So, you think you want a Jack Russell Terrier? Let’s talk about Jack Russell Terriers as a breed. Jack Russell Terriers were developed in the 19th century to pursue fox below ground.

• They are a very active dog and need lots of exercise.
• They are incredibly bright, inquisitive and social.
• They can get along well with older children, other dogs and animals when well socialized.
• They are not known to get along well with cats as a rule, but some Jack Russell’s do get along with cats they’ve grown up with.
• They can be good watch dogs and protective of their family.
• They love a good game of ball, a walk in the park, a sleep on the couch or a cuddle by the hearth.
• They occasionally dig.
• They don’t always come when they’re called.
• They can be totally devoted companions.
• They need mental and physical stimulation to stay happy, healthy and good companions.

Jack Russell’s can be very flexible about their living situations when people spend the time with them to make them content.

• They are not the type of dog that does well when they are ignored. They love to play and have wonderful senses of humor.
• They can make wonderful pets, but they are first and foremost a natural hunter and have strong instincts to chase, hunt and kill and proudly present you with their efforts.
• They are very intelligent, but that intelligence can have drawbacks when they don’t get enough attention or if the family they are owned by doesn’t understand them.
• A fenced yard is almost a prerequisite.

Read this article for more information about what a Jack Russell can be like to have as a pet.

If you have your heart set on a puppy, there are a few things to consider and reasons an adult dog may be a better option for you than a puppy.

• Adult dogs have a much longer attention span than puppies which means they’re much quicker to train. It is a great fallacy that older dogs can not learn new tricks, older dogs can learn more quickly than puppies!
• Adult dogs already have recognizable personality traits, so you'll be able to select one who is great with children, or gets along well with other dogs, or whatever it is that your family needs to have in a new family member.

When you adopt an adult dog the bond with your rescued pal is as deep as they come. Dogs that have been uprooted from their homes, or have had difficult beginnings are just as llikely to bond completely and deeply with their new human owners as a puppy will, sometimes even more so.

While puppies are really cute, they’re only puppies for a few months. Then they become adult dogs, for better or worse.

• They are also adorable, relentless machines of destruction.
• Even a well-behaved puppy will chew on shoes, clothing, paper, remote controls, telephones, leashes, dog beds, carpeting…anything and everything.
• Cute puppies have very sharp teeth, and they are happy to use your hands, feet, nose, hair, etc, as a chew toy. Ouch!
• Needless to say, a rambunctious teething puppy and a small child do NOT make good companions!
• To keep the puppy from hurting himself, and to prevent the destructive behavior from becoming a bad habit, you will need to spend a great deal of time supervising his behavior.
• He will also need to be house broken where most adult dogs in rescue are already house broken.

When you adopt an adult dog, you are not only doing the ultimate good deed you’re getting a reward that continues to benefit you every day. The dog you adopt seems to know that he or she is a lucky animal and shows it by being more devoted and affectionate than some dogs who’ve never been through an adoption process.

• Every year, 7 million adoptable animals are put to sleep because of a lack of homes for them.
• 25% of those animals are purebreds.

There is such a huge overpopulation problem, buying a puppy from a breeder or pet store sadly contributes to this tragedy.

The Pacific Northwest Jack Russell Network Rescue and other rescue groups work very, very hard to help adult dogs find good homes.

• Our rescue is made up of a group of volunteers.
• We often keep dogs for adoption in our own homes while we assess their health and personalities.
• If a dog needs basic training, often we will provide it.
• A lot of our resources go to provide medical treatment for some of the dogs that we get in for adoption.

Our reward is successfully connecting Jack Russell Terriers with the right adoptive homes that match their personalities and needs and where they can live their lives out happily and healthily.

If you think that you have room in your home and heart for an adult Jack Russell Terrier, the first step in the process is to fill out our

• adoption application

and tell us about yourself. We cover a wide geographic area and the dogs that are in rescue change frequently. Please check back often for available dogs.