Jack Russell Terrier puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Jack Russell Terrier puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get it socialised before the vaccination course finishes. It will still need four meals a day. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Luxating patellas, kneecaps slipping temporarily out of place
• Primary lens luxation, a painful condition which causes blindness
• Late onset ataxia and spinocerebellar ataxia, neither of which has a treatment
• Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

From Jack Russell Terrier breed information at https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/small-dogs/jack-russell-terrier. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Jack Russell Terrier puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Jack Russell Terrier.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 4 to 6 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other small breeds

Previous: Havanese · Next: Labrador Retriever