The characteristics of Jack Russells and Parson Russells are quite similar that even owners of these dog breeds are confused by them. Their origin and physical appearance are so close together that they are sometimes thought of as one dog breed. The Russell Terriers came from a breed raised by Reverend John Russell in the 19th century. They breed is mostly white working terriers used in fox hunting. Russell Terriers are mostly 10 to 12 inches tall with a flexible, spannable chest making it an efficient underground worker. Parson Russells and Jack have a shared history that eventually branched out into two different standard dog breeds. Despite similarities, these lovable dogs have distinct characteristics and temperaments.

Jack Russell Terrier

Jack Russells are small terrier fox hunting dogs that came from the same stock of dogs bred by Reverend John Russell. When the Parson Russell terrier breed first came to America it was incorrectly named Jack Russell, through time the name stuck and a whole new breed appeared. Jack are do not have a uniform height but often it would fall into the 10 to 12 inch range, weighing anywhere from 4 to 7 kilogrammes. They are broad laid back shoulders, shallow chest, a bit stocky but should still have a good height and weight proportion. They have a flat head, almond shaped, V-shaped drop ears, strongly muscled cheeks and a black nose. They are predominantly white with patches of colour, either tan or mixed with black, around the eyes.

When it comes to temperament, this dog breed is generally cheerful, energetic, devoted and affectionate dogs. They are also very agile; although quite short they have the ability to jump fences of up to five feet. They are fearless and spirited; Jack are quite obedient as well. Being highly intelligent dogs, they need to be trained to follow rules, without proper training, they can become quite wilful and misbehaved thinking that they are always the leader of the pack. They need a good amount of exercise and socialisation. Poor training and exposure have resulted in aggressive Jack Russells; some can even be violent with other pets. Being fox hunting dogs, they still carry a bit of their wild, fighting instincts, which can be mellowed with proper socialisation. These lovable dogs can do well in small or large spaces, provided that they are given enough physical activity. Properly trained Jack Russells make for a very good guard dog and companion.

Parson Russell Terrier

Parson Russells trace its origin form fox hunting dogs bred by Reverend John Russell, they were formerly known as Jack until their name was changed by the American Kennel Club in 1997. They are originally bred in Britain by the well-known hunter and named after Parson John "Jack" Russell. Similar to Jack Russells, they are predominantly white with tan, black or tri-colour markings; they have either a broken or smooth coat and are slightly narrower in stature. They are 10 to 15 inches tall, weighing about 5 to 8 kilogrammes. Compared to The characteristics of Jack Russells, they have slightly longer legs, strong head in proportion to they body as well as a rectangular muzzle. They have the same black nose, almond shaped eyes and V-shaped ears. They have a narrow chest, longer straight legs and a somewhat high-set docked tip tail. Parson Russells can have smooth or wire-haired coat and small cat-like feet.

Parson Russells are energetic and feisty; being very agile they often excel in sporting competitions. They are affectionate but do not like to be roughly played with. They can become quite aggressive and although they do well with children, children must be taught not to tease them. Like Jack Russells, they are fearless, playful and gets along with other animals, especially horses. Although they have fox-hunting origins, this dog breeds is more suitable as show dogs.

Lea Mullins, a dog lover, has discussed the differences between Jack Russells and Collies. Visit TrainPetDog.com to learn more about different dog breeds.