Page 40 - JRT Magazine - 2023 Issue 2

Education

INTERPRETING THE (JACK) RUSSELL TERRIER
Breed

Standard

Part 2: Using concepts to create a template

Candace S. Lundin, DVM, MS, Middletown, Virginia, USA

Breeder-judge Percy Roberts wrote that “A breed or crowd appeal to push us to fads that are out of
standard is the blueprint. The breeder is the character for the breed. The Russell Terrier is not
builder, and the judge is the building inspector”. a small Parson; it is not as elegant as a Lakeland;
The problem with this is that blueprints are precise, it is not as heavy as a Sealyham. It is its own
engineered diagrams whereas breed standards breed, and it must have a recognizable type. Mr.
require subjective interpretation. Adverbs such as Beauchamp explained how easy it can be to veer
slightly or moderately never appear in a blueprint, off course, especially today when we have fewer
but they commonly appear in breed standards. people devoted to breed development and “far
Many descriptions in breed standards are open more people exhibiting dogs simply because they
for interpretation, sometimes with a wide degree enjoy the competitive aspects of the dog game.”
of latitude. The official standard is more like a So, those breeders devoted to the development of
conceptualization of the ideal dog for that breed. the breed as a whole and not just producing their
It is meant to give the reader an impression of the next winning dog have a lot of work to do to stay
breed, an essence of the breed. the course.

With the Russell Terrier being a relatively new This is part two of a three-part series evaluating
breed for the AKC, its variability is great. As and interpreting the breed standard for the
purebred dog expert Richard G. Beauchamp Russell Terrier. Part one discussed substance,
explained in his book Solving the Mysteries of proportions, and size, as well as the importance
Breed Type: “In the early stages of a breed’s of the silhouette to breed type. It emphasized
development, it only makes sense to be more how every breed has its own correct silhouette
tolerant of undesirable characteristics than we created by the sum of its proportions. Part
are later in the breed’s progress.” The Russell two will now cover the sections of the breed
Terrier breed is still in these early stages of its standard that refer to balance and topline.
development and, thus, has more diversity than Balance also involves proportions—a symmetry
is ideal. Breeders need to work on ‘fixing’ (i.e., of proportions, and balance is a key consideration
establishing) breed type. We need the support of in the biomechanics of dogs. In this part 2, we
judges to help push forward correct breed type for will use the breed standard and some simple
the Russell Terrier and not reward divergences. biomechanics principles to propose a template, if
We need to stay on course, and not allow glamour not a blueprint, for the Russell Terrier.

40 | A Worldwide Magazine for the Jack Russell Terrier / Russell Terrier • Issue 2/2023