Thursday, October 01, 2015

A terrier!??!

The rumors are true.  I got another dog- and this time a terrier of all things! 

Specifically a Parson Russell Terrier. Think Jack Russell, but CKC registered... 

I've been asked about a million times why a terrier and I've only had the puppy for one day. So I figured it would be a good blog post. ;)

I needed another sport dog. Something small, playful/active and structurally sound to play the games I like to play. And I needed another sport dog because although I have six dogs- I'm almost out of dogs! Leo is focusing purely on herding right one. One thing in his brain at a time, Brit and Pixel are doing Obedience and everyone else is asleep on the couch...

So onto the criteria! 

Small size was important because I already had six dogs... that is a lot of dogs in one house. Also I don't want a mini van... 

I wanted a dog that was playful and active and wasn't what I call "soft." A dog who could work through a little pressure and still keep a good attitude. 

And structurally sound was a biggie. I have had exactly zero luck when it comes to Corgis. It was definitely time for something a little different. 

I've always admired and loved Terriers. The tenacity, the attitude, the feisty personality- all are traits that I enjoy. I've been around Jacks since the good old days when a friend and I would trek to the terrier trials and I'd judge obedience or whatever. It was like a whole other world! 

I wasn't set on a Parson right away though. I've been looking around for quite a few months now. 

Rescues always have cute little  scruffy dogs but nothing that didn't have a lot of baggage (and while I'm definitely pro rescue, I wanted a dog with no issues this time around.) I did find a cute little dog at a city shelter but by the time I got there to see him he was adopted. 

I actually considered a Sheltie. I met a wonderful breeder who has great little shelties. Fabulous temperaments, drive, and of course super cute! But realistically a sheltie wouldn't suit my personality. Too sensitive, which is my main complaint with the border collies! 

I also looked into Staffordshire Bull Terriers- but the bulk makes up for the height and that was just a bit bigger than I wanted. Smooth Fox Terriers also were considered but after talking to a few breeders and watching online videos I decided that the breed was a bit too severe for me look wise. 

That left me looking at Jack Russell's. Which then led me to the Parson! I do a fair amount of CKC sports so it was important to me that it be registerable. Jacks aren't officially part of the CKC, which is what led me to look at a Parson. I don't know really what the differences are. Parsons are bred for conformation mostly, and all have rough or broken coats. They also tend to be a little slighter in my own research. Jacks are bred almost purely for terrier stuff- so are typically a little more fired up and seemto be more variable size and look wise too. I wasn't bothered either way and looked into both. 

It so happens that there is a local-ish Parson breeder who was more than happy to talk to me about health, temperament, and what her ideal terrier is. She does a lot of conformation so her dogs are structurally correct, but also does a ton of earth dog stuff. I was impressed with the temperaments of her dogs- outgoing, pushy, and smart but not off the wall crazy. They have true terrier instincts but also have a chill out button. Or so I'm told. She also is very anal about health testing- which is important to me!

Of course visiting a litter after the were born totally sold me. Hook, Line and Sinker. I'm a total sucker. I mean they were pretty darn cute! I told the breeder what I wanted in a dog and as the puppies grew and the personalities emerged she was able to tell me which one would suit me. Thankfully it was a cute one. ;) 

So. Here she is. In all her terrier badness and cuteness! So far she's a total spitfire and has taken her first day in stride. She's met all the dogs and the cats and pretty much is being adorable. 

I haven't decided on a name yet. Maybe tomorrow. ;)


7 comments:

oddman said...

Absolutely adorable!!
Yes Joyce is awesome. But you chose wisely, Grasshopper😃

Andi

Dachshund Nola said...

She is adorable! Congrats! I love Jacks and Parsons (Jacks are a lot more common here in the US) - I came *this close* to getting one before settling on a mini aussie. He's pretty soft, temperament wise, so I hope to have a terrier some day!

J.Deans said...

Good luck!! You'll love the terriers! Spunk, attitude, toughness but with awesome abilities to perform. They have a mind of their own, and their own agenda, but if you work them right, they will do anything for you. Love the JRT's, love the attitude and love the ability to handle pressure.

K-Koira said...

Adorable! Welcome to the world of terriers. I recently met a couple smooth fox terriers at a barn hunt event and kind of fell in love with them, so it would have been neat to see you post pictures of one of those along with training stuff over the years. But I bet this little one will do just as good.

Unknown said...

I think you chose wisely and definitely got the cute one! Congrats!

Can not wait to hear about your adventures with her.

Merinda said...

Love her! I'm a sucker for the scruff :)
And I think you finally nailed why I've always loved smooth fox terriers, but yet just couldn't commit to one: the "severe" looks. I agree, love the look, but it's just a little too severe.
I'll be sticking to my cardigans for awhile though ;)

2halves said...

She looks a little...judge-y...HA! Very cute. I do love the scruffies, too, however I would prefer mine come in the form of a BC with some Beardie in there somewhere!

Looking forward to watching her grow up. Congrats!