All About Jacks – Jack Russell Terriers

 

Jack Russell Terriers (or JRTs as they are known in various breeding circles) are extremely popular dogs. You see them in Television shows, like “Frasier”, and many, many commercials. The history of Jack Russell Terriers takes many turns, but the original use of the breed was as a hunting dog, with some dominance for chasing foxes. Jack Russells were also know to be used to hunt other hunting prizes, like rabbits and badgers.(My Jack Russell Terrier, Bogey, is particularly good at hunting mice!)

Jack Russell Terriers – Background

Jack Russell Terriers are primarily white dogs, with black and/or brown/tan markings. The “ideal” Jack Russell Terrier has a small color marking near the base of its tail. The Parson Russel Terrier, named after John Parson, who bred this line of terriers in England in the 1800s, was extremely fond of this small white dog with a patch of color near the tail.

Jack Russell Terriers Personality

Jack Russell Terriers are very energetic dogs and may require a lot of exercise. Of course that can depend on whether you live in a condo in the city or out in the countryside where these dogs were bred to hunt.

There are typically two types of coats for the Jack Russell: the rough coat and smooth coat. As with most dogs, Jack Russell Terriers shed hair, so you should take care of them and brush them on a regular basis. Don’t let this small dog fool you, they are not well suited for a small apartment due to its small size. With the Jack Russell’s energy, they can run laps inside smaller homes. Your Jack Russell Terriers warrant plenty of exercise, and because they are so smart, they need plenty of stimulation of their minds as well.

Jack Russell Terriers can be known to have a bold character with many owners describing them as being a little devilish at times. Some of the common behavioral issues that arise with Jack Russells are aggression, especially guarding, some barking, jumping on people, hyperactive and like many small dogs, digging.

However, most of these issues arise because owner’s simply do not know how to properly train their Jack Russell Terriers. I have always said about JRTs, if you don’t train your Jack Russell Terrier, your Jack will train you!!

Don’t confuse pampering your Jack too much and treat it like child. You have to establish yourself and your family members as Alpha dogs in your household. Otherwise, the Jack Russell may lose respect for its owner and other members of the household.

Jack Russell Terriers are extremely loyal dogs and can become very attached to one person within the household. On the contrary, they can be territorial and bark at strangers (which makes them excellent guard dogs.)

Jack Russell Terriers are one of the smartest breeds of dogs, especially in the small dogs class. They are very fast learners, and they can learn many, many tricks, as seen in television shows and commercials. One famous Jack even has his own television show, and there’s even a Jack Russell that can paint art works, and another that can surf! (and I don’t mean the Internet).

Of course, there is so much more to this wonderful animal besides the beautiful white coat, short tail, and a lot of information has been written on this breed by many experts and other Jack Russell Terrier owners. We encourage to learn more information if you are considering becoming an owner of this breed of dog. JRTs will love you forever with just the right amount of exercise, and try to find time in your household to exercise their minds with some training of tricks – they love to perform!

We welcome you to All About Jacks, and we hope that you enjoy reading more about Jack Russell Terriers throughout our website. The uniqueness of this breed, its behavior, and especially its intelligence (which is often underestimated), tend to make this terrier’s breed one of the most wanted varieties of terrier, and it will earn your love and praise. If you love and reward your Jack Russell Terrier, their loyalty and love will be more than rewarding for you as its owner.

There is a lot more information here, and make sure you look at the Jack Russell Terrier pictures, and vote on which ones are the cutest! Who knows, you may join the club of owners of this wonderful breed of Jack Russell Terriers.