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Parson Russell Terrier
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 14 inches (36 cm) and Bitches ideal height at withers 13 inches (33 cm). 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 in 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 over-sprung.
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.
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