How to Care for a Jack Russell Terrier

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Nancy Frensley. I'm the training manager at the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society, in Berkeley, California. We're going to talk today a little bit about caring for Jack Russell terriers. Now Jack Russell, the Jack Russell terrier was recently officially renamed the Parson Russell terrier, so don't get them confused. They're pretty much the same thing. But most of the time when we're referring to them as pets we talk, we talk about them as little Jacks. These are a working terrier. They have been bred for many, many centuries to hunt down rodents and vermin in gardens. Before mod modern gardening the only thing you had to keep keep everything from eating your garden was your little terrier, so the little terrier is very rambunctious, and they go after just about anything that moves. They don't mean to be aggressive as a rule, but they can be very, very predatory. One of the things you'll notice about your Jack Russell is that they have really gigantic teeth for the size of their face, and that's, in part, because they are bred to hunt down and take care of vermin in your garden, so the Jack Russell needs a job. They make great agility dogs; they make wonderful trick dogs. They're going to need lots of exercise, lots of mental stimulation. Your Jack Russell, or Parson Russell, whichever you happen to call it, is going to be a delight to have if you're an active person, but they'll make you crazy if you're not."