
Neck - Clean, muscular, of good length, gradually widening to
shoulders.
Forequarters - Strong, must be straight with joints turning
neither m nor out.
Shoulders: Long and sloping, well laid back, cleanly cut at withers.
Elbows: Close to body, working free of the sides.
Body - 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.
Hindquarters - 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.
Tail - 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.
Gait - Free-striding, well co-ordinated, straight action front
and behind.
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.
Disqualification - 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.
