Parson Russell Terrier Information

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The Parson Russell Terrier looks very similar to the Jack Russell Terrier.  The breed’s square head and flat skull have a rectangular muzzle extending from them.  Their large round eyes are dark brown and full of emotions.  On top of their head are two folded over “v” shaped ears.  A slightly wide neck leads to their deep chest and sunken stomach.  Their skinny legs lead to small round feet.  The breed’s coat can come in several styles, including wirehaired.  In each style, the coat feathers out from their face and belly.  The coat comes in black, red, brown, or tan and all coats have white markings.

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The coat is predominately white (75%) with brown, red, tan, and black markings. The coat is thicker on the back and becomes thinner as it approaches the belly. Heads are mostly brown, red, tan, or black.

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Character

The Parson Russell Terrier is a cheerful and sweet dog. Great with the family and loving attention,  they still do not do well with disrespectful children.  This breed is often very aggressive with other dogs and is naturally going to hunt any small animals.  Although eager to please, this breed is also independent.  Training is not hard because this is an intelligent and obedient breed.  Some problems with this breed are their digging and their continual barking.


It is not uncommon for this breed to flush game or rodents out of underground burrows. They will wait at an opening/entrance for long periods of time in the hopes of catching game. This trait should be trained out, if you expect them to thrive with other small animals in the house. This breed loves to run and jump and does well in agility training. It may be impossible to train their hunting instinct out. These are true terriers, and have the strongest hunting instinct of any of the terrier breeds. Like any breed there are some that are more relaxed, and others that are more intense. This is not a dog that will easily learn to tolerate cats or other small animals, so think twice before bringing one into a home with either.

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Size

12 – 14 inches
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Weight

14 – 18 pounds
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General Health

The Parson Russell Terrier has a couple of common heath issues.  Mainly they are prone to deafness, dislocation of the kneecaps, eye diseases, and Legg Perthes which is similar to hip dysplasia but occurs in small dogs.  Their average life expectancy is 15 years, but they often live longer.

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History

The Parson Russell Terrier was created by Jack Russell, a minister in England, during the 19th century.  He wanted to create a breed that would be perfect to help with hunting small game.  The breed hasn’t changed much during the years.  However, the breed has gone through a recent name change.  Until 2003, the breed was known as the Jack Russell Terrier.

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Maintenance

Grooming is simple and will take owners very little time.  All the breed needs is occasional brushing and a rare bath.  Exercise is not hard to obtain for this dog.  This perky dog will exercise on its own and can get plenty of exercise just by playing games with its owner.  Socialization and training are crucial to making sure you have a calm and stable Parson Russell Terrier.


Exercise is crucial to this breeds happiness. It must be highly exercised in order to burn energy and curb inside hypertension with burst of energy. It can be destructive if not properly exercised.

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Ideal Environment

The Parson Russell Terrier can thrive in many living conditions.  They can live in all climates and do fine with a small or even no yard.  Plus, living in a small apartment or a country farm will suit this versatile breed.  Family members will get love and attention while strangers will be ignored.  Their only real housing restriction is that they are aggressive towards all other animals.  This is the perfect breed for the active on the go family.


Though it is a commonly held misconception that the Parson Russell is aggressive toward all other animals, with proper socialization this breed can live happily with other pets in the home. The Parson was bred to work as a team with Ferrets, called Jills, in flushing rodents and is very capable of deciphering friend from foe. Socializing early in life with a variety of people and animals can greatly reduce the potential for aggressive behavior in adult dogs. It's also a good idea to make sure this breed receives plenty of exercise. They enjoy leash walks and running in open fields.

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Dog Training!

If you're having problems training your dog or getting control, you should read our review of DogProblems.com. Adam will do whatever it takes to help you whip your dog into shape. I've used them to help with my Great Dane as well as help friends train their dogs. It's the first place I go to help answer users Questions. Many training issues are too extensive to answer in this forum, which is why I refer a lot of the load to his site. Update: I've been using and recommending DogProblems for three years now. I, as well as my users, value the techniques we've learned. I get weekly emails from users who have become better owners from the information they received.

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Parson Russell Terrier Q&A

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can they be used for pocketgopher control?

i think so

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Can Parson Russel Terriers be black and tan? My dog is from an animal shelter and his face resembles the dog in the above picture, especially the eyes, nose, ears, and facial shape. Also, are they generally lanky, long-legged? And is their fur wiry and coarse feeling?

I have a black and tan Parsons Russell with a white patch on his chest- he was sold as a thoroughbred but I was sure he has a touch of Yorkie in him. Perhaps I'm wrong though and this is a colouring found in the breed? He's larger than a white parsons of the same age (just over four months) and he was the only wire-coated pup in his litter. Two of his siblings were black and tan and smooth coated, and 3 were a gorgeous light brown. Not sure what they look like as they have matured though because my dog is getting some fine wite hair coming through on his forhead.

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I just adopted a ParsonJjack Russell terrior mix.and she is all black with white paws. I've only seen black and white or brown and white. are there JackRrussels that are all black ??

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