The Jack Russell Terrier Between The Year During The 1940s And 1950s

The first major change to the world of the Jack Russell came in the World War II era. By this time, much of the world was wrapped up in the new and developing war effort. Citizens had little time for fox hunting. Especially with the men going off to battle, there was very little demand for any type of working dog unless it could be used to help soldiers in the front line. This left many breeds of working dogs without anyone interested in breeding them or ensuring their survival throughout the war time. Luckily for the Jack Russell, its disposition and popularity had endeared it to the public and it was one of the few lucky work dog breeds that were embraced into the common English home, making the transition from field hand to household pet.

Following the conclusion of World War II, England experienced resurgence in the popularity of sport hunting. This also led to resurgence in the Jack Russell's popularity. Soon Jack Russell's were once again seen scouring the fields of England with hunting parties and tunneling into fox dens.

In the late forties and early fifties, breeders once again discovered the Jack Russell. A number of breeders took it upon themselves to improve the breed further. Intensive breeding programs selected dogs with only the most specific attributes to create a new line of Jack Russell that was shorter, stockier, and more muscled than previous generations. This new compact model of the Jack Russell would eventually become the most commonly found version of the breed.

Some have claimed that a number of popular breeders had introduced stock from other breeds such as the Bull Terrier in order to achieve their results. Those claims have never been substantiated with any sort of documentation