Jack Russell Terrier Price

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When it comes to purebred dogs, many elements can influence their price. If you are currently interested in owning a dog, you might wonder about the Jack Russell Terrier’s Prices, along with their characteristics and expenses.

Jack Russell Terrier Price

The Jack Russell Terrier, or Parson Russell Terrier, is a small breed with energy and intelligence. This, along with their instincts to chase vermin, makes them very good hunting dogs. On top of that, they have a charming personality, making them great family pets.

Jack Russell terrier with brown and white coating playing on the grass field

No matter how big or small the household is, Jacks can grow connections with every person and animal they live with. Due to their hunting instincts, they might try to hunt down small pets such as hamsters, mice, birds, and others. So, if you have one, you must be careful if you want to bring a Jack into your house.

This breed is a natural explorer, they love traveling, meeting new places, smelling new things, and of course, hunting. This is a consequence of their high energy levels; if they are too bored, they can start running around vocalizing their emotions. They might even start digging.

Jack Russell Terrier Price Factors

Jack’s prices often range between $800 and $1500, depending on factors such as your location. For instance, if you are located in an area where Jacks are hard to find, they will be more expensive. On the other hand, if there are a lot of breeders in your area, they might even go below the average price.

Though, if you are searching for a show-quality purebred Jack, the prices will exceed the average. This is due to the extra care and effort breeders put into these carefully-selected puppies. In fact, some of them might even come from a family of show winners, which may also increase their prices.

Documentation

When breeders have official certificates claiming their puppies are one hundred percent pure, they are going to be more expensive. On top of that, if the breeder can demonstrate the puppies’ parents have won multiple shows and contests, they become even more expensive.

This is because, since their parents were able to win shows, their puppies can have a high chance of doing the same. Also, it proves that they are one hundred percent healthy, encouraging owners to buy them.

Pedigree

Jack puppies who own a pedigree certificate from an official kennel club are more expensive than those who don’t. After all, if the kennel club has certificated them, they are a good – and healthy – representation of the breed. This ensures the puppy will grow up and fulfill the breed’s characteristics.

Puppies who don’t have this certificate might not be a hundred percent pure, meaning they might not grow with the same characteristics. Although every dog’s personality differs, some features such as hair, color, and hunting instincts remain the same.

Therefore, if a Jack puppy doesn’t have these features, it might not be pure. Here you can see the requirements dogs need to be considered purebred.

  • A pedigree that details the puppy’s ancestry; their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on
  • A DNA test that confirms their ancestry
  • Records that show they are currently registered in a kennel club or any official registry
  • Health documentation that shows they are free of any chronic or genetic disease
  • Records that show they have been microchipped

Socialization and Training

If Jack has been properly socialized and trained, it will be more expensive than others. This training will ensure your dog doesn’t have behavior issues and gets along well with strangers and other animals. Though, no training can completely erase their hunting instincts.

If they see small vermin, they will have the impulse to hunt it. Training might help them control their impulses. However, they will still feel the urge to do it.

Reliability

If you’re contacting a top-quality breeder who has bred multiple show-winning Jacks, their prices will be higher. This is because they have built a sense of reliability regarding their puppies. This way, you can be certain your puppy is purebred and can possibly win a show.

Medical Tests

While most breeders and shelters make sure to vaccinate their puppies before selling them, some breeders make extra tests on them. This way, they ensure the puppies do not have a pre-existing medical condition before they are sold. On top of that, they can vaccinate them to prevent health problems such as heartworms.

To prove they are healthy dogs, these breeders run a complete blood count on them, along with a urinalysis and fecal and hormone tests. Naturally, all of this raises the price even higher.

Patterns

Some color patterns in Jacks are more expensive than others. Their normal colors are white, white with black, and white with tan. However, there are puppies with more than three colors in their coats, which makes them more pricey.

This is because they are very rare, which makes them difficult to find and breed. Contrary to other breeds, tricolored Jackies are recognized as official dogs by the AKC.

Jack Russell terrier with white and brown coating playing on the snow

Age

Since puppies require more attention and care, they are more expensive than older dogs. Also, many would rather have an 8-week-old puppy than a 5-year-old one. Owners often want to raise their puppies from a very young age. This creates a higher demand for pups, which increases their price.

On top of that, many believe that older dogs genuinely cannot learn new tricks. Although this is a famous saying, it is not true. While it takes longer for them to learn, old dogs can always learn. In fact, all dogs of all ages can learn.

If you still want a recently-born puppy, remember not to take them away from their mother too young. You must wait until they are at least 8 weeks old to do it. If you don’t follow this, the dog might develop behavioral issues while growing up.

History

If Jackie is famous and it has pups, those puppies are going to be more expensive than others. For instance, if a Jack who has won multiple shows and has been on TV gets pregnant and has a litter, those puppies will be expensive. This is due to the prestige built around the puppies.

Gender

The prices of most breeds are influenced by the gender of the puppy, and Jack is no exception. After all, female dogs are able to get pregnant and have pups. These can later be sold. Therefore, the owners may profit from them.

Although male dogs are needed in the process, they do not require as much care as a pregnant dog.

Jack Russell Terrier Cost of Ownership

When you buy a Jackie, you need to consider all of the expenses required to maintain this dog. Regular vet visits, booster vaccines, and additional emergency expenses are always required for this breed. All of these often cost between $500 and $600.

Also, if you want a professional trainer to train your Jackie and make it less chaotic, it can cost you $200 per hour. Next, if you want to neuter or spay your dog, you must pay between $100 to $500. However, there are organizations that do these procedures for free, so it is recommended to check about them in your area.

Finally, you need to groom them. To do this, you can either buy the grooming tools and groom them yourself or take them to a professional groomer. Tools such as brushes, nail clippers, dog scissors, dog shampoo, and dog toothpaste can cost $200. On the other hand, a professional groomer can cost over $150 per month.

Slow Feeder Bowls

Bowls are part of the small and unique expenses you must make once you buy a Jack. You will only have to buy two bowls, one for water and one for food. These often cost between $10 to $50.

Since Jacks are very energetic, they might eat too fast sometimes. To prevent this, you can buy them a bowl that prevents them from eating fast. These usually cost between $20 and $60.

Food

The food you feed your Jack is part of the monthly expenses you need to do. You can choose between dry food kibbles and raw food. Both of them are okay, though, raw food is considered to have some benefits on their gut health and teeth. Jacks are a small breed. Therefore, they don’t need much food.

If you feed them kibbles, you will expend at least $150 monthly. On the other hand, if you feed them raw food, you can spend at least $500 monthly. Also, treats are often $10 for each package, so you need to consider that as well.

Toys

As I mentioned, Jacks are very energetic, and they can be chaotic. Therefore, they need things to play with so they don’t get bored. While toys can have different prices, you can just give yourself a budget of $100 and buy all the toys you can. Remember to pick toys that involve you too.

After all, these dogs are very affectionate, and they will want to play with you. If they are ignored most of the time, they might even become depressed.

Bed and Crate

Getting your dog a place to sleep and be alone is a unique expense you need to do once you get a Jackie. Both beds and crates often cost between $50 and $200. Though, if you plan on getting your dog in a crate, remember to crate-train them before you do so.

Dog Leash Kit

A good leash, collar, and chest plate are needed for energetic dogs such as Jackies. This is because you must take them for at least two walks daily. This kit costs between $100 and $200, depending on its quality.

Grooming and Hygiene Products

If you decide to take your dog to a professional groomer every once in a while, you still need grooming products. After all, if your Jackie gets too dirty by playing outside, you will need to clean Jacks with some regular shampoo. Therefore, you will need a couple of towels, a brush, and dog shampoo. This often costs between $50 and $150.

However, you won’t need to worry about constant grooming as Jacks has a very short and hard coat. So, you only need to brush them once or twice a week.

Also, if you notice your Jack has very long nails, you need to cut Jack’s nails with a nail clipper. If not, they can get injured and start limping. Worse, their nails can get infected, putting them through a lot of discomforts.

Poop Bags

This is something all owners need to buy, no matter the breed. After all, if your dog is trained to poop outside your house, it is your responsibility to pick it up and put it in a bag. If you don’t want to touch the poop directly, you can buy a poop scooper. Both of these items sum up to less than $40.

A tri-colored Jack Russell terrier playing a small ball on the grass field

Microchip

If you want to, you can put a microchip in your Jackie once you get them. This chip allows you to identify your dog in case it gets lost. However, this chip cannot be used as a tracking device, it only works if you scan it. For instance, if your dog gets lost and someone finds it, they will scan the chip and contact you.

Health Insurance

This expense is unnecessary, though it can be helpful if you want to be prepared for any unfortunate emergencies. Yorkies’ energy and braveness can put them in dangerous situations sometimes. Therefore, getting health insurance for them can be a good idea.

On average, a regular health insurance plan costs less than $200, while a premium plan often costs over $500.

Jack Russell Terrier Characteristics

Jackies can be one of the most energetic and intelligent breeds. Also, they have a loving nature that grows higher if you spend a lot of time with them. One downside is that they can get frenetic around the house if you don’t pay attention to them. If they are bored, they can exhibit a lot of destructive behavior.

On top of that, they can be very stubborn, which makes it difficult for people to train them. This is why professionally trained Jackies are more expensive than others. In addition, they are natural hunters and love exploring new things. Hence why they often dig whenever they have a garden available.

Jackies with a strong instinct for hunting and digging are usually bought by farmers to keep vermin out of their crops. Naturally, these Jackies are more expensive than others, especially if they have been trained to hunt. Normal Jacks also have a high prey drive. Therefore, you need to supervise them a lot when they are outside.

Rarest Pattern

Some Jackies have rare patterns and colors that are more expensive than others. These characteristics are difficult to find; for instance, it is said that the chance of getting a tri-colored Jack is 1 in 50. If you consider that Jackies generally give birth to 6 puppies at a time, the chances are very low.

On top of that, people tend to choose dogs that resemble the famous Jack Russells. Since this breed has been on TV many times, people want to get one with similar color patterns. A good example of a famous Jackie is the puppy that appears in the movie My Dog Skip.

Fearless Dogs

Despite their small physique, Jackies are very brave and will pick fights against bigger dogs. This, of course, can harm them as they will probably lose a fight against these dogs hence why it is important to socialize with this breed from a very young age. Although breeders will charge extra for this, it is needed.

Although, when it comes to hunting, this fearless behavior can help them be more effective.

Intelligence

While this breed is not considered the most intelligent, they are quick learners. In fact, since they understand commands rapidly, they frequently win obedience and agility competitions. Although they might be very stubborn, once they start understanding commands, everything becomes much easier for them.

Their intelligence derives from their ability to hunt. They have a natural tracking instinct, for example, which they employ when hunting. If they use this instinct to learn tricks, their mental capacities develop, making them even smarter than they are.

Where to Get a Jack Russell Terrier

There are three common ways you can get a Jack: from a breeder, from a pet store, and a shelter. Breeders can be one of the most expensive yet safest options you can choose. After all, if you contact a respectable breeder, you can ensure you will get a healthy Jack with pedigree.

On top of that, you will be able to choose which dog you want. On the other hand, although pet stores might be somewhat cheaper, you have no way to guarantee they are healthy dogs. Unfortunately, pet stores sometimes don’t give their puppies proper care. Therefore, it can be a dangerous choice.

Lastly, you can search for a nearby shelter in your area and look for a Jackie. However, while it is not impossible, it will be difficult to find a recently-born puppy there. Also, shelter dogs often have traumas and other behavioral issues caused by their previous owners. This is why it is a great opportunity to give these puppies a second chance in life.

A tri-colored Jack Russell terrier eating a piece of bread on a grass field

Jack Russell Terrier Breeder vs Rescue

Regarding personality differences, purebred dogs don’t differ too much from rescues. However, health is one of the major elements that differentiate them. After all, breeders make sure their puppies are healthy, purebred, well-cared, and socialized. Some of them even run tests to reassure you they don’t have any chronic disease.

Regarding rescued dogs, their physical and mental health might not be the best. This is because they come from the street or abusive owners. Therefore, they probably developed traumas. However, public organizations and shelters give their best so these dogs are well-cared for before adoption.

Therefore, it all comes to your decision. If you are prepared to care for a dog who has had abusive owners in the past, you can adopt one from a shelter. If not, you can search for a respectable breeder and pick the puppy you most like. Of course, this option will cost much more money.

Related Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about the Jack Russell Terriers.

Are Jack Russell Terriers Good Pets?

Yes, Jackies are great pets for all kinds of households. However, due to the frenetic nature of this breed, it might not be the best for families with small children. Although not aggressive, they can play a bit too rough with children, making them fall and accidentally hurting them.

Are Jack Russells Smart or Dumb?

Jack’s intelligence is pretty average. However, they are quick learners due to their instincts. So when it comes to learning tricks and commands, they learn faster than the average dog. The only downside is their stubbornness, often slowing the learning process.

Do Jack Russells Bite?

No, Jackies aren’t prone to biting. They are not aggressive dogs. Therefore, they will never bite a human they feel a connection with. However, when hunting, their instincts tell them to hold down the prey, which involves biting. This is one of the only cases where Jacks can bite.

Another is when they are growing up, and are teething. When they are going through this process, they will start biting and nibbling a lot of things. During this period, it is important that they have toys they can chew. This way, they will not chew on things like tables and other pieces of furniture.

Conclusion

The Jack Russell Terrier has a lot of elements and factors that influence its price in the market. However, it can be considered an affordable breed, as its market price is not too high compared to others. Also, due to their short hair, they don’t need to be constantly groomed.