Wednesday

Picking your Jack Russell Terrier

Jack Russell Terriers are essentially hunting dogs and may not be meant for everyone. Here are a few pointers to go over when choosing one:

Step 1
Jack Russells are essentially smart, loyal and energetic dogs, thus making them great watchdogs

Step 2
Keep in mind that while they may be easy to train, their attention spans are short. Training them requires consistency and a whole lot of patience

Step 3
Consider another dog if you have children. Jacks cannot tolerate rough treatment and are not advised for families with children under the age of 10

Step 4
Be exclusive with your Jack, making it the only one in your family. They can be very aggressive around other dogs, even those much larger than themselves. They may refuse to share food or playthings among other stuff

Step 5
Jack Russells may grow to stand at 10 to 14 inches at the shoulder and may weigh between 15 to 18 pounds, although there are other varieties of Jacks

Step 6
Jacks are very intelligent, bold and have virtually no sense of their small stature. Think of them as a 130 pound dog in a miniature sized body

Step 7
It may cost you somewhere between $400 and $800 for a good-quality Jack from a good breeder

Step 8
An alternative would be to adopt one from a nearby rescue group. Most of them are housebroken and have already grown pass the chewing stage. There is usually nothing wrong with the dogs, mostly the owners simply decided that they were incompatible with the family

Step 9
Be prepared to pay a lot of attention to them as they are very active. Jacks are usually too active for their owners and that is why most of them end up in the shelter in the first place

Step 10
Jack Russells are expected to live for a full 15 years, so be prepared for a long term arrangement

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