Varieties of Jack Russell Terriers

Jack Russell terriers are little dogs with bold, energetic and jovial basic dispositions. The breed hails from the United Kingdom. Three different varieties of Jack Russell terriers exist, divided by coat style. Some of these terriers have smooth coats. Others have rough coats. Others have something of a compromise between the types, known as broken coats.

Jack Russell terriers with smooth coats have uniformly short hair. Their hair is short all over their bodies, from their limbs to their backs. While these coats indeed are smooth in appearance, they're not fine and glossy in feel. They're actually rather thick. Coat maintenance for smooth Jack Russell terriers is generally easiest, according to author and canine expert D. Caroline Coile. Smooth Jack Russell terriers are often thought to shed more heavily than the other varieties, however, perhaps because they have so much hair in the first place. Their coats are closely compacted together.

Jack Russell terriers with rough coats are essentially the direct opposites of their smooth-coated buddies. Their hair is uniformly long on their bodies, and tends to have a somewhat stiff look. Routine stripping at a professional groomer is often helpful for Jack Russell terriers with this coat type, as the process gets rid of pesky loose hairs in their coats and helps them stay as tidy as ever. Their jaw hair is lengthy, which makes their faces appear furry.

When Jack Russell terriers have broken coats, they come across as fusions of the smooth and rough specimens. While they do have longer hair on some areas of their bodies, they have short hair on other areas. They often have longish hair on their tails, for example. Like the rough coats, they also have lengthy jaw hair and resulting furry faces.

Although stripping is sometimes necessary for Jack Russell terriers, their coat care requirements are, for the most part, basic and straightforward. If you have a smooth Jack Russell terrier, you can brush him two times a week using a curry comb. If you have a broken or rough Jack Russell terrier, you can brush him using a slicker brush, perhaps every other day. Jack Russell terriers across the board have rough hair that enables them to stay warmer in cold conditions. They all shed and have double coats. As far as coat color goes, Jack Russell terriers have mainly white hair with elements of black, brown, beige or beige and black.