# "Euro Russell" or Black and Tan Russell Terrier: Real or Urban Legend?



## wentouch (Aug 22, 2010)

Hello. I am inquiring to whether anyone here has any knowledge or has heard about a black and tan (jack) russell terrier, also known as the "euro "russell" from the limited info I have come across. This consists of a couple of pictures and 2 sites that seem to offer rare and new euro russells, as shown on the links below.

http://aislingebray.com/
http://www.knrarabians.com/jack_russells.htm

We recently picked up a 8 year old, tricolor (black and tan), small mutt with what appears to be a black mask. The prior owners weren't sure what he was, but thought he was some sort of chihuahua mix. I am typically a medium dog owner and never expected to pick up a chihuahua for their commonly known eccentricities, but when I saw this dog that I did pick up, I couldn't resist. He has the colors that chis are known to have and the size, but he looks nothing like a chihuahua in facial features and proportion, although I won't dismiss the possibility that he could be a mix. If he was a mix, there appears to be only a few select possibilities from my research: pug, terrier, mini pinscher, boxer (rare), datschund or like. However, from the pics I've come across from the plethora of websites, none look more similar than the 2 websites above featuring the euro russell. My new pup, Rufus, looks exactly like the pups from those sites anly only closely similar to pics of any other dog including mutts with the same color or the so-called "designer" dogs.

From first hand experience with the pup we picked up and the limited research I have done, I am willing to believe they do exist and I have one. Why wouldn't there be black and tan terriers when there are white terriers with black and tan accents? He just doesn't look or act like a chi or any chi mutt/designer I've come across or know of. Regardless, he is pretty awesome and we're happy to have found and adopted him. He's a little doberman/rottweiler; a lot moreso than a mini-pinsch or the tricolor chi. 

Please find the pic below of Rufus, the mystery tricolor mutt. Thanks in advance.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Hi. I've never heard of the Euro Russell (which makes me a bit suspicious of it.lol) and unfortunately your pic of your boy is not showing up...can you repost it?
I will go and check out the links you've put in, I'm curious.

Okay so I checked out the links. Cute pups I must say...interesting though, keeping in mind that JRT's vary in conformation because they were bred for work, not show, for the longest time..but I would highly suspect that the parent dogs have Dachshund blood in there somewhere. The legs in the pictures of the adolescents and adults in both sites are distinctly twisted. I'm not saying that they Don't exist as B&T JRT's or that they never existed, but this really looks like a way to sell puppies that are "rare" for increased $ rather than a truly purebred dog. Outcrossing has it's benefits if you are dealing with a reduced or shrinking gene pool, but doing it to simply add a colour to a breed so you can pass it off as a purebred rare colour is kind of hinky.
JMO and I am not super experienced in JRT's so I may be wrong. But my spidey sense tingles at this one.


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## nainai0585 (Jan 30, 2010)

I automatically thought mutt when I saw them. They look nothing like my two purebred JRT and the colouring made me think that either Min Pin or some other small breed with similar colouring was introduced. They're cute, and I would honestly pick one up and keep it, so longer as the breeder was honest in saying that their dog was a mutt, and not purebred. I know they definitly can't be registered though b/c the jack breeds needs A LOT more white (I think its around 60-80% white, but I could be wrong).


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## wentouch (Aug 22, 2010)

Thank you for the replies.

Here is the pic below again of Rufus for reference. Just noticed I wrote that he is 8 years old accidentally; he is actually only 8-wks old.










What stumps me though, is that if there isn't a true, or genuine, euro russell, then why do they all look exactly the same, rather than have slight variations normally found in mutts? Rufus looks exactly like the other dogs in the pics, right down to the pattern on his chest. Identical! Werid!


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Even if they exist, if they are that rare it's pretty unlikely that you just happened across one that some dude was giving away. People tell me frequently that they think Maisy is a Plott Hound because of her brindle points, but it is just a super uncommon breed up here so I don't really buy it.


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## grab (Sep 26, 2009)

the black and tan markings are actually quite common in many breeds. He looks like a cute mix of several breeds


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I don't think he has much Chihuahua in him because his bones are quite large for a Chihuahua. Plus his head shape and ears don't look like a Chihuahua at all. He could very well be Jack Russell, Miniature Pinscher mix or something completely different. At 8 weeks old a lot of puppies look exactly the same, so you'll have to wait a few months to ask that question again!


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## spanielorbust (Jan 3, 2009)

I have heard of these. I think it goes back to when I researched the background on a little terrier mix my mom got hold of when I was a teenager - that research was at least 15 years ago. As I remember back then they were classified under the generic working bred "feist" terriers in a lot of the literature.

They have always been in dispute because of the demand for a lot of white on the Jack Russell Terrier, but as working dog breeders know, color often comes secondary to a good dog so I can imagine well that some have been kept going. 

Solid coloring (hardly any white on the body) is a dominant trait - easy to breed for. Black and tan coloring is one of the most recessive, and therefore also easy to duplicate once you get it started in a line.

Some sites that you might want to have a look at in regards to English Black and Tan Terriers, Hunt Terriers, and Irish Black and Tan Terriers are below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_Tan_Terrier

http://www.ahtca.org/index.html

http://www.oldandsold.com/articles04/dogs85.shtml

Here is a post on an UK forum from 2004, with someone looking for one and responders indicating they are a working breed - not a recognized registry breed. Jack Russells still maintain an open registry (a good thing in my mind), and I would imagine there are occasional influxes of other types of dogs involved in the Black and Tans as well . . . all good if the breeders know what they are doing, but then of course remaining a breed that will throw up a certain amount of variety.

http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/50267.html

I can't say whether or not your specific guy is from the Hunt Terrier Lines that go back or not - he looks like he might be. He shows a lot of stockiness to be a Chihuahua mix, but then it would also depend on the mix.

editted to add: Thanks for bringing this breed back to my attention. It is a beautiful small breed and I am now going to lose myself looking at pup photos. 

SOB


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

I would guess he's a mix rather than a rare breed of dog. Black and tan is a very common color in dogs and the white on him looks more like incidental white than genetic white. Additionally, breeders of rare breeds tend to be very protective of their dogs. Generally dogs they produce don't go to owners that don't know what they are, and then second owners when the pups are still around 8 weeks old.

I would say your dog very likely has JRT in him, but I doubt that he is from a rare strain of purposefully bred dogs.


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## wentouch (Aug 22, 2010)

14 week update on Rufus with pics!

Rufus is doing great. He was a little slow on learning in the beginning, but in recent weeks has been learning quickly and eager to please! Great with other people and animals, loves the outdoors, still makes mistakes here and there but a lot less and now only naws on his toys mostly (after destroying a few computer accessories and cords).



























Still have no concrete idea what breed mix he is, but he is growing up to be an adorable dog.


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## stanley (Jan 21, 2007)

Hi I have a jack russell X Manchester terrier and she's black and tan. And gorgeous even if I do say so myself 








Louise


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## wentouch (Aug 22, 2010)

Update:

Photos of Rufus at nearly 8 months. He has definitely outgrown even the largest chihuahua at around 20 lbs and a neck at 14". I think he might be at full height now but may grow wider. From his current looks, I still think he might be a black and tan terrier, some sort of medium terrier, or a mutt minpin/daschund/boston terrier (due to his girth, wider nose, thicker neck and wider feet). Mutt, regardless.

I am very happy with the way he looks. He is in between small and medium at the moment. A great size. He is very smart, energetic, loyal and a joy to be with. He started to have a bald spot on his head which the vets gave a cream for. Nearly fully potty trained, but he still goes in the house once in a full moon but enough to get frustrated over; he still goes in the bathroom though when he does have an accident, it's funny. Absolutely no problems with chewing or tearing, except for the old couch he chills on and the couple of computer mice he chewed on when I first brought him home; his adult teeth are almost fully out. Has slight SA in public only in that he doesn't like to be far from his owners and that's a good thing, imo (I think common for puppies); he doesn't run off too far, although he does like to snoop around on his own just not too far.

He has learned common commands and tricks like sit, shake, high five, stay, outside and still has problems with jumping on people. He likes to jump on the couch and claw and lick the top of my head. Haha.

Having second thoughts on whether to fix him, but we don't want him to get too aggressive, although he doesn't have a single aggressive bone, just a bundle of joy like a typical puppy. He is absolutely adorable and unique. I think he will look like a puppy forever in form. My friends and I think he looks like a medium dog in proportion but small/medium in size. My neighbors actually do mistake him for a rottweiler and some for a min pin.





















Again, can't say how happy & lucky we are to have found him. Just got him a cool Rock and Republic croc leather medium (14"-16") collar since he outgrew the small sized adjustable one he wore as a pup (11"-14").


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Hey thanks for the update!
He is doing really well and that's nice to hear. He's a real cutie that one!


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## wentouch (Aug 22, 2010)

I think I know what Rufus may be!! I think he just may be a Carlin Pinscher (aka a muggin), a mutt cross between a minpin and a pug. He totally has the underbite of a pug and the same thick features. I don't know where he came from, or whether his breed was intended, but it's all good with me, cause he's awesome. As close to a mini rott as one can get. The funny thing is before we picked him up, we was really looking into picking up a rott (but were still deciding on whether a rott may be too big for us at the momen), and shortly thereafter, Rufus came into our lives. It's like fate! Haha.

Yeah; you can tell we really love the lil guy.


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## 3Lab (Jun 4, 2010)

He is adorable, whatever breeds may make him up!
I'm glad you updated the board about him.

I did want to say, though, that just because he has an underbite does not mean he has pug in him, there are several breeds prone to underbites (peke's being one).


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## butterball (Feb 14, 2011)

Hello everyone, just new to this forum and noticed this thread. I am in Louth, Ireland and have a Euro Russell. Its not an urban legend or mix of different breeds, it is a black and tan Jack Russel. Very rare and distinctly different :wink:


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## Pareeeee (Sep 29, 2009)

What a cute pup!!!!
I have definitely heard of the Irish Black and Tan Jack Russells. They are a real yet rare breed.



















HISTORY OF THE BLACK AND TAN JACK RUSSELL:

"This breed is both an old and a new breed. The breed goes back to the 1600's where huntsmen in the British Isles used the solid colored dogs to go to ground and ferret out pray. 

Through time and in different geographical areas of the British Isles, they have been known by names such as the Old English Black and Tan Terrier, the Irish Black and Tan Terrier and the Black and Tan Jack Russell. Today they're known as Black and Tan Jacks in Ireland and Hunt Terriers in the U.S.

During the 20th century the Black and Tan Jack breed neared extinction. Due in part to selective breeding and the process of evolution, the Jack's color was nearly bred out of the coats in favor of the white-coated Russell Terrier breed. The Russell Terrier's linage has been traced back to the Black and Tan Jacks lineage by dedicated people with the purpose and goal of getting the Russell Terrier recognized as a distinct breed. The AKC and UKC require linage authentication for the registration processes. This research has proven that the Black and Tan Jacks or the Hunt Terriers are the ancestors of the Russell Terrier and recognized by the AKC.

Yet another reason they were in jeopardy of extinction is the fact that sporting dogs saw a decline in population due to the lack of a need for hunting dogs. A small number of farms in Ireland and England valued the Jacks and continued to breed the old lines. In the 1970's a few American breeders started to develop an interest and brought the Black and Tan Jacks to the United States. All this helped to stave off the threat of this breed vanishing."

VERY interesting.
The American Hunt Terrier Club Association
"A registry dedicated to promote and preserve the Original Black and Tan Jack Russell Terrier"

http://www.ahtca.org/


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## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

Are they actually used for earthwork? The reason the pud/shorty type jrts are not popular with working people is the fact that they don't have the correct conformation to get into the ground and work quarry. Not enough reach with such short legs and and barrel loaded chests that are not spanable nor flexiable for tight earthwork............
It goes back to yes that is what terriers did look like in the 1600's, but working terriermen continued to change the conformation to better suit earthwork, which is why the idea jack looks like the the original Parsons from the late 1800's.


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## butterball (Feb 14, 2011)

They do look different from other Jack's, they are typically smaller and tighter and very tenacious when it comes to hunting. Mine at 9 weeks was already out in the back garden looking for rats and mice and trying to get into holes. As puppies they look very similar to miniature pinschers but at about 4 months they take on the JR look in shape. They are also extremely easy to teach compared to other dogs I have had through out the years ( rotties, labradors and minpins). Very bright dogs. Even here in Ireland they are hard to come by. Most people seem to want nearly all white Jack Russells, there are a few on every street it seems  
Thanks for the additional information Pareee and Lynn! 
p.s in England they are known more as the Euro JR but here in Ireland everyone calls them the tricolour terrier


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## chesca (Jan 20, 2012)

stanley said:


> Hi I have a jack russell X Manchester terrier and she's black and tan. And gorgeous even if I do say so myself
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Omg!!! She looks exactly like mine!


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## wentouch (Aug 22, 2010)

Hello. Just wanted to update with a new picture of Rufus at 2 years and 2 months. His birthday was a couple of weeks ago.

He still looks pretty much the same. Most people still think he looks like a rottweiler and also still think he's a puppy, which is cool as he has one of those forever puppy faces. I still think he may be a carlin pinscher. I will say he looks more like a rottweiler, than any other "small rott" I have come across. His personality is great! As I raised him as a small dog, he still likes to sit on people's lap, although he is almost 30 lbs now. He has already broken free of 4 R & R collars (which are cheaply made, btw; moved on to standard Aspen collar & harness). He is vocal in that it seems like he likes to talk, but he barely barks, if you get what I'm saying. Rufus and Ralfie get along great.

All in all, Rufus is still awesome.


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## Patterdale-lover13 (Jun 13, 2013)

Hiya
These types of dog are very common around where I live
(Hertfordshire, England) my cousin has 4 of them 
Here's a pic of there newest additions


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## Jduck06 (Aug 30, 2021)

Interestingly, I had never heard of Euro Russells until adopting our girl, Lexi, who is the black and tan Jack in the front of this pic. She had a litter crossed with a regular JRT who only had white with black markings. After researching when taking her in, we discovered the Euro Russells lines and found some breeders here in Florida and also in Kentucky. Our Lexi is a small black and tan Jack Russell type, and her babies all had white chests when crossed with a white and black Jack. They look and act like Jacks, though Lexi is slightly smaller than most. Same body, same temperament, same everything other than she has no white. She is active, loves to dig and hunt, loves people and prefers to be with us ALL the time.


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## Lillith (Feb 16, 2016)

This thread is over a decade old and none of the posters are active on the forum anymore. I am closing this thread to further replies, but please feel free to start your own thread or participate in current discussions.


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