Where does the Parson Jack Russell Terrier come from, and why was the breed developed?
The Parson Jack Russell Terrier is descended from early white-bodied terriers used for hunting foxes. In the 1800s, a clergyman/hunter, the Reverend John Russell, developed his own strain of feisty terrier, who ran with the horses and foxhounds as they chased after the fox. When the pursued fox “went to ground” (taking refuge in a den), the terriers were sent into the underground den to dig and harass and bolt the fox so the “sporting chase” could continue.
