The Jack Russell Terrier is a relatively small dog. His bodily proportions present a compact and well-developed, sturdy dog. They weigh roughly 16 pounds and can stand up to 15 inches in height.
Jack Russell Terriers in cities and apartments
Many dog lovers are overwhelmed by the habits of Jack Russell Terriers and misinterpret their hunting nature with bad habits. First and foremost, apartment life is not suited for Jacks.
Jacks may be small but they pack a punch. They are talented hunting dogs with good tracking, hunting and problem solving skills. These canines are mainly country dogs, they don’t change their instincts as they adapt to apartment life.
They need ridiculous amounts of attention, exercise and just plain running around. Their nature compels them to be aggressive towards small animals such as cats, guinea pigs and so on. It’s not a good idea to leave them unattended adjacent to any other animals.
They are even aggressive towards their own kind and can actually fight to the death. If you’re ever thinking about owning more than one Jack Russell Terrier you will need extra careful preparation.
Exercise and daily walks for Jack Russell Terriers
Bold and brave, they never have second thoughts about anything and for this reason exercise needs to be carefully controlled. Even in the most remote locations leaving Jacks on their own can produce unexpected results.
They follow any scent they pick up to the ends of the earth, so to speak. What I mean is that they’re not afraid of any den or burrow and will literally go to ground after their game.
Jack Russell Terriers are fiercely independent and require a strong hand to handle them. They are not good dogs for inexperienced owners. Even a yard will not suffice in keeping the dog under control since they love to dig and can also jump very high.
As for exercise requirements they need plenty of it. Apart from a long daily walk they also need toys and the like in order to satisfy their hunting instincts. It’s very important to let them kill a sock every once in a while otherwise they might start to be headstrong and can become distructive.
Always keep them on a leash whenever you’re out because they are very fast and can quickly drift off and you know you won’t catch them easily. Also if you are going to leave him alone in an apartment make sure you go out with him beforehand as well as immediately after you’re back from work.
Jack Russell Terriers in the family
They don’t tolerate much teasing so boisterous children will find him hard to deal with. However they respect well-mannered people and they are quite gentle in nature. Apart from when they’re hunting you’ll find that they bond quite well and are surprisingly well-behaved.
Jacks are intelligent canines who learn fast and don’t go along with stupid schedules or activities. They are lively and clever because they were bred to be. However like most hunting dogs they cherish their owners and love human interaction.
The Jack Russell Terrier is a special, unique breed. He was raised to hunt and has been purposefully kept clever and energetic in order to meet the demands of a working dog. Overall they are not very good dogs for new owners or for inexperienced handlers. They can adapt ok to apartment life but require special conditions to do so.