The legendary AUCH Malung Jim Beam, one of the famous Malung Magic Four.

  FCI-Standard N° 345/05.12.2012/EN

  Australian National Kennel Council

  Jack Russell Terrier Club of Australia (Inc.)

ORIGIN: England.

COUNTRY OF DEVELOPMENT: Australia.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 08.10.2012.

UTILIZATION: A good working Terrier with ability to go to ground. An excellent companion dog.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I.: Group 3 Terriers. Section 2 Small Terriers. Working trial optional.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Jack Russell Terrier originated in England in the 1800’s due to the efforts of the Reverend John Russell. He developed a strain of Fox Terriers to suit his needs for a dog to run with his foxhounds and go to ground to bolt the fox and other quarry from their dens. Two varieties evolved with basically similar Standards except for differences, mainly in height and proportions. The taller, more squarely built dog is now known as the Parson Russell Terrier and the shorter, slightly longer proportioned dog, is known as the Jack Russell Terrier.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : A strong, active, lithe working Terrier of great character with flexible body of medium length. His smart movement matches his keen expression. Tail docking is optional and the coat may be smooth, rough or broken.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:

• The overall dog is longer than high.
• The depth of the body from the withers to the brisket should equal the length of foreleg from elbows to the ground.
• The girth behind the elbows should be about 40 to 43 cm.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT: A lively, alert and active Terrier with a keen, intelligent expression. Bold and fearless, friendly but quietly confident.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: The skull should be flat and of moderate width gradually decreasing in width to the eyes and tapering to a wide muzzle.
Stop: Well defined but not over pronounced.

FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Black.
Muzzle: The length from the stop to the nose should be slightly shorter than from the stop to the occiput.
Lips: Tight-fitting and pigmented black.
Jaws/Teeth: Very strong, deep, wide and powerful. Strong teeth closing to a scissor bite.
Eyes: Small dark and with keen expression. MUST not be prominent and eyelids should fit closely. The eyelid rims should be pigmented black. Almond shape.
Ears: Button or dropped of good texture and great mobility.
Cheeks: The cheek muscles should be well developed.

NECK: Strong and clean allowing head to be carried with poise.

BODY:

General: Rectangular.
Back: Level. The length from the withers to the root of tail slightly greater than the height from the withers to the ground.
Loin: The loins should be short, strong and deeply muscled.
Chest: Chest deep rather than wide, with good clearance from the ground, enabling the brisket to be located at the height mid-way between the ground and the withers. Ribs should be well sprung from the spine, flattening on the sides so that the girth behind the elbows can be spanned by two hands - about 40 cm to 43 cm.
Sternum: Point of sternum clearly in front of the point of shoulder.

TAIL: May droop at rest. When moving should be erect and if docked the tip should be on the same level as ears.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS:
Shoulders: Well sloped back and not heavily loaded with muscle.
Upper arm: Of sufficient length and angulation to ensure elbows are set under the body.
Forelegs: Straight in bone from the elbows to the toes whether viewed from the front or the side.

HINDQUARTERS: Strong and muscular, balanced in proportion to the shoulder.
Stifles: Well angulated.
Hock joints: Low set.
Rear pastern (Metatarsus): Parallel when viewed from behind while in free standing position.

FEET: Round, hard, padded, not large, toes moderately arched, turned neither in nor out.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: True, free and springy.

COAT

HAIR: May be smooth, broken or rough. Must be weatherproof. Coats should not be altered (stripped out) to appear smooth or broken.

COLOUR: White MUST predominate with black and/or tan markings. The tan markings can be from the lightest tan to the richest tan (chestnut).

SIZE AND WEIGHT:

Ideal Height: 25 cm (10 ins) to 30 cm (12 ins).

Weight: Being the equivalent of 1 kg to each 5 cm in height, i.e. a 25 cm high dog should weigh approximately 5 kg and a 30 cm high dog should weigh 6 kg.

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 and on its ability to perform its traditional work.

Australian National Kennel Council 1990
Country of Development - Australia.
Amended May 2001

GENERAL APPEARANCE - A strong, active, lithe working Terrier of great character with flexible body of medium length. His smart movement matches his keen expression. The coat may be smooth, rough or broken.

CHARACTERISTICS - A lively, alert and active Terrier with a keen, intelligent expression.

TEMPERAMENT - Bold and fearless, friendly but quietly confident.

HEAD AND SKULL - The skull should be flat and of moderate width gradually decreasing in width to the eyes and tapering to a wide muzzle with very strong jaws. There should be a well defined stop but not over pronounced. The length from the stop to the nose should be slightly shorter than from the stop to the occiput with the cheek muscles well developed. The nose should be black.

EYES - Small dark and with keen expression. MUST not be prominent and eyelids should fit closely. The eyelid rims should be pigmented black. Almond shape.

EARS - Button or dropped of good texture and great mobility.

MOUTH - Deep wide and powerful jaws with tight-fitting pigmented lips and strong teeth closing to a scissor bite.

NECK - Strong and clean allowing head to be carried with poise.

FOREQUARTERS - Shoulders well sloped back and not heavily loaded with muscle. Forelegs straight in bone from the elbow to the toes whether viewed from the front or the side and with sufficient length of upper arm to ensure elbows are set under the body with sternum clearly in front of shoulder blades.

BODY - Chest deep rather than wide, with good clearance and the brisket located at the height mid-way between the ground and the withers. The body should be proportioned marginally longer than tall, measuring slightly longer from the withers to the root of the tail than from the withers to the ground. Back level. Ribs should be well sprung from the spine, flattening on the sides so that the girth behind the elbows can be spanned by two hands - about 40 cms to 43 cms. The loins should be short, strong and deeply muscled.

HINDQUARTERS - Strong and muscular, balanced in proportion to the shoulder, hind legs parallel when viewed from behind while in free standing position. Stifles well angulated and hocks low set.

FEET - Round, hard, padded, not large, toes moderately arched, turned neither in nor out.

TAIL - Docked: The tip of the tail should be on the same level as ears. May drop at rest. When moving should be erect. Undocked: May droop at rest. When moving should be erect.

GAIT/MOVEMENT - True, free and springy.

COAT - May be smooth, broken or rough. Must be weatherproof, preferably unaltered.

COLOUR - White MUST predominate with black and/or tan markings. The tan markings can be from the lightest tan to the richest tan (chestnut).

SIZE - Ideal Height: 25 cms (10 ins) to 30 cms (12 ins)
The weight in kg being equivalent of 1 kg to each 5 cms in height, i.e. a 25 cm high dog should weigh approximately 5 kgs and a 30 cm high dog should weigh 6 kgs.

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. However, the following weaknesses should be particularly penalised:
(a) Lack of true Terrier characteristics
(b) Lack of balance, i.e. over exaggeration of any points
(c) Sluggish or unsound movement
(d) Faulty mouth.

NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Terrier Group A.N.K.C. © January 2002

Last Updated: 5 August, 2009

Jack Russell Terrier Club of Australia (Inc.)
Developers of the Breed in Australia
Founded in 1972

The Breed Standard of the JRTCA is an ideal of what a consolidated Jack Russell Terrier should be like. The Breed Standard is a guide to good breeding an aim to breed towards, and should be used as a standard to judge by.

1. GENERAL APPEARANCE: A strong active slim built working terrier of great character with flexible body of medium length and very strong jaws. A smart mover with keen expression. Tail may be natural or docked and coat may be rough, smooth or broken. Temperament shall be bold, fearless or quietly confident. The terrier should present a lively active and alert appearance.

2. HEAD: Skull should be flat and of moderate width, gradually decreasing in width to the eyes and tapering to a wide muzzle. There should be a defined stop but not over pronounced. The length from the stop to the nose should be slightly shorter than from the stop to the occuput and cheek muscles should be well developed. Not to be penalised due to battle scars or injuries.

3. NOSE: Black

4. EYES: Small dark and with keen expression. Must not be prominent and eyelids should fit closely. The eyelid rims should be pigmented black and the eye should be almond shaped.

5. EARS: Button or dropped of good texture and great mobility.

6. JAWS AND TEETH: Deep, wide and powerful jaws. Big teeth closing to a scissor bite. Tight fitting pigmented lips.

7. NECK: Strong with head carried with poise.

8. SHOULDERS: Well sloped back and not heavily loaded with muscle.

9. FORELEGS: When viewed from the front, should be straight in bone from the point of the shoulder to toes. When viewed from the sides there should be sufficient length of upper arm to ensure the forelegs are set underneath the withers. Elbows should be set under the body, with prosternum clearly in front of the shoulder blades.

10. CHEST: Deep, rather than wide with a good clearance and the brisket located the height mid way between the ground and the withers.

11. BODY PROPORTION: The body should be proportioned marginally longer than tall, measuring slightly longer from withers to the root of the tail, than from withers to the ground. Back should be strong, straight and level.

RIBS: Well sprung from the spine then flattening on sides so that girth, just behind the elbows can be spanned by two hands - 40 - 43cms.

LOIN: Short strong wide deeply muscled when viewed from above. Topline lightly arched over loin.

HINDQUARTERS: Strong and muscular, balanced in proportion to the shoulder, hind legs parallel when viewed from behind while in free standing position. Stifles well angulated and hocks low set.

12. FEET: Round, hard padded not large, toes moderately arched, turned neither in nor out.

13. MOVEMENT: True, free and springy.

14. SKIN: Should be tight fitting but elastic and pliable, pigment where exposed to sunlight.

15. COLOUR: White must predominate with black and/or tan and/or brown markings. Ticks of colour are acceptable.

16. COAT: May be smooth, broken or rough. Smooth should be straight, flat, hard, dense and abundant. Broken, hard and wiry having a broken appearance, free of softness or silkiness. Rough, long and hard wiry top coat and undercoat. ALL types of coats must be weatherproof. Must be shown in natural coat, no trimming, clipping, plucking or other alterations allowed.

17. TAIL: Undocked - As of April 1st 2004.

18. WEIGHT & SIZE: For conformation purposes the ideal height is 25.5cm to 30.5cm (10" to 12"). For working purposes the height may range from 23cm to 34cm (9" to 13.5"). The weight should be the equivalent of approximately 1kg to each 5cm in height (1lb to 1") Thus a 25cm (10") dog should weigh approximately 5kg (11 lb) and a 30.5cm (12") approximately 6kg (13 lb).

MALE DOGS: Male dogs should have two apparently normal testicles descended into the scrotum.

FAULTS: Any departure from the above standard is a fault, but the following should be particularly penalised:
a) lack of true terrier characteristics
b) lack of balance i.e. over exaggeration of any points
c) sluggish or unsound movement
d) Faulty mouth
e) Aggression