Which Jack Russell Terrier puppies should you not buy?

Black coloring is rare in Jack Russell Terriers.

But such dogs look impressive and elegant.

People who decide to buy a pet of this particular color should be aware that they may have to spend more than one month searching for such an unusual dog.

Why are black Jack Russells so rare?

And why is this color not even mentioned in the breed standard?

Let's try to figure this out.

Origin story

The first breeder of this breed, the English priest John Russell, lived in the second half of the 19th century and, like many of his compatriots, was fond of hunting and breeding hunting dogs similar to the old-type fox terriers.

Due to the fact that Russell was not interested in the exterior characteristics of his dogs and because he was aimed at breeding the ideal hunting terrier, in order to improve the quality of the stock, he often crossed his dogs with representatives of other breeds, including black individuals.

Thus, the first black Jack Russells appeared during the lifetime of the first breeder of the breed.

In the 20th century, in order to improve the fighting qualities of dogs, breeders infused them with the blood of bulldogs and crossbreeds of bulldogs and terriers, thanks to which the black color became even more entrenched at the genetic level.

Currently, black Jack Russell Terriers are still being born infrequently, but such puppies can appear in ordinary white-black or tricolor dogs.

Dog's temper

By nature, the dogs are cheerful, nimble and positive. This breed has a lot of energy. They inherited determination and independence from terriers. These qualities must be taken into account during the training period of the dog, because situations arise when the dog does not want to train and is difficult to cope with.

Therefore, professional dog trainers recommend starting training in the basics of Jack Russell training as puppies.

The Jack Russell Terrier is a relatively young, but very popular hunting dog breed. It is most popular in its homeland in Great Britain, as well as other countries of the British Isles. But these animals are even more famous and loved in Australia. The most famous on-screen representative of this species is the pet of the hero D. Carrie from the cult comedy “The Mask”.

Marriage or breed?

The following colors are allowed by the standard:

White and red.
White black.
Tricolor (white-red-black).
Pure white if the dog's nose, eyelids and lips are completely pigmented black.

In this case, white color should predominate in the color: it should be no less than 51%.

The black color is not mentioned in the standard, and therefore this color is a defect in the breed.

Expert opinion

Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich

Expert dog handler.

“The black Jack Russell terrier looks very elegant. Due to its non-standard color, such a dog involuntarily attracts the glances of passers-by who are accustomed to seeing white-red, white-black or tri-colored representatives of this breed in movies and advertising. The black dog is no different from other Jack Russells: he is the same brave and tireless lover of running and playing, and at the same time devotedly loves his owners. Black Jack Russells do not require complex care and are unpretentious in terms of feeding. They will be able to take root perfectly both in a private house and in a small city apartment.”

Types of terriers by coat color

The breed was specially bred for hunting, especially small animals living in burrows. These rather small dogs can quickly climb into animal shelters and drive them out.

Pets of this species rarely have solid dark fur.

For your information! This species was named in honor of the ardent English hunter, part-time priest D. Russell, on whose farm terriers lived. The man himself never presented them at exhibitions or other similar events.

Regardless of the species, these pets are no more than 35-40 cm tall. They have a very strong muscular body and dark almond-shaped eyes. The nose lobe of all varieties is black, but the thick and smooth fur of purebred dogs does not have a particular variety of colors. The most characteristic thing about them is their white coat with spots of various red tones. However, modern science is developing more and more different hybrids of this variety.

Black

The black Jack Russell Terrier also exists among representatives of this breed. Many consider such fur to be a defect, and this is absolutely true, because the standard of the species is considered to be a color with a predominance of white wool. However, for true lovers of the breed this is not a problem, because plain dark fur looks very elegant and beautiful.

The dark color of terriers is not always continuous throughout the pet's body. The animal's paws may have a brownish-brownish tint, and there are small pale spots on the abdomen and chest.

Note! If you don’t want to deviate from the rules and buy a purebred puppy, you can buy an animal with small black spots.

Most sought after but very rare solid fur

White

White Jack Russell Terrier is a common occurrence for dogs of this species if the fur has additional spots of a different shade. However, there are colors that are completely white. These animals look very cute and friendly, which makes it hard to believe that this type of dog is intended for hunting.

There is ongoing debate that the solid white color of terriers may be a sign of disease in the animal. Moreover, many are sure that such fur indicates that the puppy is defective. However, if the edges of the pet’s lips and eyelids are black, we can say with confidence that this is a real purebred dog.

Black and white

Black and white animals of this species can be considered a standard if the main snow-white tone dominates in the color. Typically, such dogs have pale fur with black spots on the head, near the ear, around the eyes, at the base of the tail, and on the back near the base of the neck.

There is a non-standard dark shade of fur, which was mentioned above. When the pet has a predominantly rich black coat, and only small areas of white tint on the chest and abdomen.

Brown

In contrast to small areas of red color on the main background, brown is most pronounced in representatives of this breed. Sometimes the entire head with ears and the back of the animal can be painted in this tone. In this case, the shade of brown can be light in some areas and dark, even dark brown in others.

Note! Light brown fur is considered to be red in color.

Tricolor is a very rare occurrence.

Tricolor

The tri-color color is a very rare, uncharacteristic and non-standard occurrence for Jack Russells. Real purebred dogs intended for hunting, as a rule, do not have this color. The tricolor is considered a deviation from the standard, although such animals look very impressive and beautiful.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

Black Jack Russells are small and, due to their compact size, these dogs can live both in a country house and in an apartment.
They will never refuse to run and play.
Black Jack Russells are good with children.
Extraordinarily loyal dogs: they try to accompany their owner everywhere.
Known for their intelligence and intelligence.
Caring for this dog is not difficult.
If the pet is wire-haired or has a transitional coat, then it does not shed.
The black Jack Russell's coat cleans itself.

Flaws:

The hyperactivity of such a dog may not please all people.
Left alone, he gets bored and because of this he may start chewing furniture or peeling off the wallpaper in the room.
He digs up the soil in the flower beds, and at home he turns over flower pots and tries to make holes in the floor.
The Black Jack Russell needs proper education and early socialization, without which it can grow up willful, disobedient and aggressive.
Due to its natural hunting instinct, it can be hostile towards other animals.
He knows how to cunning and manipulate his owners.
If your pet is wire-haired or has a transitional coat type, it needs trimming.

Black Jack Russells are strong and resilient: they can do sports such as agility..

Dimensions, weight and other distinctive features

Like other varieties of this breed, Black Jack Russells come in two types.:

Short-legged (height from 25 to 30 cm, weight 5-6 kg).
Long-legged (male height - from 34 to 38 cm, female height - from 31 to 35 cm, weight - approximately from 6.5 to 7.5 kg).

Their body format is stretched or rectangular, their physique is strong and proportional:

The head is in the form of a blunt wedge, the skull is wider and longer than the muzzle. The stop is quite well defined, but not sharp.
Ears can be one of two types: raised (“button”, as they are also called) and drooping.
The eyes are small, brown, and in no way protruding.
The edges of the eyelids, nose and lips are black.
The neck is moderately elongated, not thin, but not too powerful.
The withers are well defined, the back is level, the loin is not long. The chest is oval in shape, reaching the line of the elbows.
Limbs are strong and muscular. The paws are round in shape, the toes are arched.
The tail can be docked or left long.

One of three main types of wool:

Smooth, lying close to the body, with a well-defined undercoat, which, however, should not be fluffy or too thick.
The coat is longer and coarser than that of smooth-coated dogs, with one or more kinks.
The coat is coarse, but finer and softer than, for example, the wiry coat of the Wire Fox Terrier.

Color: black or black with small white spots: for example, a barely noticeable blaze on the muzzle.

If the dog's tail is docked, then its tip should be at ear level.

Life expectancy and health

Black Jack Russells are characterized by good health.

Their average lifespan is between 13 and 16 years, but Jack Russells have been known to live for 20 years or even longer .

NOTE!

Despite the fact that representatives of this breed have a hereditary predisposition to certain hereditary diseases, they rarely suffer from them.

However, you need to keep in mind that these dogs can develop genetic diseases of the eyes and musculoskeletal system.

Genetics of colors

Despite a certain distinctive appearance, Jack Russell Terriers are quite distinct from each other within their group. Animal genetics plays a big role here. According to the type of structure, their coat can be:

long and coarse, it is also called the long-haired and wire-haired variety;
short and smooth, called short-haired and smooth-haired;
Brocken - a specific type of coat between the wire-haired and smooth-haired types.

Regardless of the type of coat, all dogs of this species still belong to the same hunting breed of Russell Terriers, but they have different genetics of coat structure and color.

Note! All varieties of wool are quite dense in texture, which is due to genetics. To hunt and move quickly, you need reliable protection.

If we talk about the genetics of colors, then among the representatives of the breed it is almost impossible to find animals with multi-colored fur. This type of pet is not intended for beauty, but still in the modern world many acquire them for presentation at exhibitions. Therefore, there is a practice of breeding Jack Russells of tricolor colors.

The most dominant coat color is white. Genetics also plays here, because during hunting it is very important that owners do not shoot their pets instead of animals. The creator of these animals himself feared this, so the breed was bred on the basis of the white terrier. The remaining tones present on the dog's coat should not predominate. But these spots make the coloring more noticeable and characteristic. This may be why the red and white coat of the Jack Russell Terrier is the most recognizable of all other breeds.

Note! During a hunt, the fur coat of representatives of this type of dog quickly becomes dirty, which is dangerous for their life, because they can be accidentally shot. But here, too, genetics did not fail; thanks to its structure, dirt from smooth fur is cleaned by itself, and the fur again acquires its characteristic ideal appearance.

You can distinguish a mongrel from a purebred dog by the color of its coat.

How to choose?

Due to the fact that this color is rare, there is a high probability that a mixed breed or mongrel will be sold under the guise of a Jack Russell.

to buy a black Jack Russell puppy with documents - from a nursery or from a good breeder who is not trying to pass off a faulty breed as exclusive .

When choosing a puppy, you need to pay attention to its health and behavior.

CAREFULLY!

You should not buy a baby with signs of illness, thin or, conversely, overfed, or one whose behavior does not correspond to the breed characteristics: for example, too timid for a terrier or inactive.

But an aggressive or hyperactive puppy is also not the best choice.

A puppy with a good psyche willingly plays with his brothers and sisters, he is moderately active, playful and curious towards people.

Black Jack Russells are not common, as breeders do not specifically breed such dogs.

For this reason, finding such a pet is not so easy. But it’s better to wait until a black puppy appears in a good nursery than to buy something that only vaguely resembles a Jack Russell.

Anyone who buys a real black Jack Russell will receive a wonderful, faithful and devoted friend, who, in addition, also has a unique appearance.