What Dog Is In This Picture

[Muttaburra]

A sketch by Charles Burton Barber, unknown date, shows a small dog with interesting characteristics.

But what is it.

Charles Burton Barber lived from 1845-1894, when many of the breeds of dogs on farms were only just beginning to enter the dog shows, for example the Smooth Fox Terrier was given official recognition by The Kennel Club (circa 1875; breed standard 1876).

The dog in the picture does not resemble todays Smooth Fox Terrier breed, but might have had it's origins in a similar dog in the picture. The other strand is those which went on to become Jack Russell Terriers, which look more similar to the pictures.

[Loving my Oldies]

A porky Jack Russell

[poochmad]

Is it a Parson Russell Terrier?

[Muttaburra]

Is it a Parson Russell Terrier?

The Parson Russell Terrier breeders do aim for the longer leg, although the long legs are in all the Jack Russell Terrier lines, just not selected for showing.

[poodlefan]

My guess would be that it's a white English working terrier that was one of the forerunners to the Smooth Fox Terrier, the JRT and the Parson Russell.

[Muttaburra]

My guess would be that it's a white English working terrier that was one of the forerunners to the Smooth Fox Terrier, the JRT and the Parson Russell.

Gosh, I think you might be right. Apparently the breed was abandoned because of the occurrence of deafness in all-white dogs, and it wasn't favoured much as a hunting dog.

I always thought of the White Terrier looking like this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:English_...errier_1890.jpg

But the painter, Alfred de Prades shows a dog similar to the one in my OP picture. Also with a more "porky" look as Cynthia points out.

[poodlefan]

My guess would be that it's a white English working terrier that was one of the forerunners to the Smooth Fox Terrier, the JRT and the Parson Russell.

Gosh, I think you might be right. Apparently the breed was abandoned because of the occurrence of deafness in all-white dogs, and it wasn't favoured much as a hunting dog.

I always thought of the White Terrier looking like this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:English_...errier_1890.jpg

But the painter, Alfred de Prades shows a dog similar to the one in my OP picture. Also with a more "porky" look as Cynthia points out.

The English White Terrier in the picture you posted was a 'developed' breed - the developers were working on a pricked eared version of the early Smooth Fox Terrier. It didn't catch on and the breed died out. Little white working terriers have always been around but weren't bred for their colour.

Apparently the EWT became quite small and fine and lost its work ethic before it lost favour.

Edited January 3, 2010 by poodlefan

[Muttaburra]

The differences I see between the EWT and the Charles Burton Barber pictures are that C. B. B.'s subject has a patch on one eye and the "drop ears" of the foxies and derivatives.

The similarity between todays JRT and the Charles Burton Barber pictures is the face, - more noticable in the smooth coated JRT, a very different face shape to Smooth Fox Terriers.

The bodies in both illustrations are similar.

[poodlefan]

I think the dog in the CBB picture is larger and cobbier than todays JRT. In some of the sketches, the body shape is almost Stafford-like.

A dog like that would be a formidable ratter.

[Muttaburra]

I think the dog in the CBB picture is larger and cobbier than todays JRT. In some of the sketches, the body shape is almost Stafford-like.

A dog like that would be a formidable ratter.

I see what you mean, however I think the legs and paws are far too fine and dainty to be Stafford-like. Certainly a chest of smallish circumference was favoured in the development of Jack Russell Terriers