Thanks for stopping by. I get alot of telephone calls asking for information on this great little dog. I love talking to folks and talking about my terriers and it occurred to me that if I had some information on my website, it could be of benefit to those that are looking for it.
I will update these questions from time to time and if you don't see the information you are looking for, just ask for it in my guest book at the bottom of this page or email me. I will be happy to address your question via email or on this page.
1. I don't want a show dog, I just want a good dog. What is the difference?
Answer: To get all of the qualities in a puppy that is needed to make it a show dog is quite a challenge and at times one that seems impossible. You won't generally be able to buy a "show puppy" because breeders cannot predict with absolute certainty that it will be a show dog. If it is our TOP puppy, it will be priced higher than the others in the litter. Registered JRTCA breeders are very careful about planning future litters and we study pedigrees and genetically test our breeding stock to ensure the best possible outcome of a litter. A good breeder will guide you through the process of choosing the right puppy that will meet the needs of your family. If you buy your puppy from a JRTCA registered breeder, you can rest assured they care about the future of their breed. Your "good dog" will be conformationally correct (without the bench knees and barrel chests) and have parents that are genetically tested against hereditary disease. Unlike the backyard breeders who will put any two terriers together to produce puppies strictly for the money. Another benefit is that your good dog will look like a Jack Russell terrier when it grows up.
2. I want to buy a Jack Russell Terrier, how much are yours?
Answer: You probably won't get a reply to this question when it is the first and only question you ask. Most breeders find it insulting and tells them that you probably don't care about quality, or correctness, or the fact that they genetically test their dogs. It appears that all you care about is how much $$$ you spend. Now I have to admit that it is a valid question but there is a better way to ask. One that gets a response from me every time is: What do you normally ask for your puppies.....? Are males more than females? Ok...see my point?
3. I'm looking for a Jack Russell puppy. I want a male and my wife wants a female. Which one makes a better pet?
Answer: This is a good question and one that I get asked repeatedly. I'll probably catch some flack here but I'm answering as honestly as I can. I find that most people who love dogs grew up with one as a child. They tend to lean towards the sex of the dog they had as a child. If you had a male growing up you will have a tendency toward males. If you had a female growing up, you will have a tendency toward females. I have found both males and females to be extremely loving and wonderful pets.
4. Do you have any short haired Jack Russells? My wife doesn't want all of that hair in the house.
Answer: The short haired variety or smooth coat Jack Russell sheds more than the longer variety or broken/rough coat. All Jack Russells shed no matter what coat type they have. Most dogs for that matter shed but if you don't want "all that hair", you probably should consider a non shedding variety such as a poodle or schnauzer.
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Thanks Again!
5. What is the difference between the coat types such as smooth - broken - and rough?
Answer: I explain this difference quite often to people. In the professional breeders websites you won't see a true rough coat go ungroomed so it is hard for the novice to know what one looks like. To the right are pictures of each coat type. The smooth coated dog has short hair that lays flat against the skin. There are no whiskers around the muzzle or extra hair on the legs. The broken coat does have slightly longer hair on the back and has whiskers around the muzzle and fringe at the back of the leg. The rough coat has alot of hair all over the body that can be wavy or straight and several inches long and does require some grooming. The smooth coat sheds more than the rough or broken coat which many people find hard to believe. Trust me! It is true!
6. Are Jack Russells good with children?
Answer: They are not usually very good with young children. We advise people that have very small children to wait until the kids are just a bit older. This terrier doesn't have the patience for the little child that pinches or pulls or tugs on body parts. They tend to be snippy and grumpy when handled this way. At around 6 years of age, children can be taught how to handle the JRT and we find it works out much better for the dogs, parents and kids!
7. On your website I see that your dogs are BAER and CERF normal. What does that mean?
Answer: I am a registered breeder wth the JRTCA or Jack Russell Terrier Club of Amerca. We believe in preserving the natural working ability of our terriers. We only breed those dogs that are genetically sound and we try very hard to prevent hereditary diseases and deficiencies. The BAER test is a "Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response" or in laymans terms it is a brainwave test that indicates brainwave patterns (hearing test ) that is performed by a liscensed veterinarian with this specialized equipment for testing. The Cerf test is a test performed by a liscensed Canine Opthomologist and is a test for cataracts and other eye diseases prevalent in the JRT.
8. In speaking with different people, I'm hearing them use the term Over or Under when talking about their terriers. What are they referring to?
Answer: This refers to the dogs height at the shoulder or withers. An under dog is under or measures 12.5" or less at the shoulder and an over dog measures over 12.5" at the shoulder. The Breed Standard is anywhere from 10" to 15" at the shoulder.
9. If I buy a rough coated terrier do I need to have it groomed?
Answer: If you are buying a dog to show in conformation the answer is yes. You will need to groom it yourself or have it groomed by a groomer that can use the stripping technique. We do not use electric clippers on the top coat. If you are buying a pet, there is no need to strip the coat but you will need to brush it several times a week to keep the shedding to a minimum.
10. Do I have to groom the dogs that I want to use in racing and go-to-ground if I don't show them?
Answer: No
11. Are there any shows in Ohio that I could attend?
Answer: Yes. The next show in Ohio is OH-PA in August 2004. It is in Lancaster Ohio (near Columbus). Contact the JRTCA @ www.terrier.com for the complete trial schedule and other trials in other states, the flier premium which has directions to the show. Be sure and stop at the Shingle Oak Tent if you get there! Anyone can attend these fun trials (its free) and watch the conformation, racing, lure coursing, and just hobnob with other Jack Russell Terrier fans! It's alot of fun and I encourage you to come. There is a food vendor and other vendors there selling their Jack Russel products. Come have lunch and shop and enjoy the day.
12.
What is the difference between the Parson Terrier and the Jack Russell Terrier?
Answer: The quick answer is the Breed Club. The Parson Terrier is the AKC or American Kennel Club registered dog and the Jack Russell Terrier is the JRTCA or Jack Russell Terrier Club of America registered version. Both of these Breed Clubs have different ideas and don't agree on specific standards etc. In fact, when the AKC wanted to admit the Jack Russell Terrier into the Kennel Club registry, the JRTCA fought this action as they knew it would forever change this precious little dog from what it was originally bred to do and that is to hunt. (look at the American Cocker Spaniel). A lawsuit was filed. The JRTCA lost the battle to have the dog kept from AKC registry but won the right to keep the name Jack Russell Terrier and it forced the AKC to change the name of its dog to the Parson Terrier. It will be interesting yet probably sad to see the Parson Terrier 20 years from now. It will quite possibly look very different and lose what we hold precious in the Terrier of today. The Jack Russell Terrier is being protected by its breed club (The JRTCA) and will possess all of the traits needed to function as a great little working terrier. It should look the same in 20 years as it does today with its instincts intact. Scroll down and see an excerpt from the JRTCA website on our stand. More information a can be found on the JRTCA website @ www.terrier.com
13. I found a Jack Russell puppy that I want to buy
but the breeder wants me to sign a breeders agreement.
What is a breeders agreement?
Answer: Be careful here. You can get in over your head on this and really regret it down the road. Have you ever leased a car? Very similar. READ THE CONTRACT and ask questions! Understand what you are getting into! You can initially get a good buy on a puppy but it ends up costing you down the road! (no pun intended). If you are interested in breeding dogs and want to get into it full time, please see a doctor...sorry I'm kidding. A breeders agreement can and does work for a lot of people for various reasons. In fact, some breeders will NOT sell you a dog without a breeders agreement. Let me show by example how one type of breeders agreement works: I want to buy this lovely female puppy and her cost is $1500 but the breeder wants me to sign an agreement that says I will breed the dog when she is old enough and give her 3 puppies back. If I will do this my cost for the puppy is only $800. Sounds like a deal doesn't it? After all, how hard can it be to let your beautiful girl have a litter of puppies? This is where you need to be careful. The rest of the contract states the following: A. I (the buyer) am responsible for paying for the stud fee and B the transportation of my beautiful girl to him (airline tickets) and C I don't get to pick him, the seller of my beautiful girl gets to pick him so he could be far far away....more $ in airline tickets.... D I pay for all whelping expenses E what happens if my beautiful girl has to have a c-section? That expense can be well over $1000. F What if the breeder doesn't like any of the puppies that result from this litter? What if all of the puppies die? What if he/she only likes one puppy? I will need to repeat the above steps as many times as it takes to satisfy my contract. Then I have to breed my beautiful girl again, to whoever he/she chooses, pay all of the expenses again and again. Are you still with me? My $800 beautiful girl has just cost me $500 stud fee, $300 airline flight to stud, $1000 whelping fee for c-section, $300 in puppy veterinarian bills and the breeder may not like the resulting puppies. We are up to almost $3000 for a litter of pups that don't yet satisfy my contract. It can go on and on and did I tell you that you don't even own your beautiful girl until your breeders agreement has been satisfied? Of course, this is a "worse case scenario" . There ARE wonderful breeders out there who can benefit a buyer with a breeders agreement. They are not ALL bad agreements but research and understand what you are signing and be careful out there"! Knowledge is POWER!
There are many types of BREEDERS AGREEMENTS out there. I list one below that is a "worse case scenario". You should read the contract carefully and decide if you can live with all of the terms.
Rough Coat
Broken Coat
Smooth Coat
Excerpt from the JRTCA on their stance on AKC recognition of our beloved Jack Russell Terrier..
JRTCA Stance on AKC Recognition
The Jack Russell Terrier Club of America and the JRT Club of Great Britain, along with the majority of the JR Clubs in the world, strongly oppose recognition of the Jack Russell by any Kennel Club/National Breed Registry. Why are these breed clubs, owners, and working terrier enthusiasts so strong on this issue?
The answer is simple...it is to preserve the working ability, great intelligence, sound physical structure, and broad standard so necessary for a variety of work, of this unspoiled type of working terrier we know as the Jack Russell.
The Jack Russell is a strain of working terrier that has been bred for over 100 years as the working man's terrier; it is an invaluable fox hunting tool to the terriermen who have been working for the hunts for years in England. All JR enthusiasts know from the history of the old Parson that the JR was the fox terrier in the days of John Russell. As one book so aptly described John Russell's terriers, they were fox terriers bred to hunt fox.
When the early fox terrier became recognized by the Kennel Club in the late 1800's, it quickly progressed (or some would say regressed) into a fancy show breed and rapidly became one of the most popular breeds on the KC list. It also quickly lost all usefulness as a working terrier. Breeding for form rather than function made rapid conformational changes in the breed; the shoulder straightened, the jaw became long and narrow, and the chest deepened to the point of preventing most modern-day fox terriers from ever entering an earth, assuming they would have an owner who would desire for them to do so, and that their working instinct would remain after years of breeding only for show.
John Russell's strain of fox terriers continued on to be bred as the original fox terrier was intended - for hunting fox. They were sound, with good small chests and angulated, well placed shoulders, enabling them to move correctly and with agility above and below ground, to go anywhere a fox could go. They were extremely intelligent, loyal, and of a perfect temperament for bolting a fox from an earth.
What is a Jack Russell?
It is simply an extension of the early, unspoiled strain of fox terriers; kept sound through years of breeding strictly for temperament, intelligence, and working ability.
The highest compliments the JRTCA receives comes from its registry. Those familiar with kennel club registries would say they are proud to be associated with a registry that turns down dogs with genetic faults. Kennel club registries accept anything, and thus implicitly condone breeding from it. By turning down dogs with inherited defects, the JRTCA is doing a great service to protect the Jack Russell and keep out serious faults in the breed. Likewise, kennel club registries accept dogs which are the product of brother/sister, mother/son, or father/daughter matings. This sort of inbreeding has contributed to the physical and mental downfall of many breeds, making them unsuitable for work or companionship.
If one takes a little time to research breeds that are recognized, it would not take long to compile long lists of genetic physical and mental faults in many breeds. The list is long of original working breeds who no longer work, or no longer even resemble their working ancestors in physical or mental characteristics.
The Jack Russell will be preserved if it continues to be protected by the JRTCA, its registry, and JR owners who truly have the terrier's best interest at heart.
but the breeder wants me to sign a breeders agreement.
