The Jack Russell Terrier
Mar 1, 2010 Author: Administrator | Filed under: Dog BreedsJack Russell Terriers aren’t exactly under-represented in Hollywood. You’ve probably seen one of these cute, scrappy dogs on TV (remember the Jack Russell terrier in Frasier?), where they show up as family pets in sitcoms and commercials. Jack Russells have also made the scene in movies — you might have caught one as "Milo" from The Mask.
Possibly the most famous Jack Russell is the eponymous star of Wishbone, a children’s show on PBS starring a romantic and extremely literate pup. But in real life, Jack Russell Terriers aren’t exactly like their famous counterpart, Wishbone. This breed of dog is all terrier, with the energy, digging and prey drive that entails, and some Jack Russells can be overwhelming for an inexperienced owner.
Sometimes you’ll hear the Jack Russell Terrier called the Parson Russell Terrier, which is natural enough, since a parson named Reverend Jack Russell created the breed. His goal was a dog that could perform the hard task of chasing down foxes. For that, he needed dogs that were small enough to fit into cramped caves and cubbyholes.
Jack Russell Terriers belong to the American Kennel Club’s Terrier Group. But these dogs have started a bit of a scrap among the various registration organizations. To separate American Jack Russells from the British variety, the AKC calls these dogs "Parson’s Russell Terriers." Not only
do they disagree on the names, the AKC wants Jack Russells to have long legs, while British breeders prefer shorter ones.
Though she be but little, she is fierce, wrote Shakespeare famously. He could have been talking about Jack Russell Terriers, which are small, but resilient and strong. Their attractively bright, almond-shaped eyes are as dark as they are alert.
While most Jack Russells have short coats, there’s also a rough coated variety. But all Jack Russells are more than half white. You might find any combination of black, tan or brown on the rest of their bodies. They carry their short tail straight up, but you’ll rarely see it clearly, since a Jack Russell is always wagging madly over something. Jack Russells weigh between 13 to 17 pounds and stand about 10 to 15 inches tall.
The Jack Russell Terrier has a lot of energy. Even though it’s small and cute, it’s not really the dog for an apartment, condo or small house. In fact, the Jack Russell both thinks and acts like a much larger dog. Born to work, he needs occupation for his sharp brain and tireless body. He also needs a fenced yard that’s had some thought put into it. When Jack Russells get bored, they’ll go over, under and around almost anything you can think of. Believe it or not, they’ve even been known to climb trees.
What Jack Russells thrive in is a boisterous family, as long as they get the same attention as the other kids! They love attention almost as much as they love action, and they love to play games with active kids. They’ll chase down and retrieve balls for as long as you can possibly stand to throw them.
Be sure you don’t let the Jack Russell’s small size convince you to skip obedience class. These dogs need to know who’s boss, and need structure. Socializing your puppy from the start is also extremely important, so he’ll be comfortable and friendly with strange dogs and visitors to your house.
Poorly bred Jack Russells can be inclined to eye and ear problems, including deafness. For the most part, though, this breed is healthy and robust. If you do your due diligence and find a good breeder, you shouldn’t see your Jack Russell suffer from these problems.
You’ll catch a break when it comes to feeding your Jack Russell. Because of their small size, they don’t eat a lot of food. Of course, that means you can probably afford to get a premium quality kibble from your vet, which can save you big on vet bills down the road, or look into a quality raw food diet. One thing to watch is whether your Jack Russell’s becoming too hyper. If so, chat with your vet about switching to a lower-protein diet.
Another benefit of Jack Russells is that they don’t require much grooming. This is less true for rough-coated dogs, which need to be groomed once a week or more. You’ll also want to check and clip any overlong nails.
If you’re the right kind of family — outdoorsy, energetic and on the active side — you could find the Jack Russell is just about the perfect breed for you.
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