Parson Russell Terrier

The Parson Russell Terrier takes its name from the Reverend John Russell, a hunting clergyman, who inherited his interest in hunting and terriers from his father.

In 1819, Revd John Russell bought Trump, a white bodied terrier with head and tail markings. She produced a legacy of sporting terriers, and is regarded as the founder of the breed. The Parson Russell Terrier was bred to go to ground and was often used as the earth dog for badger or fox. It is said that he had to be a handy size to go to ground, but also had to possess stamina and be sufficiently racy to keep up with hounds. Devotees of the breed formed clubs, kept their own registry with recorded pedigrees and ran their shows outside The Kennel Club's jurisdiction. However, some fanciers of the breed who wanted to join with The Kennel Club split away, and in 1983 drew up a breed standard based on that of Arthur Heinemann, who had been a disciple of the Reverend John Russell. The new club stated as its aim the promotion of the “genuine Jack Russell”.

The Breed was formally recognised by The Kennel Club in 1990 as the Parson Jack Russell Terrier. However, in 1999, the breed name was changed to the Parson Russell Terrier to differentiate the two breeds. The Parson Russell is now well established in the show ring and retains its working abilities as a ‘fox’ terrier (see also Jack Russell Terrier).

Read the breed standard

Images for this breed

The Terrier breed group

Dogs originally bred and used for hunting vermin. 'Terrier' comes from the Latin word Terra, meaning earth. This hardy collection of dogs were selectively bred to be extremely brave and tough, and to pursue fox, badger, rat and otter (to name but a few) above and below ground. Dogs of terrier type have been known here since ancient times, and as early as the Middle Ages, these game breeds were portrayed by writers and painters.

Colour Watch

Category 0: Breeds with no NBS colour registration options.

Read more about Colour Watch.

Breed Standard colours

Breed standard colour means that the colour is accepted within the breed standard and is a traditional and well-known colour in this breed.

Breed standard colours in this breed include:

Black & White
Lemon & White
Lemon Tan & White
Tan & White
Tricolour
White
White & Tan
White Black & Tan

Other colour/s

'Other' means you consider your puppy to be a colour not currently known within the breed and one that does not appear on either the breed standard or non-breed standard list. In this instance you would be directed through our registrations process to contact a breed club and/or council to support you on identifying and correctly listing the new colour.

Non-breed-standard colours

Non-breed-standard colour means that the colour is not accepted within the breed standard and whilst some dogs within the breed may be this colour it is advised to only select a dog that fits within the breed standards for all points.

Colour is only one consideration when picking a breed or individual dog, health and temperament should always be a priority over colour.

Whether you're considering buying a Parson Russell Terrier puppy or breeding from your dog, it's important to understand the health issues that may affect the breed and how they can be managed or avoided.

Pre-breeding Health Screening

Good Practice schemes and tests

We strongly recommend that breeders, at a minimum, conduct these tests before breeding, as evidence indicates these conditions are a significant concern in the breed.

Prioritising genetic diversity
DNA test for Late onset ataxia (LOA)
DNA test for Primary lens luxation (PLL)

Best Practice schemes and tests

These tests address conditions that are still significant for the breed, though they may not be as critical as those listed under Good Practice. They might be less common or newly identified, and research is ongoing to determine their full impact.

To support the breed’s health, responsible breeders should ensure they complete all tests in both categories. Following our Best Practice guidelines means completing both the Good Practice and Best Practice tests for your breed.

DNA test for spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA)
Eye testing using the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme

Find out about a particular dog's results

Please visit our Health Test Results Finder to discover the DNA or screening scheme test results for any dog on The Kennel Club's Breed or Activity Register.

You can also view the inbreeding coefficient calculation for a puppy's parents, or for a dog you're thinking of breeding from.

DNA Testing Services

To support your health testing journey, we offer a breed-specific package tailored to your breed's unique health needs. This package provides important information about potential health risks, helping you make informed decisions. Click here to find out more and access the tests relevant to your breed.

Breed Health & Conservation Plan

The Breed Health and Conservation Plans

Our breed health and conservations plans (BHCPs) use evidence and data to help us understand the health issues found in each pedigree dog breed. These plans help breeders and owners identify health and welfare problems and use information, health tests and health schemes to avoid passing on those problems to future puppies. They also support and provide breeders with tools and specialist expertise to help manage genetic diversity, understand the impacts of close breeding, and find the best ways to preserve the population of their breed.

Working together for the breed

We’ve worked with breed clubs and breed representatives to gather all available evidence to help us determine the priority concerns for the breed and decide how we can work together to manage and reduce these problems.

The full evidence base is available at the discretion of the breed clubs, however if you would like to seek access to the full report, please contact our health team.

Health (The Kennel Club)

More about health

Have any questions about health in your breed?

If you have any concerns about a particular health condition in your breed then you may wish to speak to your vet or you could contact your breed health co-ordinator.

Breed health co-ordinators are individuals working on behalf of breed clubs and councils who are advocates for the health and welfare of their chosen breed. They acts as a spokesperson on matters of health and will collaborate with The Kennel Club on any health concerns the breed may have.

To contact your breed health co-ordinator please email

Health (The Kennel Club)

Breed watch

Category 1

Currently no points of concern specific to this breed have been identified for special attention by judges, other than those covered routinely by The Kennel Club breed standard.