JRT Athletics

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Jack Russell Terriers are often employed as effective pest control due to their natural hunting instincts and boundless energy. Their small size, agility, and tenacity make them adept at chasing and catching rodents such as rats and mice. Jack Russells have a strong prey drive and are skilled diggers, which can be beneficial for locating and dealing with burrowing pests. Their lively and alert nature, combined with a history of being used for hunting, makes them well-suited for pest control tasks on farms, in homes, or even in urban environments.

Foxwillow Malley at world agility in the Netherlands. The innate athletic ability of the Jack Russell Terrier makes them a natural for this sport.

Dog agility is a fast-paced canine sport where a handler guides their dog through an obstacle course. The course typically includes jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and other challenges. Dogs showcase speed, agility, and responsiveness while navigating the course, demonstrating a strong bond with their handlers. Agility competitions are both entertaining and a test of the teamwork between dogs and their owners.

The Jack Russell Terrier is a small, energetic breed known for its intelligence and agility. The "go to ground" instinct refers to their strong hunting instinct, particularly for burrowing prey like rodents. Jack Russells were originally bred for fox hunting, and their tenacity and determination make them excellent at pursuing animals into underground burrows. This instinct is often utilized in competitions where Jack Russells showcase their ability to locate and pursue prey in confined spaces.

Jack Russell terriers are well suited to the sport of barn hunt because of their traditional role in keeping farms, barns, and storage areas free of destructive vermin. The sport provides an opportunity for responsible owners to test the working traits of their dogs. The rats that the dogs are locating are in comfortable aerated  tubes, and are family pets that actually enjoy interacting with the dogs.

Brian Hunt is a great sport for dogs of all ages as well as owners of all ages.

Canine parkour is an interactive sport where handlers and dogs intentionally and creatively engage with the world around them. This includes: jumping, balance, circling around, climbing, and crawling on found objects or obstacles you come across in your local area. Sometimes called urban agility, canine parkour doesn't require lots of equipment or traveling to a designated training facility. Instead, you and your dog can play parkour games near your home, in your local community and anywhere else you and your dogs go.

Flyball is a fast-paced sport made up of teams of dogs and handlers that compete in each heat of a relay race. With a green light, the first dog on each team races down the lane over a set of jumps towards a spring loaded box, triggering the box with their paw to release a ball which they catch. Banking off the box, like a swimmer banking off the wall of a pool, the dogs race back over the jumps and return to their handler for their reward, which is usually a game of tug. The dogs go in succession, relay style, until all four dogs have completed the course, with the fastest team winning the race.

Sporting detection competitions use legal scents that are easily purchased and stored by the average person. It is also known as "nosework".  The dog must locate a hidden target scent within a designated area and alert the handler to the location. It is an amazing partnership sport requiring handlers and dogs to work as a team. Searches are done, one dog and handler at a time, allowing dogs with space issues to focus and succeed. This can be great at building confidence and providing mental stimulation.

Disc sports use frisbees/discs, and competitions  can be toss-and-fetch, freestyle, and long-distance. Categories are based on the skill and experience of the handler, which allows for competition from beginners to those who are experienced competitors. This is another sport that is uniquely suited to the athleticism of the Jack Russell Terrier.

Jack Russell Terrier racing is a fast paced, exciting sport that is held at Jack Russell terrier trails as well  as private local club events. The track is 150 to 200 and feet long, or longer. Dogs start from a "racing box" and pursue a "lure" (often a piece of scented fur or even a white plastic bag) simulating prey. The lure is attached to a pieced of string and is pulled by a motorized lure machine.  There is a catch pen at the other end of the race lane, where there is a "catcher" for each dog that completes the race. There are two types of races, flat racing or hurdle racing.

Lure coursing is a fast paced sporting event that allows dogs to utilize their prey drive in a safe, controlled environment. An artificial lure is set up to zigzag across an open field to simulate escaping prey. Dogs with high prey drive love the thrill of the chase, and it is a great sport to improve a dog's focus and agility. Dogs can be run individually or in groups of two or three, depending on the circumstances. There are local clubs set up by lovers of the sport which tend not to have the larger clubs breed restrictions and are purely recreational.

Rally obedience, also known as Rally or Rally-O, is a sport, where obedience exercises are performed in sequence, navigating a course with instructions about what to do next. It emphasizes an upbeat, relationship between handler and dog.

Dog kick sledding involves a human on a sled kicking off the ground, propelled by a team of dogs. The sled is typically lightweight, and the musher uses a kicking motion to assist the dogs in pulling the sled forward. This form of dog-powered transportation is a blend of traditional mushing and human-powered sledding, offering a unique and interactive way to travel through snowy landscapes while fostering a close connection between the musher and their canine team.