JRTCA Breeders

The Jack Russell Terrier Club of America (JRTA) has one of the most unique registries in the world. It was set up by founder Alisia Crawford in 1976 specifically to protect the working terrier from genetic faults and structural characteristics that would be detrimental to the breed’s working ability and mental and physical health.

Unlike other registries, such as the American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club, which register entire litters at birth, each application for registration for a Jack Russell Terrier is considered on the merits of each individual dog when she is 1 year old. That means just because a dog comes from registered parents does not mean she will be registered. A dog at 1 year must be examined by a veterinarian, and the doctor must note any obvious defects on a form submitted with the registration application.


Inbreeding is highly discouraged. Father to daughter, mother to son, and brother to sister matings are strictly prohibited, because inbreeding and line breeding can lead to increased risk of serious heritable diseases and traits. These defects would be detrimental to the future health of the working JRT.

A breeder who is a signatory of the JRTCA’s Code of Ethics has contracted to uphold the club’s high standards of conduct. Everything in the Code of Ethics is there to protect the dog and the well-being of the breed. All breeding stock must be registered and kept under clean and sanitary conditions. The puppies are
required to be with their littermates and dam until they are at least 8 weeks old.

A reputable breeder, who is a caring guardian of the future and soundness of the breed, will be more apt to produce sound, healthy puppies. By selecting a soundly bred dog, you can better be protected from the later heartache of discovering your dog has serious health problems that could have been prevented
by careful and thoughtful breeding.

How do you find a reputable breeder? The first step is to get in touch with as many breeders as possible in your area and arrange a visit for the whole family. The Jack Russell Terrier Club of America has breeder referral resources. If you have friends or neighbors who have healthy, well-behaved JRTs, you might want to ask them who the breeder was. You can also attend JRTCA events to meet Jack Russell breeders.