The American Russell Terrier Club, founded by JoAnn Stoll in 1995, was the first registry in the United States to maintain the Russell Terrier as a separate breed from the Parson Russell Terrier. The AmericanJack Russell Terrier Club is affiliated with both the United Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club. The purpose of the early founders was to establish a registry for the perpetuation and development of the Russell Terrier as a pure strain of working Jack Russell Terrier keeping their blood and type pure within the registry to works towards Kennel Club recognition as an official breed in the US. On January 1, 2001, the United Kennel Club recognized the Russell Terrier as an official breed, designating only the stock from the American Russell Terrier Club as Foundation stock for the UKC Russell Terrier. In 2004 the American Russell Terrier Club submitted an official request to include the American Russell Terrier Club stock into the AKC FSS Program to work towards becoming an official breed under the perimeters. On December 8, 2004, the AKC officially accepted the Russell Terrier.
History
The Russell Terrier originated in England, with Australia being designated country of development for the breed. The Russell Terrier was developed for use in the sport of foxhunting, using parallel breeding strains from the Reverend John Russell's original fox working terriers in the early nineteenth century. The Russell Terrier is utilized today as a working terrier. Two distinct breeds evolved with similar standards except for height and proportion, the Russell being shorter in height with a distinctly rectangular shape and the Parsons being taller and more square in silhouette. The small size of the Russell breed, 10″ to 12″ tall and rectangular in shape, made them an ideal size to be carried horseback in terrier bags, a requisite for certain terrain. The nose to locate and the voice to bolt the fox was far more important than speed. The Russell Terriers handy size, small flexible chest, short legs, nose, strong voice and fearless nature made them excellent workers below ground bolting fox. Russell Terriers derived from the Reverend Russell's fox working strains, share many characteristics with the Parson Russell Terrier. However, the two breeds are distinctly different in height, body proportions and length of leg, each having been maintained as separate breeds in the US and Europe for many decades. The American Russell Terrier Club registry has maintained the breed since 1995, with full registration at one year of age, requiring a health certificate, evaluated breeding status plus verification of pedigree purity. Breeding lines have been maintained with the intent to exclude infusion of Parson Russell Terrier blood lines as well as other "foreign" terrier blood. The American Russell Terrier Club has the only Foundation stock designated UKC FS Russell Terriers and AKC FSS Russell Terriers being the original founding US registry for the breed. The American Russell Terrier Club submitted the application for inclusion into the AKC FSS being officially accepted by AKC December 8, 2004. The club relinquished their registry to AKC to provide a data base for the Foundation stock for the breed.
