Eight top facts about the Jack Russell terrier

The Jack Russell terrier is probably the most popular of all of the terrier breeds in the UK, and these small, plucky little dogs are very intelligent, versatile and lively.

This makes them popular with people from all walks of life, from busy families with young children to retired couples to people who keep working dogs, and the Jack Russell is versatile enough to fit into either family life, or busy working roles.

However, just because the Jack Russell terrier is a small, generally friendly little dog that is both bold and outgoing, people often overlook how challenging they can be to own! While they are small and cute looking, they are very bold and can be prone to dominance, and so they need a firm, confident handler who can handle their temperaments and keep them in check!

Whether you already own a Jack Russell or are considering buying one, this article will share some top facts and interesting information about the Jack Russell terrier, which you might not already know about. Read on to learn more.

They can vary considerably in appearance

When it comes to dog breeds, generally all of the dogs of the breed will have a fairly uniform appearance in terms of their height, shape and build, with the only really noticeable differences between them being in the colours.

However the Jack Russell’s appearance can vary quite a lot from dog to dog, in terms of their height, colours, patterns, coat types and even whether or not their ears stand up or lie down!

There are several variants

As well as the Jack Russell, there are also a couple of other breeds that are closely related to them and that share their origins; the Parson Russell terrier, and the Russell terrier too. All three of these breeds were designed to be versatile, intelligent working dog breeds, and tend to be quite similar in terms of their appearances and temperaments too.

They have three different coat types

It is quite unusual for a dog breed to display two different types of coat variations within the breed standard, and often, different coat types in otherwise similar dogs dictate different breeds-such as is the case with the flat coated retriever and the curly coated retriever.

But the Jack Russell’s coat can be found in a total of three different coat type variants-rough, smooth or broken. A rough coat is wiry and wavy, while a smooth coat is thin, short and smooth; and a broken coat is a mixture between the two types.

They can keep up with even the largest of dog breeds

While the Jack Russell may be small, they pack a lot of energy, intelligence and feistiness into their little bodies, and they won’t be put off or faced down by even much larger dogs! In dog parks, you will always see the Jack Russell in the thick of it keeping up with the largest, fastest and most boisterous dogs, and they will not be put in their place by a larger, more dominant dog either!

They are prone to sunburn

Because many Jack Russells have a lot of thin white fur, pink skin and pale noses, they tend to be prone to catching the sun, and even developing sun burn in hot weather. This means that you should take extra care to keep them protected from the sun and even apply sunscreen or cover ups when the weather is really hot!

They are great at agility

While the Jack Russell is small, they are very athletic and energetic and love to have things to do. They need plenty of stimulation, both mental and physical, and are really good at a wide range of canine sports such as agility, being one of the most common small breeds of dog seen in competition.

They are excellent hunters

When it comes to hunting instincts and being able to follow through on the kill, few dogs can beat the Jack Russell. They naturally have a very strong prey drive as well as lots of energy, enthusiasm and tenacity, and once they start trailing or hunting a smaller animal, it is virtually impossible to stop them.

This means that they can be a threat to smaller pets such as cats and rodents, and Jack Russell owners must take care to keep other animals safe.

The entire breed was created by one man

Finally, while the Jack Russell is one of the most widespread, popular and easy to recognise breeds worldwide today, the creation of the breed itself is one that has a very well-known and recorded history. Both the Jack Russell and the Parson Russell terrier breeds were created by one man-Parson John (Jack) Russell, who was born in the late 1700’s, and deliberately developed the breed as a versatile working dog, which remains one of the most popular dog breeds in the UK and worldwide today!