<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2006-08-09</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000739878</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>RUSS BERRIE &amp; CO INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>RUS</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001263972</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DE SHAW LAMINAR PORTFOLIOS LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>39TH FLOOR, TOWER 45</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>120 WEST FORTY-FIFTH STREET</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>X1</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10036</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>See Footnote 1,2,3</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001277502</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>D E SHAW &amp; CO LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>39TH FLOOR, TOWER 45</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>120 WEST 45TH STREET</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10036</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>See Footnotes 1,2,3</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001023870</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SHAW DAVID E</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>39TH FLOOR, TOWER 45</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>120 WEST 45TH STREET</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10036</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>See Footnotes 1,2,3</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001009268</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SHAW D E &amp; CO L P /NY/</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>39TH FLOOR, TOWER 45</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>120 WEST 45TH STREET</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10036</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>See Footnotes 1,2,3</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>4399733</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The shares of common stock, stated value $0.10 per share (the ?Common Stock?), of the Issuer to which this form relates are held directly by D. E. Shaw Laminar Portfolios, L.L.C. (?Laminar?).  D. E. Shaw &amp;  Co., L.P. (?DESCO LP?) (as investment adviser to Laminar), D. E. Shaw &amp;  Co., L.L.C. (?DESCO LLC?) (as managing member of Laminar), and Mr. David E. Shaw (?David E. Shaw?) (as president and sole shareholder of D. E. Shaw &amp;  Co., Inc., which is the general partner of DESCO LP, and as president and sole shareholder of D. E. Shaw &amp;  Co. II, Inc., which is the managing member of DESCO LLC) may be deemed to be the beneficial owners of more than 10% of the Common Stock of the Issuer for purposes of Rule 16a-1(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">In accordance with instruction 5(b)(iv), the entire number of shares of Common Stock that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by David E. Shaw, DESCO LP, or DESCO LLC is reported herein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Each of DESCO LP, DESCO LLC and David E. Shaw disclaims beneficial ownership of any of the securities listed in this Form 3, except to the extent of any pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>D. E. Shaw Laminar Portfolios, L.L.C. By: D. E. Shaw &amp;  Co., LLC., as managing member, /s/ Julius Gaudio, Manaing Director</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2006-08-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>D. E. Shaw &amp;  Co., L.L.C., as manging member, /s/ Julius Gaudio, Managing Director</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2006-08-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>D. E. Shaw &amp;  Co., L.P.  By: /s/ Julius Gaudio, Managing Director</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2006-08-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>David E. Shaw By: /s/ Julius Gaudio, as Attorney-in-Fact for David E. Shaw</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2006-08-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
