The Jack Russell Terrier is an active, cheerful breed with even more energy than the typical Terrier. They’re bred for work, meaning they have a lot of demands for keeping their bodies and minds stimulated – so if you have the patience to train them, and you have a family that can benefit from a clownish, energetic little friend, you’re going to love the Jack Russell Terrier.
They are, however, a somewhat challenging breed to control. The Jack Russell Terrier was bred as a hunting dog, and is commonly used for that role today. There are some challenges in Jack Russell Terrier training you’ll need to address, but first, let me go into the other breed information.
Breed History – Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell Terrier breed got its name from the breeder, an Englishman fox hunter. His goal with Jack Russell Terrier training and breeding was to produce a brave, tough, fast dog that would root his quarry out of its den.
The goal of making an effective work dog have, over the years, been more important to Jack Russell Terrier breeders than creating a standard appearance. So, there is a lot of variety in the Jack Russell Terrier breed.
This priority prevented the Jack Russell Terrier from gaining recognition by the American Kennel Club, which demands standardization. The breeders continue to favor the working traits, and refuse to dilute that quality for the sake of appearance. The community for Jack Russell Terrier aficionados split, naming a new breed the “Parson Russell Terrier” and breeding those dogs for acceptance. To this day, a litter of puppies will contain some Jack Russell Terriers and some Parson Russell Terriers, depending on which dogs fit the AKC’s expectations.
Appearance – Jack Russell Terrier
The coat of a Jack Russell Terrier is mainly white with patches of black, brown or tan. The coat can be either smooth or rough, with the smoother coat requiring less maintenance. However, both types of coat require regular brushing. The rougher-coat version of the Jack Russell Terrier requires more intensive maintenance due to the coarse hairs not falling out once they die. There is also a third type, which has a mix of the two styles of coat, called a broken coat Jack Russell Terrier.
Physically, the Jack Russell Terrier is built just like you would expect for a fox-hunting dog. He is slender and nimble, with strong haunches for running, and a short tail.
Fully-grown, a Jack Russell Terrier stands about a foot tall, give or take a couple of inches. His muscular body weighs around 16 pounds.
Social Temperament – Jack Russell Terrier
There’s no question that Jack Russell Terriers are excellent family dogs; however, everything that is true about Terriers in general, is more true with the Jack Russell Terrier. Jack Russell Terrier training requires a strong emphasis on earning the respect and keeping the alpha position, without doing so in a way that brings out the dormant aggressive tendencies of the breed. That said, a Jack Russell Terrier will be a loyal friend who bonds closely with his human pack, will be affectionate, and is good with older children once properly socialized.
The willful and independent nature of Jack Russell Terriers can make them a problem in a household where you already have other dogs. The Jack Russell Terrier will probably try to gain the alpha position among the other dogs in your family. Regardless of whether you have other dogs, you need to make sure that both the breeder and your family provide all the necessary puppy socialization training. If you do have other dogs, please read my article about dog-to-dog aggression in order to learn how to prevent or reverse that behavior problem. Jack Russell Terriers can also become prone to dog food aggression, aka canine possession aggression.
Jack Russell Terriers require a great deal of exercise. Without this, it is very likely that behavior problems will arise. Like most hunting dogs, a Jack Russell Terrier must be trained to respond to the “come” command and the “heel” command, and must be carefully protected from the risk of jumping over the fence.
A Jack Russell Terrier will automatically appoint himself the duty of watchdog.
Unique Health Problems – Jack Russell Terrier
Bred well and properly cared for, the Jack Russell Terrier lifespan is about 15 active years. Because there are quite a few health problems that Jack Russell Terriers can inherit from their parents, it’s very important to purchase your Jack Russell Terrier from a reputable dog breeder.
The hereditary health problems you’ll want to know about are:
- Cerebellar Ataxia, a hereditary brain disorder similar to, but much worse than, epilepsy.
- Lens Luxation and cataracts, both hereditary eye problems.
- Patellar Luxation, a sometimes-hereditary leg problem that comes and goes, requiring surgery to prevent arthritis and further damage.
- Hereditary deafness.
- Repeated seizures.
In addition, they suffer the same vulnerabilities as any other dog: risks of obesity, tooth decay, skin allergies and, skin and ear infections.
Jack Russell Terrier Training
The Jack Russell Terrier breed has a mix of good and bad traits which affect his trainability. On the one hand, he is very intelligent and quick to learn, but on the other hand he is very willful and can tend to attempt dominance over his human master. With the correct training steps, a Jack Russell Terrier will be a perfectly obedient dog.
If you are not certain about your commitment to take the correct training steps of obedience training, puppy socialization, and preventing behavior problems, then a Jack Russell Terrier is not for you. Owners of Jack Russell Terriers do need to read several articles about behavior problems, and need to work in advance to prevent them, rather than waiting to see what comes up. The Jack Russell Terrier training process is greatly aided by sending your puppy to a good dog training school or Puppy Kindergarten.
Crate training is not only useful, but is actually essential when training a Jack Russell Terrier. This breed of dog expects to have his own den, and crate training helps any dog learn how to control himself.
Final Words about Jack Russell Terriers
Any family who knows what they’re getting into when they buy a Jack Russell Terrier puppy and is up to the challenge, will be greatly rewarded for the effort.
However, you don’t want a Jack Russell Terrier if you live in an apartment or live alone and must go to work each day. It’s simply not possible, not even with the best Jack Russell Terrier training, to eliminate the past tendencies which make indoor, lonely lifestyles wholly inappropriate for this breed of dog. Jack Russell Terriers are prone to separation anxiety, which is sure to arise in those environments. Also, families with young children should not get a Jack Russell Terrier, because the dog can become aggressive.
In short, if you aren’t familiar with the breed and not well-practiced in training dogs, then you should not get a Jack Russell Terrier. On the other hand, if you are experienced enough to commit to the Jack Russell Terrier training process, if you live in a rural area or at least have a good-sized yard, and you want a dog with a great deal of potential for learning and working, then a Jack Russell Terrier is an excellent choice.
Learn about how to train a dog at home, or read about other popular dog breeds.