Breed Description

The Jack Russell Terrier is a small, tough and sturdy breed. A well-proportioned terrier, they usually weigh around 15-18 pounds, and stands 10-15 inches in height.

Coat

The double-coated Jack Russell Terrier has three varieties namely: broken, rough, and smooth. The broken variety has a topcoat of different lengths, or with longer hair on particular parts of the body. The rough coat has the top coat longer than the inner coat. Lastly, the smooth coat has short and stiff outer coat. Coat colors for this breed are mainly white, with tan, black, or tri-color.

Activity

The active Jack Russell Terrier ideally requires two long walks, or light jogs in a day. These hyperactive dogs are not only active outdoors, but indoors as well. They would require a lot of stimulating activities when indoors as they tend to be irritable and destructive when bored. They should also be given the chance to play and run about while they are indoors for extended periods of time.

Temperament

This vocal breed is lively and bold. Jack Russell Terriers are generally playful, affectionate with family, and love attention. They need to have a job or training as a form of exercise. These very energetic dogs tend to be highly excitable. But, they tend to be quarrelsome around other dogs. So, socialization and training should be done first before having them around with other dogs.

Overview

Originating in England during the 19th century, the Jack Russell Terrier is highly adept in burrowing and digging into dens and foxholes. They were named after the hunting enthusiast, Reverend John Russell, being the first person to have them bred for fox hunting.

Care

The three coat varieties of the Jack Russell Terrier are easy to groom. Combing and brushing is required regularly with firm bristle brush. Bathing should only be done when absolutely necessary. If these dogs are to join the show ring, owners should ideally strip the coat.

Training

The smart and intelligent Jack Russell Terrier is able to acquire new skills and learn new tricks easily. They are highly responsive to basic training, yet may be hard for the average dog owner to train.

The Jack Russell Terrier tends to be hyperactive to the extent that they become unmanageable. They need to be consistently trained through their formative years. Harsh and heavy-handed criticisms should never be applied in training this breed, or any other breed of dogs for that matter. It is advised that training should be done in 2-3 sessions daily, keeping it short and brief. Combine training with play, and these dogs will respond very well.

Character

The hardy-looking Jack Russell Terrier is generally outgoing, and with a keen appearance. They are naturally inquisitive. They are vocal, yet never yappy. This fearless dog is very brave, which appears to be unaware of their small size.