This makes good dental care for dogs early and throughout your dog’s life even more important. Checking ears weekly, and carefully cleaning them as needed, can help prevent ear infections.Īs a small dog breed, the Jack Russell is even more prone to developing dental diseases later in life. Trimming nails once or twice monthly is usually enough to keep them from growing too long and causing issues.

In addition to coat care, you will also need to take care of your Jack Russell Terrier’s nails, ears, and teeth. Bathing is on an as-needed basis, which may be more often than you think since Jack Russells tend to be active outdoors and may get dirty often. The rough and broken coats need to be combed weekly with a brush or comb, but are kept mostly natural. A grooming glove and/or a soft round brush are good types of dog grooming brushes to have on hand. The smooth coat is short and dense and requires weekly brushing. Regardless of coat type, Jack Russells will shed moderately year-round and a little heavier as the seasons change. The Jack Russell Terrier coat comes in three different types – smooth, broken, and rough. They can also be prone to barking a lot if you don’t work with them on it, so it’s not a bad idea to train your dog to stop barking to keep it to alerts and not a nuisance. Once introduced, they tend to warm up quickly. The Jack Russell will also tend to be wary of strangers, which makes them a good watchdog, but also makes socialization early and often even more important. They can be territorial and protective, so may not be a fan of other dogs they don’t know, especially if they are not well-socialized. Although they can sometimes do well with small animals within the family that they have been raised and socialized with, they are generally not a good fit for households with prey-type animals and will still retain that urge to chase animals outside of their family. Well-socialized, they get along well with children and other dogs within the family.Īs a terrier with a hunting background, Jack Russell Terriers do have a high prey drive and an urge to chase. In fact, they are one of the most affectionate dog breeds and thrive on being near their favorite humans. The Jack Russell Terrier is a loyal and affectionate companion.

Black and white jack russell terriers