Do Jack Russells shed?

Yes, they shed a lot. The broken-coated type of Jack Russell also requires professional grooming in order to keep his coat looking tidy.

What kind of coats do Jack Russells have?
This depends on the breed standard of each of the two Jack Russell Terrier clubs. The Parson Russell Terrier Association of America (PRTAA) recognizes a smooth-coated and a broken-coated Jack Russell. The PRTAA describes the smooth coat as coarse and waterproof, and flat but hard while being dense and abundant. The club describes the broken coat as a double coat that is coarse and waterproof, with a short, dense undercoat covered with a harsh, straight, tight “jacket” (the area covering the upper back and rib cage) that lies flat and close to the body and legs of the dog.

The Jack Russell Terrier Club of America ( JRTCA) also recognizes a smooth coat, and describes it as smooth without being so sparse as not to provide a certain amount of protection from the elements and undergrowth (brush). They also recognize a rough or broken coat, and describe
it as rough without being wooly.

What is a breed standard?
Each Jack Russell club has a blueprint of what a perfect Jack Russell Terrier should look like. Of course there is no such thing as a perfect Jack Russell or a perfect anything, but the standard provides something for breeders to shoot for.

The breed standard is used in dog shows to help the judge determine if the dog he or she is judging is a good example of the breed. A judge will look at the part of the breed standard that describes coat, for example, and then decide if the dog in the show ring adequately fits the description in the standard for coat.

Are Jack Russells hard to house-train?

Yes, they are often very difficult to house-train. They require a lot of patience as well as positive reinforcement like food or play to convince them they should go to the bathroom outside the house and not in it. The reason for this is that they simply march to their own drummer. A Jack
Russell sees no reason to hold his urine or feces for when he’s outdoors. Why not go in the house where it’s most convenient? The fact that his owner doesn’t appreciate soiled carpeting or a pile of poop in the living room doesn’t really matter much to the typical Jack Russell Terrier.

In order to get a Jack Russell to see the wisdom of pottying outside, owners have to use a lot of rewards. Eventually, the Jack Russell will decide that going to the bathroom outdoors is more beneficial than doing it inside, because treats and/or play results when he does his business in
the yard instead of in the house. In time, going potty outdoors will simply become a habit.

How big do Jack Russells get?
Jack Russells vary a lot in size, depending on the type of Jack Russell. The smallest members of the breed stand only about 10 inches at the shoulder.

The largest Jack Russells measure around 15 inches high. Small Jack Russells can weigh as little as 10 pounds, while larger individuals reach 15 pounds.

What are the top 10 reasons people give up their Jack Russell Terriers?

1. “The dog destroys things in the house.”

2. “The dog digs up the yard.”

3. “The dog barks all the time when we’re not home.”

4. “The dog demands too much of our time and attention.”

5. “The dog is not good with our children and other pets.”

6. “The dog is disobedient and won’t listen to us.”

7. “We are moving, and can’t take the dog.”

8. “We thought we were getting a small dog who would sit on our laps, but this dog won’t sit still.”

9. “The dog goes to the bathroom in the house.”

10. “The dog keeps running away.”

Why do people have all these problems with Jack Russells?
Because they didn’t really know what kind of dog the Jack Russell was before they got one. Jacks are high-energy dogs who need a vast amount of exercise, stimulation and training. Most of the problems people have with Jack Russell Terriers are the result of poor planning on the part of
the owners and a lack of training of the dogs. People just don’t realize Jack Russells really are so active and hard to train. This breed is not for everyone. In fact, they aren’t for most people. Most Jack Russell Terriers who are abandoned or surrendered to animal shelters were given up because the owners underestimated or simply didn’t know how difficult life would be with one of these tenacious terriers.

Do Jack Russell Terriers bark very much?
Jack Russells bark when they are excited, when they are bored and when they are hunting. Seeing the mail carrier or even a kid riding a bike down the street is usually enough to set off a lot of barking in a Jack Russell. Jack Russells left alone in the house or yard with nothing to do will bark out of sheer boredom and will do it loudly and obsessively. If a Jack Russell has cornered an animal when hunting, the dog will bark at that creature out of sheer excitement.

Why do Jack Russells bark so often?
They were bred to bark whenever they cornered their prey underground to let the hunter know their location. Jack Russells still retain that strong tendency to bark, and apply this tendency to many different situations.