Parson Russell Terrier

Parson Russel Terrier - Small Dog Breed

Quick Facts

OriginEngland

Height: F: 13″, M 14″

Weight: 13-17 lbs

Color: White with potential for Tan markings, Brown markings, Black markings, Cream markings or Tri Color markings

Lifespan13-15 years

Temperament: Cocky, Energetic, Clever, Bold

 

Overview

Reverend John Russell was a man with a penchant for ministry and hunting. He is responsible for creating Parson (which is another name for a vicar) Russell Terriers and their buddies the Jack Russell and the Russell Terrier. PRTs hunt in packs to get their target.

PRTs may look sweet and demure but they are bold and fearless. Born to hunt foxes and run with horses, these little pups don’t realize they are little. They love children and other pets alike. PRTs dream date would be a long walk in the woods, off leash and allowed to sniff and explore every inch of nature.

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Health

PRTs are generally healthy pets. Some health issues to keep an eye out for include:

  • Patellar luxationLuxating simply means out of place or dislocated. Patella is a kneecap. A Luxating patella is a kneecap that chronically moves out of its normal position.
  • Deafness: Deafness can be hereditary or can happen through infection, trauma, or a degenerative cochlea.
  • Primary lens luxationHere, the tiny fibers that hold the lens suspended in the eye begin to degrade. Eventually, the lens can fall out of place.
  • Ataxia: Caused by anything from the brain, nerves, to muscles, this condition will have poor muscular control and/or involuntary movements.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.

Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.

Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.

Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.

Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:

  1. Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
  2. Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
  3. Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
  4. Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
  5. At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.

Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.

Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.

Are You Covered When Your Pup Gets Sick?

Grooming

PRTs have two varieties of coats: smooth or broken. Regardless of the coat, you should brush your pup once a week to remove dead hair and to redistribute naturally occurring oils. Broken coats will require trims to avoid matts and tangling of longer hair.

Bathe your pup monthly or as needed. Keep your pup’s eyes and ears clean and clear of debris. Regularly clip your pup’s nails. Brush your pug’s teeth several times per week.

Exercise

Plan on spending at least an hour devoted to exercise each day. These little pups have lots of energy to expend. If you are playing with your pup in the yard, but sure your fence is very secure, and expands into the ground so your pup cannot escape to chase prey.

Brisk leashed walks, jogs or fetch will help expend some of your spunky pup’s energy.

Nutrition

Your PRT will eat around 1 cup of food per day. The exact requirements for your dog will vary with age and activity level. Be mindful that little dogs that receive lots of treats and or table scraps end up overweight. A little dog that is overweight is significantly more likely to develop other health issues.

We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.

Are You Feeding Your Dog The Best Food?

Training

As with all dogs, it is important to socialize your pup with humans and other dogs early. PRTs require a firm hand and a strong Alpha mentality in their owners. Training is an absolute necessity with this breed, or they will exhibit distasteful stubbornness and dominate traits at home. Training should be consistent, varied, and full of positive reinforcement. Be firm but not harsh with your dog and you will gain healthy respect.

Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!

Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.

Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.

The Best Dog Vitamins and Supplements To Keep Your Pup Healthy. Period.

Supplements

A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.

Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.

Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.

Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.

Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.

As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.

Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.

Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.

Have You Tried CBD For You Dog's Health?

The Good

  • Good with children
  • Good with other animals
  • Good companion dogs

The "Ruff"

  • Can assert unpleasant traits when untrained
  • Strong hunting instincts
  • Needs lots of exercise

Annual Vet Bills: $1,500+

Be Prepared for the unexpected.