You’ll be forgiven if you think these puppies are Jack Russell Terriers, or even Parson Russell Terriers, but they are, in fact,  Russell Terriers.

The AKC recognizes two distinct breeds, the Russell Terrier and the Parson Russell Terrier, and each has its own parent club, the American Russell Terrier Club and the Parson Russell Terrier Association of America.

The FCI and the United Kingdom’s Kennel Club recognize two separate breeds: The Jack Russell Terrier and the Parson Russell Terrier.

Meanwhile, the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America is a breed registry associated with the Jack Russell Terrier United World Federation. In its own words, it regards the Russell Terrier and the Parson Russell Terrier as variants of the Jack Russell Terrier.

Back in the day, a common name for any earth-moving, mostly white working terrier was “Jack Russell Terrier,” so named for “The Sporting Parson,” aka Reverend John Russell who developed a longer legged dog that could follow hounds on foot (as opposed to smaller or shorter legged terriers that were typically carried on horseback). Over time, however, two distinct types  evolved: The longer legged, twelve to fifteen inch Parson Russell Terrier, and the more rectangular, ten to twelve inch Russell Terrier. The Parson Russell Terrier Association of America changed the breed name from Jack Russell Terrier to the Parson Russell Terrier in 2003, and the AKC went along. Then in 2012, the AKC recognized the Russell Terrier. Even though a great many people use “Jack Russell Terrier” almost generically, there are differences between the breeds, and at this time, the AKC doesn’t officially recognize any breed as a Jack Russell Terrier, only the Parson Russell Terrier and Russell Terrier.

Photo of adult Russell Terrier appears with the kind consent of the AKC

As an aside, the Russell Terrier hasn’t lost a whit of its gameness over time. We refer to an anecdote we read about someone’s trio of Russell Terriers that chased a critter – probably a rat or raccoon – into a sewer pipe.  When the next morning rolled around and the dogs still hadn’t been seen, the owner hired a backhoe to unearth them. The ditch that was dug reached over three hundred feet and finally, the animal was found backed up against some shale, the terriers still vying for position to be the first to get to it. Stories like this is why National Purebred Dog Day’s popular baseball cap and T-shirt read, “Terriers: No Guts No Glory.”

Photo of Russell Terrier puppies taken by Christy Rebehn