Sunray Jack Russell Terriers

   My husband and his father used to own a pack of Walker Fox Hounds that they would take out and hunt at nights.  They did this because the hounds were so fast that if they ran them during the day they would get "sight race" on the fox and catch him if they could.  So to give the fox the upper hand and still be able to listen to the song of the hounds they would run them at night.  When his father's health started to fail and the night hunting and tracking became to difficult, they scaled down to the Jack Russells.  Jack Russells are "go to ground" dogs.  They are used to hunt, hold or bolt ground burrowing rodents, such as mice, rats, fox, badger, and groundhogs.  These dogs can be quite entertaining and rewarding to have around but we always try to impress upon anyone considering these dogs as a companion, that they are a " high maintenance " dogs.  If you don't spend enough time with them or provide enough mental stimulation for them, they will find something for themselves to do, such as chewing anything !

Sunray Speck

        We enjoy many activities with our Terriers, such as participating in trials.  There we compete in conformation, agility, obedience, go-to-ground, and most fun of all racing.  The natural hunting is the place where the Jacks shine.  They truly do show exactly what they are made of.  It is a exceptional dog that can aggressively tackle the job of  tracking, trailing and going to ground to hold or bolt it's quarry and then come home and quietly curl up by the fireplace as a housedog.  My husband loves the hunting so much he qualified to become a Go-to-Ground Judge for the JRTCA with aspirations to become a Natural Hunting Working Judge but that got a little sidelined with my illness and then the transplant that I received in 1998. Hopefully, he will fulfill the requirements for Working Judge Certification.

Woody, Ronnie, and me in the middle at a North Carolina Terrier Trial

Skip after the "Rat" with Lilly in the foreground and Casper holding down the rear.

Dixie Rose, Speck's new girlfriend.