Jacks are popping up everywhere. Eddie from "Frasier," Milo from "The Mask" and Wishbone are all Jack Russell terriers. But remember that those dogs are trained and work in short segments. The Jack Russell terrier is a hunting dog and not for everyone.
Instructions
1. Choose a Jack Russell if you want a smart, loyal and energetic companion. They're good watchdogs.
2. Remember that while they're easy to train, Jacks have short attention spans. They require consistency and a great amount of patience.
3. Reconsider buying a Jack if you have children. They won't tolerate rough treatment and are a poor choice for families with kids under 10.
4. Adopt a Jack Russell only if he will be your only dog. While some puppies will do fine with a cat already established in the home, they tend to be very aggressive with other dogs, even those much larger than themselves. They won't willingly share food, toys and so forth.
5. Expect your Jack Russell to weigh between 15 and 18 lbs. and stand 10 to 14 inches at the shoulder. There are short- and long-legged varieties.
6. Keep in mind that while he looks like a small dog to you, the Jack is essentially a 130-lb. dog in a small body. These dogs are extremely intelligent, very bold and have no sense of their small stature.
7. Expect to pay between $400 and $800 for a good-quality dog.
8. Consider adopting from a rescue group. Many of these dogs are already housebroken and finished with the chewing stage. There's usually nothing wrong with the dog; the owners didn't research the breed and later discovered that they and the dog were incompatible.
9. Note that terriers require a lot of attention. This is an extremely active dog. The main reason people give up a Jack Russell is that they weren't prepared for the activity level of the breed. The second reason is that the Jack nipped at the children.
10. Be prepared to enjoy a full 15 years with your terrier, as this is the average life expectancy of a Jack Russell.
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