- White must predominate with black and/or tan markings.
- The tan markings can be from the lightest tan to the richest tan (chestnut)
About the Jack Russell Terrier
Origin: Great Britain
- Typical life span
- 12-14 years
- Size
- Small — from its typical weight
- Weight
- 6-8 kg
- Height
- 25-30 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Terriers
- Origin
- Great Britain
- Also called
- Terrier Jack Russell
- Known hereditary risks
- 3 documented conditions, with the test for each
About
What is a Jack Russell Terrier?
Small, energetic earth-working terrier with a predominantly white coat and sturdy build, known for its bold, athletic nature and lively temperament, originally bred for fox hunting
Jack Russell Terrier history and origins
Developed in southern England during the mid-1800s by Reverend John Russell for fox hunting, bred to bolt foxes from dens. The shorter-legged variety standard was primarily developed in Australia.
Jack Russell Terrier appearance and size
Typically 6-8 kg and 25-30 cm at the shoulder — published as one range rather than separately for males and females.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- A good working Terrier with ability to go to ground. An excellent companion dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“A lively, alert and active Terrier with a keen, intelligent expression. Bold and fearless, friendly but quietly confident”
Quoted from FCI standard n°345. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Small
- Exercise needs
- —
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- —
- Grooming needs
- 3 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- 3 conditions documented
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Jack Russell Terrier
What you get with the Jack Russell Terrier
- Purpose stated in the standard: “A good working Terrier with ability to go to ground. An excellent companion dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “A lively, alert and active Terrier with a keen, intelligent expression”
What you are taking on
- 3 serious inherited conditions are documented, mainly in brain & nerves and eyes. The health guide tab has the test to ask for on each.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory — Primary Lens Luxation. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Jack Russell Terrier
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
May be smooth, broken or rough.
Must be weatherproof.
Coats should not be altered (stripped out) to appear smooth or broken
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°345 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Ideal Height at the withers: 25 cms to 30 cms. Weight: Being the equivalent of 1 kg to each 5 cms in height, i.e. a 25 cms high dog should weigh approximately 5 kgs and a 30 cms high dog should weigh 6 kgs”
- FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.
Quoted from FCI standard n°345. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Jack Russell Terrier in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
Health & screening guide for the Jack Russell Terrier
Known hereditary risks for the Jack Russell Terrier breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
3 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Brain & nerves
Spinocerebellar ataxia with myokymia and/or seizures
Serious
A juvenile-onset neurological disease (KCNJ10 gene) causing progressive incoordination from as young as 2 months old, often with muscle twitching (myokymia) and seizure-like episodes; affected dogs are usually euthanised before 3 to 4 years old because of declining quality of life. Documented directly in Jack Russell Terriers, not inferred from a related breed.
What to ask for
DNA test result for the KCNJ10 mutation on both parents, sold as 'spinocerebellar ataxia, terrier type' by Paw Print Genetics/Orivet, Laboklin, Canine Genetic Testing (CAGT) and others.
Eyes
Primary lens luxation (PLL)
Serious
The lens of the eye detaches from its normal supporting fibres, usually between 3 and 8 years old; it is painful, can cause secondary glaucoma, and is usually treated as a same-day surgical emergency. The causative ADAMTS17 mutation was first identified in this breed (together with the Lancashire Heeler and Miniature Bull Terrier).
What to ask for
DNA test result for the ADAMTS17 primary lens luxation mutation on both parents — part of the UK Kennel Club's official testing scheme, and also offered by UC Davis VGL, Laboklin and other laboratories.
Hearing
Congenital sensorineural deafness
Serious
Deafness present from birth in one or both ears, associated with the breed's predominantly white coat pattern; it does not progress or improve and has no treatment. The parent club treats it as a genetic issue to be bred away from, not an individual misfortune.
What to ask for
Not a DNA test — a BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) hearing-test result on the individual dog, performed after 5 weeks of age, per the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America's protocol. Ask whether the breeding stock and the litter itself were BAER tested.
How long the Jack Russell Terrier lives, in the records
Median survival 13.3 years
95% confidence interval 13.2–13.3 years, from 13,497 recorded deaths among 19,177 dogs
Mortality hazard 0.79 (0.77, 0.8) relative to crossbred dogs, whose median is 12.0 years.
Measured in the United Kingdom from 584,734 dogs. Median survival is not a prediction for an individual dog.
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., Upjohn, M.M., Casey, R.A. & Christley, R.M. (2024) Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531.
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Puppies
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