Re: Prick Ears and Color and Attitude

In Reply to: Prick Ears and Color and Attitude
Posted by:  Robyn Bain
Posted on:  November 28, 2001 at 13:23:46

: I have a female JRT who is almost two and we just took in a second JRT who is four. Their first meeting was explosive! They calmed down a little through the night, but they still don't seem to like each other; we just got Billy last night, will he and Pepper eventually meld?

: Also, BOTH dogs have prick ears; I know this means they can't be registered, but I get irritated when people say that they don't look like JRT's; can you send me some pictures of Prick Eared JRT's?

: Lastly, Billy that we just got not only has Prick Ears, but he's mostly black; he (in my opinion) is marked very beautifully having a white chest and tummy and white "boot's" on each foot with the brown patches mixed in here and there. What are the specifications on color for JRT's and how does a mostly black one fit in? I know from what I'm writing that you would question his heritage, but if you could see him, you would know he is all JRT!

: Thanks So Much!

------------------ Response Area -------------------

Hi, Robyn,

It's really impossible to project how your terriers will get along, but I will tell you that there is usually an adjustment period. If both dogs are neutered/spayed, your chances of them eventually hitting it off are greater than if they're not.

Take a look at the photo gallery here on the JRTCA website. You should see some different earsets there. The photo gallery is located in the fun menu at the top of this and every page of this website.

As for the standard, prick ears and too much color are pretty big faults. The whole idea of the breed standard is to keep this breed looking/behaving as similarly to the dogs that Parson John "Jack" Russell bred in his day. Once we start changing the standard, we get away from his idea of what a dog should be. Consider for a moment if a breed was named for you, and down the road people profited from your name by using it on the dogs they bred, but changed the dog altogether? What would you think if the Black Lab (which is specifically BLACK and a water dog) was actually the "Bain Lab" but people started breeding it with prick ears, short legs, in different colors and though it liked to swim, it wasn't really built for it anymore?

As much as I love my little Gritty, he's a poor example of a Jack Russell Terrier, so he's neutered. It doesn't make him any less loved by me, but I also can't say he's a great looking Jack Russell.

You can learn about the breed standard here: JRTCA Breed Standard

And why the breed standard is like it is: History of the Jack Russell