Terriers in general are "big dogs in small bodies", originally bred to do some kind of rodent or small game work. Most were developed in England. Smooth and Wire Fox Terriers, the non pure bred Jack Russell and the pure bred Parson Russell Terrier are all versions of the original "foxing" terriers as used in the 1800's. The Parson Russell Terrier is of the type used by the Reverend John Russell.  

They are a pure breed and registered with Kennel Clubs world wide.  In March 2003 the CKC added the Parson Russell to the CKC Misc List of Breeds and is thus on it's way to full recognition. The AKC, the Kennel Club registering body in the United States has changed the name to Parson Russell Terrier on April 1, 2003.

The Breed Standard in the Country of Origin in this case England is the one most commonly used. That standard ideally calls for a height of 13 inches for females and 14 inches for males measured at the withers, with an inch either way being acceptable. So bottom to top is 12 to 15 for the breed. Many traditional purists claim the ideal dog should be 14/14 i.e. 14" tall and weighing 14 lbs.

Temperament is of utmost importance. At ElysianField we breed for a stable temperament first, able to get along with children, adults and dogs. Then for conformation.

More on Terriers
 To do it's intended job of "bolting" prey rather than killing it, the terrier must be intelligent, feisty, and tenacious. But it also must be able to get along with the rest of the dogs on the hunt and be people oriented. Bad manners are not allowed. 

In the years following the parson's death, other breeds were often crossbred with some of the parson's dogs to develop strains of terriers for various purposes such as the one time legal sport of badger digging. It is from this practice of mixing together different types of dogs, that the popular non purebred, white hunt terrier (often confused with the Parson Terrier) is descended. Here we see the resulting wide variance in conformation and temperament.

Today in Canada, hunting as it was done in England is no more, although more than one squirrel or chipmunk has gone down to the lightening quick reflexes of our dogs. Instead our Parsons participate in conformation, agility and obedience events to name a few. Far more are lovely companion dogs. Smart, and curious with energy to burn during the day, and eager to be a couch potato when the day is done.

All pups need to be properly socialized, and while I do start that, you need to continue. The more training they get, the better behaved they are. I strongly urge all the people who purchase one of our pups to start with "Doggie Kindergarten." The CKC in Toronto can put you in touch with an all breed club in your area that can direct you to those classes.

Parson Russell Terriers are just that…TERRIERS. The very thing that people love them for (that feisty intelligent, personality) is sometimes the very trait that can give them the most trouble. If this is your first terrier I urge you to talk to other pet owners who have pure bred Parsons. Good breeders will give you references. 

Our site, will give you the information that you need to make an informed decision on whether or not the Parson is for you. You can research other breeds by going to the links page and accessing the CKC web site or the Dogs in Canada web site.

If you have any other questions about our kennel or dogs, contact us directly. CLICK HERE!