The Jack Russell Terrier was developed in 19th century in England by a clergyman named John Russell. This feisty little terrier was used to hunt small game, particularly fox, by digging the quarry out of its den. The energetic and playful Jack Russell Terrier makes a good family companion. Some of the Jack Russell Terrier's talents include: hunting, tracking, agility, and performing tricks.

Appearance
A Jack Russell Terrier is a working terrier, and the most important physical attribute of a working terrier is not coat color, gait or expression, but chest size. If a terrier is too large to get to ground it is virtually worthless as a working dog. Jack Russell Terriers are predominantly white (more than 51%) with black, tan, or tricolour markings commonly found on the face and at the base of the tail. Jack Russell Terriers have small V-shaped ears that should fold downward, and strong teeth with a scissor bite. The body shape is approximately square.

Character
Due to their compact size, friendly and inquisitive nature, and intelligence, Jack Russell Terriers are popular as pets. Prospective buyers should be aware, however, that while these dogs may enjoy sitting in a lap, they are not “lap dogs” – they are dogs that require training and regular and consistent exercise to maintain their temperament and to occupy their minds. The Jack Russell Terrier does best when allowed access to a house and yard, and it is not a good apartment dog.
 

Temperament
The Jack Russell Terrier is a dog that thrives on action and adventure. In the process, it often finds itself in the middle of trouble. It is a true hunter at heart and will explore, wander, chase and dig when it gets a chance. The Jack Russell Terrier is very playful and intelligent. It gets along well with children and strangers. It can be scrappy with strange dogs, but is better than many terriers. The Jack Russell Terrier does well with horses, but it may chase cats and is not good with rodents. It may tend to bark and dig. It makes an ideal companion for an active person with a good sense of humor who wants a lot of entertainment-and mischief-in one dog.

Exercise/Training
The Jack Russell Terrier needs a lot of mental and physical stimulation every day. It is not a dog that can sit around inside. It needs a long walk or strenuous game every day, plus a short training session. The Jack Russell Terrier enjoys the chance to explore on its own, but it must do so only in a safe area because it tends to go off in search of trouble, and some go down holes and must be dug out!. Playing and obedience are very good types of mental exercise. 20 minutes obedience and playing with your Jack Russell Terrier will be more useful for the dogs exercise then an hour walk on the leash can provide.

Color
Jack Russell Terriers come in three coat types: smooth, broken, and rough. In all cases, the coat should be dense and not soft, feathery or linty. A smooth coated Jack Russell Terrier should be smooth coated all over, with a dense topcoat that is approximately 1cm long. A rough-coated Jack Russell Terrier should have a double coat with fur as much as 10cm long, and should be rough-coated over its entire body. A broken-coated Jack Russell Terrier is any dog with a topcoat of intermediate length, or a dog that is largely or partially smooth with longer hair on some parts of its body.

Grooming
The coat care of the Jack Russell Terrier for the smooth type consists only of weekly brushing to remove dead hair; for the broken coat it also consists of occasional hand stripping. A good nutrition and regular brushing keeps the proper coat shine and the skin healthy. Bathing doesn’t harm the coat of the Jack Russell Terrier as long as you use a good quality shampoo that doesn't dry the skin and coat and is formulated for a canine coat. The ears of the Jack Russell Terrier should be kept clean and regularly inspected as well.

Any breed described as "good with children", the dog must be accustomed to children. Any dog that is not well socialized with children will not behave predictably around them. As with all dogs, they should never be left alone with young children.