If you’re looking for a hunting companion or a small-sized family dog, Jack Russell Terrier might be the best choice. Knowing where to buy a Jack Russell Terrier will help you choose a reputable breeder or rescue that meets the industry requirements.
Quick Navigation
Where to Buy a Jack Russell Terrier
The temperament and physical attributes of a JRT make it one of the best breeds for both new and experienced dog owners. It is a popular breed with many breeders and JRT rescue centers in the United States.
In most cases, you can get the contact information of the different breeders and JRT rescues by reviewing the referral pages of reputable websites such as the American Kennel Club and the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America.
Usually, the physical appearance attributes, personality traits, and the health condition of your JRT mainly depend on where you adopt it from. Depending on your preference and budget, you can buy a JRT from one of the following places.
Breeders
A JRT breeder is an organization that specializes in mating JRT parents to produce puppies. You can know of breeders around your area by checking on online sources, asking your veterinarian, or asking your neighbor who may have adopted a JRT from a breeder.
Keeping in mind that the breeder will be running a specialized business, puppies from breeders tend to be more expensive than those from JRT rescues and general shelters. However, you will enjoy the following benefits if you adopt your dog from a reputable breeder.
It Is Possible to Get a Purebred JRT
In most cases, the breeder will carefully select the parents and have a reputable veterinarian conduct medical tests to ascertain there are no genetic or hereditary health conditions.
The breeder then keeps the documents related to the parent’s ancestry history and health condition. Usually, breeders will show you the pedigree papers to confirm you’re getting a purebred JRT puppy and whether the parents have any hereditary health conditions.
You Can Get a Healthy Puppy
Keeping in mind that the breeder only specializes in one dog breed, there are high chances the breeder will have the right dog food for the parents and puppies. Experienced breeders also know the right amount of food and the frequency of feeding their dogs.
Usually, this reduces the chances of malnourishment. Since it is a business and every breeder wants to have a healthy litter, the breeder will most likely get a veterinarian to conduct medical tests on the puppies, treat any underlying health conditions and vaccinate them on time.
You Have a Chance to Train Your Dog
Keeping in mind that JRTs are aggressive and unfriendly to strangers, it can be challenging to socialize and train an adult JRT. Unlike general animal shelters and JRT rescues, you can get a puppy as young as eight weeks old from a JRT breeder.
Although the breeder will have done some basic socialization, adopting from a breeder gives you an opportunity to train your dog the way you want. You will also have an easier time socializing your dog with your children and other pets.
You Can Access Expert Help
Most reputable JRT breeders have good experience with dogs’ nutrition, training, grooming, health, and behavior. Most breeders will also care about the state of the puppy even after you have adopted it and will be willing to help whenever necessary.
This expert help is especially important to new dog owners who don’t know how to feed, train or groom their dogs. Also, a breeder might be willing to take the puppy back in case of a health crisis, job loss, divorce, or natural disasters.
Jack Russell Terrier Rescues
JRT rescues are established facilities that provide a home for abused, abandoned, strayed, or unwanted JRTs. They are like the general animal shelters, only that they host JRTs only.
Although there are many more adults than puppies in rescue centers, you can enjoy the following training and lifestyle benefits if you adopt a dog from rescue facilities.
- You can learn the dog’s personality: Since you might be adopting an adult JRT, you’ll have a chance to learn its personality traits and sociability. Learning its character before adopting can be helpful to new dog owners who don’t know what to expect from a JRT.
- You can pick a dog that matches your lifestyle: Apart from the general temperament of a JRT, individual dogs can have unique characters and behaviors. For instance, you’ll have an opportunity to pick a dog with good vocals if you want a watchdog or one with a strong prey drive if you’re looking for a hunting companion.
- You can adopt trained dogs: Keeping in mind that most dogs in JRT rescues were previously owned, there are chances their previous owners have trained them.
General Animal Shelters
General animal shelters are like the JRT rescues, only that they host all dog breeds. Like the JRT rescues, many dogs in animal shelters are victims of a crisis. That means there are more adult JRTs than puppies in animal shelters.
Additionally, the animal shelter might not access the pedigree documents of the dog, which makes it challenging to determine whether the JRT is purebred or not. However, you can still enjoy the following temperament and behavioral benefits if you buy your JRT from an animal shelter.
- Sociability: JRTs are generally territorial, possessive, and aggressive dogs that want to dominate. Keeping in mind that JRTs in animal shelters live with other dog breeds that might be more social and friendly, you can find a JRT that is more friendly towards other pets.
- Price: The price of buying a JRT from a general animal shelter is much lower than buying from a breeder or a JRT rescue. Usually, the shelter will want you to adopt the dog to open up space for another dog that needs to be saved.
- Neutering and spaying: In most cases, animal shelters will want to control the population in their facility by ensuring their dogs are neutered and spayed. Usually, this will save you the hassle of neutering and spaying your dog after adoption.
Tips to Know You Are Buying Your JRT From a Reputable Place
Standards vary across breeders, JRT rescues, and general animal shelters. Whether buying your dog from a breeder, JRT rescue, or general animal shelter, consider the following tips to ensure you’re buying it from a good place.
- Tour the facility: Tour the facility and check the cleanliness and spaciousness of the environment. Since JRTs are hyper, a good facility should be clean with a spacious environment for the dogs to play.
- Pay attention to the terms and conditions: A good breeder or shelter should accept the dog back if you can’t stay with it.
- Registration and membership: A good breeder or shelter should be willing to show the registration documents. In most cases, a good breeder or shelter will also be a member of several JRT clubs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Know if a JRT Is Purebred Before Buying?
You can tell whether the JRT is purebred before buying by checking the coat color. Ideally, purebred JRTs are more than 51% white with tan and black patches around the tail and face area.
Can My Vet Check the Health Condition of the JRT Before I Buy It?
Yes, a good breeder or rescue should allow your veterinarian to help you determine the health condition of the JRT before you buy it. If the breeder or rescue is unwilling, it should be a red flag that you are not adopting the dog from a reputable place.
Final Thoughts
Although the temperament and personality traits of JRTs might vary from dog to dog, they mainly vary depending on where you buy the dog from. Knowing where to buy a Jack Russell Terrier will help you choose a breeder or a rescue with dogs that meet your lifestyle requirements.
