What is the origin of Parson Russell Terrier?
The name of the breed is derived from the Latin word "Terra". The name is given to them due to the fact that these dogs were formerly used for earthwork. Bravely and nimbly they chased foxes and badgers into their burrows and pushed them out until the hunter could kill them. In the course of history, 34 Terrier species were created in Great Britain, one of which is the Parson Russell Terrier. The breed can be traced back to the English Reverend John Russel, who lived from 1795 to 1883. The passionate hunter started to breed hunting dogs during his studies in Oxford. His aim was to create dogs from Fox Terriers that were persistent enough to run with his Fox Hounds. As they were too big to blow foxes out of their burrow with a shoulder height of 60 centimetres, he needed smaller, brave and eager to work animals. In the 1850s, Australia specifically imported Jack Russell Terriers, which successfully contained a fox plague. The Parson Russell Terriers were to go back to the "Carlise Tack", born in 1884. The breed was provisionally recognised by the international dog association FCI in 1990, but officially only since 2001.
What are the breed characteristics of Parson Russell Terriers?
If you don't look closely, you could confuse a Parson Russell Terrier with a Jack Russell Terrier. The Pardon Russell Terrier is an animal with longer legs and an almost square build. Regarding the rib cage, the breed standard stipulates very precisely that "one can grasp it with two averagely large hands directly behind the shoulder". This measure is similar to that of a fox, which the Parson Russell Terrier used to follow all the way into the den. The animal usually carries its short tail directed upwards.