Will Britain Fight?

The rules and constitution of the Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain could not be clearer. 

The Club was created:

• To promote and preserve the true working terrier known as The Jack Russell.

• To write and apply a breed standard.

• To oppose influence by any organisation or persons whose actions may result in practices considered to be detrimental to the Jack Russell Terrier and its future.


• To protect the Jack Russell Terrier as a true working terrier and to preserve the rights of the working terrier enthusiast to work the terrier in the traditional manner.


• To encourage lawful and humane terrier work and to educate newcomers to the world of the working terrier.


• History has shown Kennel Club recognition to be detrimental to the physical structure and working capabilities of a variety of working breeds. Therefore this club is opposed to Kennel Club recognition of the Jack Russell Terrier.

Now the Kennel Club has unilaterally added the Jack Russell Terrier to its role -- a dog that Dog World informs us was created in "Autralasia where it was developed as a show dog".

So what is the Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain's response?  Are they going to stand and fight... or raise the white flag?

So far there has only been silence. Perhaps that's due to prudence as they marshal forces and weapons.  Still, what are we to make of the most vocal defense coming from the Duchess of Cornwall's son, Tom Parker Bowles, who named his own son after Camilla's old Jack Russell Terrier, Freddy? 

I like them as outsiders and mongrels. They're charming rogues and scallywags, not dull showdogs that have to fit into some Kennel Club standard. Jack Russells are at their happiest down holes, chasing rabbits rather than poncing about like those ghastly popinjay showdogs. Keep them out of the ring.

Well yes. 

And let's not let them be "sourced" to Australia and New Guinea, eh? 

But that's what's going to happen unless a serious stink is put up.

So far the Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain seems to be cloud-hidden, whereabouts unknown when it comes to this battle.

Certainly no battle horn has been sounded.

And perhaps it does not need to be. 

Perhaps these clubs are as pointless as some say.

What good are they if they do not live up to their core mission statement? We certainly do not need them to hunt our dogs, do we? Nor do we need the Kennel Club to tell us what a good working dog looks like, nor do we need people to give us just-invented breed histories.

So is the purpose of these Clubs to simply give people titles, collect dues, and select dog show judges?  Or is their mission -- and their fight -- to preserve the dog, the tradition, the work, and the name?

If it's the latter, then the Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain is going to have to saddle up and ride. So far, they have not entered the field.