Tell me about Parsons Jack Russells...

[Cherrypie32]

I grew up with labs and we lost our lovely old collie x a couple of months ago. A Parsons JR has popped up for rehoming that has taken my eye, description sounds good for us, being rehomed via a charity due to change in family's circumstances. However I have no experience of small breeds and would be grateful for any insights on general nature, thanks in advance x

They are fabulous dogs. Clever, trainable, endearing, full of life. Downsides are: dedication to the elimination of small animals, possible feistiness with other dogs, sometimes being more ready than other breeds to nip humans. That last is a huge generalisation of course. Plenty are reliable in that respect.

They need an owner who is willing to put a bit of time into training, as they are so receptive to it, and clever and lively enough to find not-always-desirable ways of making their own entertainment if you don't make it for them

Just wanted to add that I think that compared with labradors they are likely to be quite "self-sufficient." As long as they are getting all the exercise and attention that they need during the day, they don't make demands for constant attention and in fact they seem to need to have downtime, when they are left to themselves. They love to have secure spaces to rest safely in, and where they know that they won't be ambushed with attention.

Absolutely agree with Oaty, the good and bad!

Our parsons is 18 months old and an absolute sweety at home but very feisty when out and about (not really aggressive though, more a case of "look at me" . . . )

Lots of recall training worked for us and also lots and lots of love and attention, ours absolutely thrives on affection and enjoys lots of fuss and cuddles!

We just love our little boy!

And just to add, the more attention he gets, the walks, playtime and cuddles, the more obedient he is, he seems to want to please 'cos he loves us sooo much and we are part of his pack

Yes. The thing I said about not needing constant attention, perhaps that was misleading. I know my dog loves the right kind of attention and thrives on gentle kind interaction and loads of fun. But he doesn't clamour and fret to be always at the centre of things. He is very settled and calm and seems to rest with the same single-minded dedication that he displays when he charges about on his walks. Honestly if there was an Olympic medal for finding the coziest spot and sleeping thoroughly he would win it! And he does seem to like to have peace and security whilst resting. I'm lucky enough to work from home and it is the most relaxing thing in the world just to have him resting beside me and seeing his total peace.

I grew up with two. They can be feisty and single minded and on-leash aggression was a problem with ours. They are up for any adventure though and love their families. They need rather a lot of exercise compared to other small breeds ...how old is he?

My parson wasn't very typical. Laid back and no chase instinct at all. She was a food hound and only liked people. If another dog approached her, she would walk away. No aggression unless they kept bothering her.

She was sweet but not interested in learning tricks. Just liked her walks, food and cuddles.

I agree with OatyBeatie, my JR loves gentle interaction up to a point. And then she likes to be left in peace. If she is disturbed she will go somewhere quieter. After a really massive walk she likes to completely alone and gets grumpy if there are any unwanted advances from loving humans! So children I would say might need to be thoroughly versed in this but my kids are fine with it.