Jack Russell Terrier

Small, fearless and almost never tired. Bred to bolt foxes for hunts, a Jack Russell will dig under a fence, square up to a dog five times its size and still want a game afterwards. Smooth, broken and rough coats all shed; the broken and rough types can be hand-stripped. A cat raised alongside one may be tolerated, but rabbits, guinea pigs and the neighbour's chickens are prey, full stop. Ask breeders about DNA tests for primary lens luxation and late-onset ataxia.