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Jack Russell Terriers are happy, energetic, and inquisitive little dogs with a bold and confident demeanor. These tenacious pups can make fantastic family pets for the right family. If you’re weighing the pros and cons of adopting a Jack Russell, you’re probably also curious about their average lifespan. If you decide to welcome one into your home, you can expect to receive a solid 12 to 14 years of love and companionship.
Read on to learn more about the average lifespan of the Jack Russell Terrier, including how to care for them to give them the best shot at a long and healthy life.
Jack Russell Terrier Average Lifespan
Jack Russell Terriers generally live to be between 12 and 14 years of age. They are a fairly long-lived dog breed, with some living far beyond that 14-year mark. While they’re typically healthy—especially when compared to other breeds—the Jack Russell may be prone to some health conditions that can impact their longevity, such as heart disease and neurological disorders.
How to Care for Your Jack Russell Terrier for a Long Lifespan?
Feeding & Diet
Healthy Jack Russell Terriers don’t require a specific diet, so long as what you’re feeding them is complete, balanced, and formulated for their life stage.
Feeding appropriate portion sizes is also essential for ensuring your pup lives a healthy and long life. Since they’re smaller dogs, Jack Russell Terriers can easily become overweight, which can impact their ability to be physically active, putting them at further risk of weight-related issues. If you’re not sure how much to feed your pup, follow the guidelines on their food packaging or speak to your veterinarian.
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Environment
Happy dogs are healthier as they’re not under undue stress or in constant anxiety. To increase your pup’s happiness, you need to adjust your environment to be as dog-friendly as possible.
Jack Russell Terriers are very adaptable dogs. They can live happily in a multitude of settings. They make excellent farm dogs and can adapt well to city and apartment life so long as their exercise needs are being met.
Regardless of what type of dwelling you live in, your home should be safe and hazard-free. Jack Russells are very active and curious dogs, and they can get into a bit of trouble when they start exploring. Lock up poisonous cleaning chemicals, medications, and toxic foods.
This breed bonds closely with their humans and may develop separation anxiety if separated from their owners for too long. There are a lot of things you can do to help your pup if they develop anxiety when separated from you.
Care
Caring for your Jack Russell Terrier includes ensuring that you’re meeting their mental and physical needs.
Jack Russel Terriers may be small, but they have high energy needs. For this reason, they do best in an environment that prioritizes physical activity. If not provided with an outlet for their excess energy, these pups can turn to problematic behaviors such as digging or excessive barking. Pent-up energy can also lead to anxiety.
Jack Russells thrive in environments where their owners are always on the lookout for exciting things for them to do. They enjoy having their minds challenged and can do well with agility training, obedience training, and dog sports like flyball.
Pairing/Breeding
If you plan on breeding Jack Russell Terriers, we highly recommend doing some research before going down that road. There are many risks involved with breeding, some of which can cost your dog their life. Breeding is not for beginners, as it is tough to do right and easy to do wrong.
If you decide to go ahead, you should have your breeding pair health tested. According to the American Kennel Club, Jack Russell Terriers should have the following testing done before breeding:
- Patella evaluation
- BAER testing
- Primary lens luxation DNA test
- Ophthalmologist evaluation
Healthcare
Healthcare is an absolute non-negotiable when it comes to extending the lifespan of our pets. It’s a good idea to choose a veterinarian when your pup is young and if possible stick with them throughout their lives.
Jack Russel Terriers are relatively healthy and have long lifespans. However, they can still be prone to several health conditions, including patellar luxation, eye diseases, and heart conditions like cardiomyopathy. You should keep up with annual veterinary wellness exams so your vet can establish a baseline for your pup’s health and catch developing health issues before they get out of hand.
The Life Stages of a Jack Russell Terrier
Puppy
Jack Russell Terrier puppies grow quickly in the first eight months, and most are fully grown by the time they celebrate their first birthday. However, some may continue to gain weight until they’re 18 months old.
Young Adult
Jack Russell Terriers are considered young adults until they’re around three to four years of age. This is the stage in which their physical and social maturation will be complete.
Mature Adult
Dogs enter the mature adult stage from three to four years of age until the last 25% of their estimated lifespan. In the case of Jack Russell Terriers, they’ll enter this life stage when they’re around 9 to 10.5 years old.
Senior
Dogs are considered seniors once they’ve reached the last 25% of their estimated lifespan. For Jack Russell Terriers, anything after that 9 to 10.5-year mark would be regarded as their golden years.
How to Tell Your Jack Russell Terrier Age
It’s impossible to know your pup’s exact age if your breeder or adoption agency didn’t provide you with your Jack Russell Terrier’s birthday. However, some physical and behavioral clues can give insight into the age of your pup.
- Teeth. Puppy teeth are smaller, thinner, and sharper than adult teeth, which tend to be larger and thicker. Dogs with tooth staining, gum inflammation, and tartar will be older as these conditions become more of a problem as pups age.
- Coat. Dogs can begin to go gray like humans. Age-related graying is most noticeable on their muzzle, paws, and around their eyes.
- Eyes. Older dogs may develop cloudy or blue tints to their eyes.
- Sense changes. As dogs age, they can begin to lose their eyesight and hearing.
- Mobility changes. Senior dogs can lose mobility due to conditions like arthritis.
Conclusion
Life expectancy is often a critical deciding factor when choosing which breed to adopt. Thankfully, Jack Russell Terriers live pretty long lives, typically between 12 and 14 years. With proper nutrition, exercise, care, and veterinary visits, Jack Russell’s can provide many healthy and happy years of love and companionship for their humans.
Also see:
- Jack Russell Terrier Facts: All About This Dynamic Dog Breed (Vet-Reviewed)
- What Were Jack Russell Terriers Bred For? History, Traits & Characteristics
Featured Image Credit: Lazy_Bear, Shutterstock
Hi Everyone…
I just want to say my two Jack Russels were born in 2009 Smartie and Jacko. Smartt
e died 1 years ago and Jaco lived a healthy life up to yesterday the 13 January 2025 at the age of 16. I loved them with all my heart and very sad to have said goodbye to Jacko yesterday My two little bright happy Jack Russels!!!
Hi Charmaine, thank you for sharing your story with us. I'm so sorry to hear about your recent loss! I bet you made some wonderful memories with Jacko and Smartie over all of those years. They were clearly well-loved, and I'm sure they loved you just as much every second of their lives.