In a nutshell: Cocksure and bossy

Also known as: Jacks, JRTs

Description: Small, muscular type of Terrier, available in three coat types - rough, broken and smooth.

Temperament: Can be a happy, friendly little dog, but when he sees a cat, rat or any other little furry creature, his hunting instincts kick in, and he'll take charge in the way he feels the mighty hunter should.

Advantages as an agility dog:

• They are very fast little dogs that enjoy a challenge. They were expected to keep up with the hounds and horses of the hunt.
• Once they understand what you want them to do, you can be sure they'll do their best to please.
• They are great fun to run.
• They are good jumpers.

Disadvantages as an agility dog:

• The Jack Russell is independent and self-directed because his hunting style is not based upon following the hunter's directions as in many sporting and working breeds. Therefore, it's harder to get the dog to do what YOU want him to do, and not what HE feels is best.
• You'll more likely have to run with a Jack.

Rating out of 10 as an agility dog and why: 8/10. These dogs love to run and are full of energy. They can also jump very high. They can even climb trees, and I'm not joking.

Examples of dogs that have done well in agility: Up and coming is Eric Trafford's little boy, Crackerjack Freddie.

What's it like to live with as a pet? Crazy LOL, these dogs are always up to mischief, if you give them love and guidance, they'll never give you a dull moment, and they wont let you get old. Ha, ha!

Would you buy another one for agility? Yes I would, but not just for Agility. There are lots of things to do with Jack Russells. You can go to ground courses where dogs are put down man-made tunnels to get a caged rat (the rat is not harmed) and they are timed and given faults on things like refusing to go to ground straight away. Or you can try Terrier racing. That's great fun, too!

There are way too many Jack Russells turning up in dog homes because their first owners have gone out and brought back a 'little dog' without doing their home work. The Jack Russell is often described as 'a 150lb dog in a 14lb body', because they are bred to be - and are one of the most successful hunting Terrier types in the world today. They don't make them good lap dogs and need as much exercise as a dog five times their size.