Jack Russell Terrier - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) John Russell

The origin of Jack Russell Terrier dates back to 1800s to a priest from Devon named John Russell. Mr. Russell loved a good foxhunt and his idea was to develop a perfect terrier that would be the best hunting companion.

2) Energy

If something describes the JRT the best, it is their energy level. It is incredibly high. If you are looking for a small jogging partner, Jack Russell Terrier is the best bet. Despite their small sizes, they are not happiest in small apartments. They prefer to live in a house with a yard where they can romp.

3) Three coats

Jack Russell Terrier has always a water proof coat, but there are three different coat types – the rough, broken and smooth coat. Rough coats have long hair, smooth coat have short hair. Broken coats are basicly mix of both.

4) Intelligence

JRT is a very intelligent breed with strong desire to explore everything. Thanks to their intelligence they are capable of learning a lot of different tricks, but it might be little bit challenging to keep them motivated and stimulated.

5) Jumpers

It might sound incredible, but Jack Russell Terrier can leap five times its own height. This means, that if your JRT is 12 inches tall, he can jump up to 5 feet.

6) Digging

They used to follow prey in their underground homes and chase them out. That is why it is not that surprising that they love digging. And if your JRT become bored, they are capable of digging up your whole backyard. You should also installe a fence, that is a few feet bellow the ground.

7) Size

This is muscular and compact dog with size between 10-15 inch which is 25-38 cm and 14 – 18 pounds which is 6 – 8 kg. their smart movement matches their keen expression

8) Sun Burn

Jack Russell Terriers are not hairless dogs, but they are still prone to sun burn. They are very sensitive due to their light colored coats. You can use a sunscreen to protect your JRT skin from damage.

9) Shedding

The bad fact about JRT is, that they are high shedding dogs. That is why you will have to brush their coat regularly to help them remove dead hair and minimize the shedding. It is important to be prepared for this before you will get your first JRT.

10) Working dogs

They were bred for foxhunting in the 19th centuries and even today they are still recognized as a working breed. Most of the hunting dogs from the past are nowadays bred as a companions. But this is not case with JRT, the kennel clubs want to remain the JRT hunting instinct.