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Parson Russell Terrier breed guide
The American Kennel Club calls the Parson Russell Terrier a bold, clever terrier swift enough to run with horses and fearless enough to dig in and flush a fox from its lair.
It has an intelligent expression and a mostly white coat that give it the looks of a plush toy come to life.
Temperament
Parsons are playful, affectionate, fun-loving companions with a great zest for life, always ready to join in. They are independent problem solvers who may have their own ideas about how to go about things.
Training takes consistency, a gentle voice and a great sense of humor and because they bore easily, sessions must stay fun and interesting, with praise and rewards.
Lifespan
Parsons live 13 to 15 years. By far the majority are very healthy and breeders screen for patellar luxation, congenital deafness, late onset ataxia, spinocerebellar ataxia and certain eye disorders.
Care
The Parson Russell Terrier has two coat types, smooth and broken and both need regular brushing: a thick brush or hound glove for smooth, a pin or slicker brush for rough. Rough coats need plucking or clipping to avoid matting of the longer hairs and a monthly bath is sufficient.
These high-energy terriers have powerful hunting instincts and a strong prey drive, so keep them on leash on outings.
History
The Parson Russell Terrier was developed in the south of England in the 1800s to pursue fox both above and below ground and is named for Reverend John Russell, the Sporting Parson, whose two passions were his ministry and his hunting dogs.
His terriers were bred to work with foxhounds in pursuit of the clever fox and he created them to be independent problem solvers.
AKC trait ratings
| Trait | AKC rating | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Level | 5 of 5 | Couch Potato to High Energy |
| Trainability Level | 4 of 5 | Self-Willed to Eager to Please |
| Shedding Level | 2 of 5 | No Shedding to Hair Everywhere |
| Barking Level | 3 of 5 | Only To Alert to Very Vocal |
| Adaptability Level | 4 of 5 | Lives For Routine to Highly Adaptable |
| Good With Young Children | 3 of 5 | Not Recommended to Good With Children |
| Good With Other Dogs | 5 of 5 | Not Recommended to Good With Other Dogs |
| Watchdog/Protective Nature | 3 of 5 | What's Mine Is Yours to Vigilant |