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Animal register · DogIn the app

Jack Russell Terrier

Russell Terrier (AKC), Jack Russell, JRT

The Jack Russell Terrier — the American Kennel Club calls it the Russell Terrier — comes from England and was developed in Australia; the FCI lists it among the small terriers. Its standard describes a strong, active, lithe working terrier of great character: lively, alert and active, bold and fearless, friendly but quietly confident. It stands 25–30 cm and weighs about 5–6 kg. Its smooth, broken or rough coat is mostly white with black and/or tan markings.

The Royal Kennel Club recommends up to an hour of exercise a day and grooming once a week; the breed sheds and usually lives over 10 years. PDSA describes clever, lively dogs that can make good family pets if trained and socialised from a young age, but are better suited to families with slightly older children; they have a very high prey drive, so smaller pets are not recommended, and they love to dig.

Available in the 12-week PetPrep Challenge (paid breed).

Updated:

Jack Russell Terrier — photo (AI)
AI-generated photo

At a glance

Size
small — The Royal Kennel Club S559
Adult weight
males 5–6 kg, females 5–6 kg — FCI S558
Daily exercise
up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S559
Brushing
once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S559
Shedding
sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S559
Lifespan
median 13.3 years — Dogs Trust S123; more than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S559

Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.

Who it suits

Good for:

Keep in mind:

  • small dog — better with older childrenS560
  • shedsS559
  • strong prey drive — may chase small petsS560

The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.

What it needs

From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.

Exercise

  • Daily exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S559

Coat and grooming

  • Coat: short — The Royal Kennel Club S559
  • Brushing: once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S559
  • Shedding: sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S559

Meals

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • 8–12 weeks: 4 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 3–6 months: 3 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 6–12 months: 2 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • Adult: at least 2 meals a day — VCA Animal Hospitals S19
  • Senior: 2–3 meals a day, smaller portions — Dogs Trust S14

Lifespan

  • Lifespan: median 13.3 years — Dogs Trust S123
  • Lifespan: more than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S559

Life stages

  • Reaches adult size at: about 8–12 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • Puppy: until about 6–9 months — AAHA S11
  • Young adult: until 3–4 years — AAHA S11
  • Senior: the last 25 % of the expected lifespan — AAHA S11

Size and weight

  • Size: small — The Royal Kennel Club S559
  • Height at the withers: males 25–30 cm, females 25–30 cm — FCI S558
  • Adult weight: males 5–6 kg, females 5–6 kg — FCI S558

Training

  • No. 46 in Stanley Coren's ranking of working and obedience intelligence. — Wikipedia S35
  • FCI standard no. 345, group 3 (terriers); origin: Great Britain. — FCI S557

Questions and answers

Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.

How much exercise does a Jack Russell Terrier need?

According to our sources, the Jack Russell Terrier needs this much exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S559.

How long does a Jack Russell Terrier live?

According to our sources, the lifespan of the Jack Russell Terrier is: median 13.3 years — Dogs Trust S123; more than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S559. The sources give different values, so each one is listed.

How big does a Jack Russell Terrier get and how much does it weigh?

Size and adult weight of the Jack Russell Terrier, according to our sources: Size: small — The Royal Kennel Club S559; Adult weight: males 5–6 kg, females 5–6 kg — FCI S558.

How much grooming does a Jack Russell Terrier need?

Coat and grooming of the Jack Russell Terrier, according to our sources: Brushing: once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S559; Shedding: sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S559; Coat: short — The Royal Kennel Club S559.

Who is the Jack Russell Terrier a good fit for?

Our sources describe the Jack Russell Terrier as a good fit for: family life — PDSA S560; first-time owners — PDSA S560; apartment living — The Royal Kennel Club S559. Keep in mind: small dog — better with older children — PDSA S560; sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S559; strong prey drive — may chase small pets — PDSA S560.

Game rules, not veterinary advice

How PetPrep simulates it

In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.

Life stageStartsMeals a dayDaily step goal
Puppyarrives at 2 months4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 21,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 6,000 from month 6
Young dogmonth 926,000 steps
Adultmonth 36 (3 years)26,000 steps
Seniormonth 120 (10 years)24,500 steps
  • Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 1 hour, so 6,000 steps a day.
  • Learns commands as fast as the mixed breed of the free plan.
  • Becomes a senior in month 120 (10 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
  • Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
  • Combing once a week.
  • Care: brushing the teeth 3 times every 7 days — a task for the child.

Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S123S559S561

Health

For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.

  • Luxating patellas, where the kneecap temporarily slips out of place, occur in the breed. — PDSA S560
  • Primary lens luxation, a painful inherited eye condition in which the lens slips out of place and which can cause blindness, occurs in the breed; a DNA test is available for breeding dogs. — PDSA S560
  • Inherited ataxias (late onset ataxia and spinocerebellar ataxia), which cause loss of balance and coordination, occur in the breed; DNA tests are available for breeding dogs. — PDSA S560
  • Legg-Perthes disease, a painful condition in which the hip joint dies and crumbles, can occur in the breed. — PDSA S560
  • Deafness in one or both ears occurs in the breed; puppies' hearing can be checked with a BAER test. — PetMD S561
  • Periodontal disease, an infection and inflammation of the gums and the tissues that hold the teeth, is a known problem in the breed. — PetMD S561

Before you buy: what to check with the breeder

Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.

For every breed

  • See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
  • The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
  • Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
  • Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
  • National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
  • Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10

Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.

Health tests of the parents for this breed

Tests the Royal Kennel Club recommends as a minimum

  • DNA test for primary lens luxation (PLL), an inherited eye disease in which the lens slips out of place — The Royal Kennel Club S559

Further tests for best practice

  • DNA test for late onset ataxia (LOA), an inherited disease that affects balance and coordination — The Royal Kennel Club S559
  • DNA test for spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), an inherited disease of the nervous system — The Royal Kennel Club S559
  • Eye examination by a veterinary eye specialist (UK: BVA/KC/ISDS scheme; for some breeds with gonioscopy) — The Royal Kennel Club S559

These lists come from the UK's Royal Kennel Club and are an orientation; national kennel clubs can set their own, stricter rules. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.

Similar breeds

Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.

Sources

Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.

  1. S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
  2. S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
  3. S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
  4. S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
  5. S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
  6. S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
  7. S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
  8. S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
  9. S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
  10. S123Dogs Trust (UK) — Life expectancy for 155 breeds and crossbred group (table of McMillan et al. 2024 data) (PDF)https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/downloads/life-expectancy-breeds-table-2024.pdf
  11. S557FCI — FCI breeds nomenclature — JACK RUSSELL TERRIER (345)https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/JACK-RUSSELL-TERRIER-345.html
  12. S558FCI — FCI-Standard N° 345 Jack Russell Terrier, English (PDF)https://fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/345g03-en.pdf
  13. S559The Royal Kennel Club — Breeds A to Z — Jack Russell Terrierhttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/terrier/jack-russell-terrier/
  14. S560PDSA — Jack Russell Terrier — breed guidehttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/small-dogs/jack-russell-terrier
  15. S561PetMD — Sarah Mouton Dowdy, MA, reviewed by Barri J. Morrison, DVM (updated May 29, 2024) — Russell Terrierhttps://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/russell-terrier
  16. K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
  17. K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
  18. K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
  19. K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
  20. K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy

PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.

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