The desire to go underground, although helpful when hunting and tracking, does have its downsides. Lady Ralph Kerr’s Jack Russell, Tuppence. Their fur was in the wrong direction and they were covered in sand and earth. My other daughter and I were standing in the kitchen wondering how we were going to tell her sister that her dog had been killed by a badger, when there was a familiar yap at the door. ‘They weren’t ever the best of friends,’ admits Lady Kerr, ‘but Puffin got her out. Three days later, Puffin found her and dug her out of a badger sett. During a family visit to Scotland, Lady Kerr’s daughter’s Jack Russell, Bella, went missing, causing much alarm. Puffin, in her younger days, went running and riding with Lady Kerr, but is best known for her nose. Tuppence, Puffin’s granddaughter, explores alongside hens, pigs, pygmy goats and alpacas at Melbourne’s family zoo and has even been known to round up sheep. Put in a lot and you get out a lot.’ Hers have the run of Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire (although they are not allowed on sofas). They need a lot of love and a very firm hand at the same time - a bit like a child. ‘It’s important that they get into the right hands. Lady Ralph Kerr, owner of two Parson Russells - Tuppence and Puffin - agrees they’re ‘affectionate, biddable, intelligent and wonderful dogs’ - but not for everyone. Today, Jack Russell terriers are strong little dogs, but easier to get on with, great with children and just as motivated.’ ‘The working type of Jack Russell has had a reputation of being a bit feisty and sharp. ‘In the show world, they are becoming very popular,’ enthuses Geoff Corish, founder and chairman of the Jack Russell Terrier Club. In 2016, Jack Russells were given another boost when they gained official recognition by the KC. The then-Prince Charles, Prince of Wales greets his Jack Russell dog Tigga during a polo match at Windsor Great Park on Jin Windsor, England. Tigga, who lived to 18 and is buried at Highgrove in Gloucestershire, was immortalised by sculptor Emma Stothard, via a willow sculpture in the gardens. The former made headlines for, sadly, disappearing during a walk at Balmoral. But it is not just Queen Camilla who adores them: The King has been a fan of the breed for decades, owning two - Pooh and Tigga - in the 1990s and 2000s. They were brought in by the new King and The Queen Consort, who own two Jack Russells - the aforementioned Bluebell and Beth. Many attribute this to their arrival at Buckingham Palace, where they usurped the corgis. According to the Kennel Club (KC), the number of registered Jack Russell dogs rose by 71% in the second quarter of 2022 compared with the previous year and 37% in the third. Now, the notoriously pesky terrier is once more gaining popularity outside of working circles. Both Parson and Jack Russells may be smooth, rough or broken-coated. Jack Russells are shorter and stockier, yet still speedy enough to keep up with foxhounds on exercise, their legs firing like pistons. Jack Russells are tough, rambunctious and highly intelligent dogs - if occasionally able to push the limit of affection with their eccentricities, peccadillos and fighting spirit at a picnic. Those familiar with the breed may not be surprised by their resilience, tenacity and working instinct. ‘I used to jump, too, no problem we’d jump a gate, anything. ‘The dog sat in front of me with the bag resting on the pommel of the saddle,’ he explains. ‘They are the most intelligent canine ever.’ To prove his point, Mr Mousley’s best trick, when working as a professional mounted terrierman for the Meynell and South Staffordshire foxhounds for 35 years, was to carry a Jack Russell - Digger or Axeman - in a specially made bag when out hunting. ‘You can do just about anything with a Jack Russell,’ declares Greg Mousley, of Meynell Sundance Jack Russell Terriers, a renowned breeder of 50 years. Photographs by Sarah Farnsworth for Country Life. Fellow terrier owner India Sturgis recounts why these tiny tearaways remain so perennially appealing. Small, but mighty, the feisty Jack Russell is as popular as ever, not least as it’s The Queen Consort’s breed of choice. Country Life's Top 100 architects, builders, designers and gardeners.
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