The Jack Russell Terrier is a small terrier dog that originates from England. It was majorly used in fox hunting and was named after Reverend John Russell, a parson and hunting enthusiast born in England.
They have a white and tan body with a smooth, rough, or broken coat. These dogs are very energetic and usually live up to about 15 years.
Jack Russell Terriers are known to be intelligent, athletic, very amusing, and strongly devoted. Their temperament makes them ideal for families, especially those with kids over four.
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Do Jack Russell Terriers need to be groomed?
These breeds are small but are very adventurous dogs. Like children, they are filled with boundless energy and love to play outside. As a result, their grooming should be taken seriously.
Benefits of grooming your Jack Russell’s
- It makes your dog’s coat look shiny.
- Grooming keeps their coat in tip-top shape to help protect them in bad weather.
- It keeps your home cleaner. All that dirt and debris can make quite a mess.
- Helps them stay healthy. Even though Jack Russells don’t fall ill easily, grooming contributes to their overall health.
Do Jack Russell Terriers shed?
Jack Russells mostly have short hair, and they shed at a moderate pace all year round. However, shedding can worsen with skin problems or irritations. It can also worsen during season changes like spring and fall to help them adjust to the weather.
How To Groom Your Jack Russell Terriers?
These dogs are relatively low-maintenance. Yours will not require a lot of grooming to get by but putting their hygiene first is important for their appearance and well-being. This process involves:
Taking Care Of Their Fur
Depending on their coat type, Jack Russells require different grooming.
They can either be rough-coated, smooth-coated, or broken-coated (a mix of the two).
- Smooth-coated Jack dogs just need to be brushed once a week with a dog brush to remove dirt and detangle the coat.
- The ones with a rough coat are commonly called long-haired Jack Russell terriers. Hand stripping is recommended twice a year for long-haired and broken coated Jack Russell terriers.
Hand stripping involves removing dead hair and is done with a stripping knife.
It reduces shedding and gives the best look to your pup’s coat.
This hair removal method takes a lot of time. It requires expertise, so it is mostly left to a professional groomer. However, you can still do it yourself by following these simple steps:
- Brush the coat to remove tangles and dirt.
- After brushing, take the stripping knife and firmly hold it between the thumb and index finger.
- Pick some of the fur, place it between the stripping knife and thumb, then pull.
- Repeat until you’ve covered the entire coat.
Bathing
Although Jack Russells are very active, you don’t want to bathe them too often. At most, once in two or three months is recommended.
If they are noticeably dirty, smelly, or have played in a very murky environment, you should consider bathing them immediately. You can use the following tips for bathing your dog by yourself:
- Select a comfortable place for the bath. It could be a sink, bath, or the corner of your yard.
- Get a towel, dog shampoo, conditioner, loofah sponge, or brushes within arm’s reach.
- Never leave your dog unattended during baths.
- Brush your dog’s coat before bathing.
- Apply shampoo to his coat and rinse it with warm water to remove excess dirt and oils.
- Apply the shampoo again, use the sponge to scrub, and work your way across your dog’s body. Pay attention to oily areas and avoid their eyes and face.
- Rinse off thoroughly with clean water.
- Use a cloth to wash your dog’s face carefully and rinse it thoroughly.
- Dry them off with a towel first, then a dog hair dryer. Make sure to dry properly to avoid hot spots.
Too often, bathing a Jack Russell terrier puppy will cause skin irritation and worsen shedding. You might want to experiment with hypoallergenic dog shampoo or maybe try oatmeal option, since those might work well for sensitive skin.
Nail Clipping
As a component of building a good hygiene routine for your Jack Russell Terrier, you should engage in the process of clipping his nails. It is recommended that you trim your dog every 3-4 weeks with a dog nail grinder (As an owner of a Corgi, I love , it’s very quiet, has several speed settings, and my pup seems very relaxed during the procedure).
Find some good trimming tips below:
- Place everything you need within arm’s reach.
- Take a comfortable position with your dog.
- Identify the quickness of the nail and be careful to grind away from it. It is pink colored in clear-nailed dogs and blends in with the nail of darker-nailed dogs.
- Switch on the grinder, touch it to the nail for a few seconds and pull back. Grinding for too long can burn your dog.
- Grind until you see a circle in the middle of the nail in black-nailed dogs. It indicates the quick.
- Repeat the grind-and-pull-back pattern until your Jack dog’s nails are short enough.
- You can cut off excess hair from your dog’s paws with small, sharp scissors to help the paws stay clean.
Ear Cleaning
Check your dog’s ears every week or two weeks for dirt, injuries, or parasites to make sure that they do need cleaning indeed. Here are some tips on how to clean their ears;
- Take a comfortable position with your dog.
- Pour a few drops of the ear cleaning solution into their ear.
- Gently massage the ear for about twenty seconds to work the solution well.
- Take a cotton ball, reach down into his ear and wipe out any extra wax.
- Repeat this process with their other ear.
Instead of ear drops, you can use 50 % of water and 50 % of white vinegar, which work perfectly mixed together.
Use tweezers to remove ear mites or any objects stuck inside the ears because using your hands would push the object in rather than bringing it out.
Teeth Cleaning
Teeth cleaning should be done once or twice every two weeks.
You can either use a dog toothbrush and toothpaste, dog dental treats, or dog tooth wipes to clean their teeth.
Toothbrushes are easier to use than wipes, but most Jack Russells will fuss when you brush or wipe their teeth, so dental treats ultimately work best for such dogs. They contain ingredients that remove germs and plaque buildup, freshen your dog’s breath, and clean their mouth.
It’s a win-win because your pup’s mouth is clean, and you don’t go through as much stress.
It is also crucial that your Jack Russell gets regular dental checks.
Conclusion
Grooming Jack Russell Terriers from a young age enables them to get used to it as they grow. Overall grooming should be done at least twice a year.
Every second you spend doing it, you bond with your fur baby.
Jack Russells are lovely and loyal companions, and taking care of their health will help them live happily.
Thanks for the blog graphics: Canva.com
Thanks for the blog graphics: Canva.com
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