Parson Russell Terrier Standard
General Appearance
The Parson Russell Terrier was developed in the south of England in the
1800’s as a white terrier to work European red fox both above and
below ground. The terrier was named for the Reverend John Russell,
whose terriers trailed hounds and bolted foxes from dens so the hunt
could ride on.
To function as a working terrier, he must possess certain
characteristics: a ready attitude, alert and confident; balance in
height and length; medium in size and bone, suggesting strength and
endurance. Important to breed type is a natural appearance: harsh,
weatherproof coat with a compact construction and clean silhouette. The
coat is broken or smooth. He has a small, flexible chest to enable him
to pursue his quarry underground and sufficient length of leg to follow
the hounds. Old scars and injuries, the result of honorable work or
accident, should not be allowed to prejudice a terrier’s chance
in the show ring, unless they interfere with movement or utility for
work or breeding.
Size, Substance, Proportion
Size: The ideal height of a mature dog is 14” at the highest
point of the shoulder blade, and bitches 13”. Terriers whose
heights measure either slightly larger or smaller than the ideal are
not to be penalized in the show ring provided other points of their
conformation, especially balance, are consistent with the working
aspects of the standard. Larger dogs must remain spannable and smaller
dogs must continue to exhibit breed type and sufficient bone to allow
them to work successfully. The weight of a terrier in hard working
condition is usually between 13-17 lb. Proportion: Balance is the
keystone of the terrier’s anatomy. The chief points of
consideration are the relative proportions of skull and foreface, head
and frame, height at withers and length of body. The height at withers
is slightly greater than the distance from the withers to tail, i.e. by
possibly 1 to 1 1/2 inches on a 14 inch dog. The measurement will vary
according to height. Substance: The terrier is of medium bone, not so
heavy as to appear coarse or so light as to appear racy. The
conformation of the whole frame is indicative of strength and
endurance.
Disqualification: Height under 12” or over 15”.
Head
Head: Strong and in good proportion to the rest of the body, so the
appearance of balance is maintained. Expression: Keen, direct, full of
life and intelligence. Eyes: Almond shaped, dark in color, moderate in
size, not protruding. Dark rims are desirable, however where the coat
surrounding the eye is white, the eye rim may be pink. Ears: Small
“V”- shaped drop ears of moderate thickness carried forward
close to the head with the tip so as to cover the orifice and pointing
toward the eye. Fold is level with the top of the skull or slightly
above. When alert, ear tips do not extend below the corner of the eye.
Skull: Flat with muzzle and back skull in parallel planes. Fairly broad
between the ears, narrowing slightly to the eyes. The stop is well
defined but not prominent. Muzzle: Length from nose to stop is slightly
shorter than the distance from stop to occiput. Strong and rectangular,
measuring in width approximately 2/3 that of the backskull between the
ears. Jaws: Upper and lower are of fair and punishing strength. Nose:
Must be black and fully pigmented. Bite: Teeth are large with complete
dentition in a perfect scissors bite, i.e., upper teeth closely
overlapping the lower teeth and teeth set square to the jaws. Faults:
Snipey muzzle, weak or coarse head. Light or yellow eye, round eye.
Hound ear, fleshy ear, rounded tips. Level bite, missing teeth. Four or
more missing pre-molars, incisors or canines is a fault.
Disqualifications: Prick ears. Liver color nose. Overshot, undershot or
wry mouth.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck: Clean and muscular, moderately arched, of fair length, gradually
widening so as to blend well into the shoulders. Topline: Strong,
straight, and level in motion, the loin of moderate length. Body: In
overall length to height proportion, the dog appears approximately
square and balanced. The back is neither short nor long. The back gives
no appearance of slackness but is laterally flexible, so that he may
turn around in an earth. Tuck-up is moderate. Chest: Narrow and of
moderate depth, giving an athletic rather than heavily-chested
appearance; must be flexible and compressible. The ribs are fairly well
sprung, oval rather than round, not extending past the level of the
elbow. Tail: Docked so the tip is approximately level to the skull. Set
on not too high, but so that a level topline, with a very slight arch
over the loin, is maintained. Carried gaily when in motion, but when
baiting or at rest may be held level but not below the horizontal.
Faults: Chest not spannable or shallow; barrel ribs. Tail set low or
carried low to or over the back, i.e. squirrel tail.
Forequarters
Shoulders: Long and sloping, well laid back, cleanly cut at the
withers. Point of shoulder sits in a plane behind the point of the
prosternum. The shoulder blade and upper arm are of approximately the
same length; forelegs are placed well under the dog. Elbows hang
perpendicular to the body, working free of the sides. Legs are strong
and straight with good bone. Joints turn neither in nor out. Pasterns
firm and nearly straight. Feet: Round, cat-like, very compact, the pads
thick and tough, the toes moderately arched pointing forward, turned
neither in nor out. Fault: Hare feet.
Hindquarters
Strong and muscular, smoothly molded, with good angulation and bend of
stifle. Hocks near the ground, parallel, and driving in action. Feet as
in front.
Coat
Smooth and Broken: Whether smooth or broken, a double coat of good
sheen, naturally harsh, close and dense, straight with no suggestion of
kink. There is a clear outline with only a hint of eyebrows and beard
if natural to the coat. No sculptured furnishings. The terrier is shown
in his natural appearance not excessively groomed. Sculpturing is to be
severely penalized. Faults: Soft, silky, woolly, or curly topcoat.
Lacking undercoat. Excessive grooming and sculpturing.
Color
White, white with black or tan markings, or a combination of these,
tri-color. Colors are clear. As long as the terrier is predominantly
white, moderate body markings are not to be faulted. Grizzle is
acceptable and should not be confused with brindle. Disqualification:
Brindle markings.
Gait
Movement or action is the crucial test of conformation. A tireless
ground covering trot displaying good reach in front with the
hindquarters providing plenty of drive. Pasterns break lightly on
forward motion with no hint of hackney-like action or goose-stepping.
The action is straight in front and rear.
Temperament
Bold and friendly. Athletic and clever. At work he is a game hunter,
tenacious, courageous, and single minded. At home he is playful,
exuberant and overwhelmingly affectionate. He is an independent and
energetic terrier and requires his due portion of attention. He should
not be quarrelsome. Shyness should not be confused with submissiveness.
Submissiveness is not a fault. Sparring is not acceptable. Fault:
Shyness. Disqualification: Overt aggression toward another dog.
Spanning
To measure a terrier’s chest, span from behind, raising only the
front feet from the ground, and compress gently. Directly behind the
elbows is the smaller, firm part of the chest. The central part is
usually larger but should feel rather elastic. Span with hands tightly
behind the elbows on the forward portion of the chest. The chest must
be easily spanned by average size hands. Thumbs should meet at the
spine and fingers should meet under the chest. This is a significant
factor and a critical part of the judging process. The dog can not be
correctly judged without this procedure.
Disqualifications:
Height under 12” or over 15”.
Prick ears, liver nose.
Overshot, undershot or wry mouth.
Brindle markings.
Overt aggression toward another dog.
Approved: July 13, 2004
Effective: September 29, 2004