Trimming and Grooming Jack Russell Terrier

Regardless of the type of wool, all Jack Russell terriers need regular treatment of hair, as they are subject to constant and seasonal molting. Such procedures are somewhat different, but they have a common task - to maintain the health of the animal and its beautiful appearance.

Animals of this breed differ not only in color, but also in type of wool.

Dog breeders divide them into three main types.

• Smooth terriers have hair, tight to the skin, and a thick undercoat. According to the standard is not allowed if the lower tier of wool is soft and thin. Since this type of dog is designed for burrow hunting, its hair should protect the pet in different weather conditions.

• Have long-haired dogs hair is stiff, but only visually. To the touch they are not at all rough and rather soft. Such animals look shaggy, and they are also called wire-haired, based more on their appearance.

• Brocken - a terrier with a coat of intermediate type, very long and broken, however, it also fits to the body and does not stick out to the sides. This dog in most cases has no eyebrows and a characteristic beard.

Based on the structure of the coat in different terriers, the breed requires a full grooming, trimming and shearing, in accordance with the characteristics of each type.

Jack Russell Terrier trimming is an artificially molting procedure that is important for hard-haired representatives of the breed. In contrast to smooth-haired individuals, whose hair periodically falls out, the "stiffs" and the brokens have dead hair rods on the body. This can create a lot of problems. If, in natural conditions, animals with a lack of molting can get rid of necrotic hairs by themselves, then man should help the breed animals in this.

The need for this is determined by the following arguments:

• for an elite dog with a pedigree, the quality of wool and a neat appearance are compliance with the requirements of the standard and a “calling card” when participating in exhibitions;
• non-living hairs remaining on the body make the hunting dog's hair coat, which should be active, light and energetic;
• Excess hairs interfere with the growth of young hair and pose a threat to the health of the animal, since they impede the flow of air to the epidermis - this can cause dermatological diseases and allergies.

For the owner of the Jack Russell Terrier, it is important to know all the events that make up the grooming.

• This is trimming. - a procedure involving the plucking of old wool with a special comb (trimmer). Animals that do not take part in shows, it is enough to trim every 5–6 months, for exhibition dogs it is held much more often, as the pet's cover loses its well-groomed appearance. The terms in any case are individual for each terrier and depend on the speed of growth of the wool.

• Washing is done every 3 months., as the dog is extremely clean and rarely can get dirty on a walk, not counting the cases when its hunting instinct works. Terrier shampoos must be designed for dogs, but you should also make sure that they are suitable for your pet. You can choose from softening, hypoallergenic and nutritive means. For frequent use it is better to buy dry shampoos.

• When bathing, it is important not to dry the fur and skin of the animal, therefore, special balms are used, which additionally contribute to easy combing and they do not need to be washed off after application.

• Blow-dry It is carried out at an average temperature, after part of the moisture is absorbed when wrapping the terrier with a towel.

• The next stage is combing using a furminator and rubber brushes. By the way, the first tool is allowed to be used daily, but it should be bought specifically for small dogs with long or short hair.

• At the end, Jack Russell Terrier is usually cut: hair is removed near the genitals, eyelids on the neck and limbs, a brush on the tail. What can not be done is to cut the animal with an ordinary machine, which is capable of disrupting the structure of the hair, as a result of which the natural appearance of the wool can be lost forever.

Also when grooming, claws are clipped, and procedures such as cleaning the ears and teeth, you need to be done every 2 weeks.

Smooth-haired jacks do not give their masters a lot of trouble, especially if they live in a country house, because they moult twice a year, unlike terriers living in an apartment - they molt constantly.

For smooth-haired representatives of the breed is more suitable stripping This is a gentle procedure that allows update wool with a furmer - hairbrushes, perfectly coping with the removal of dead hair.

A puppy at 4 months can be cut with your own hands, with the first treatment it is not necessary to bathe it, in order to avoid stress. If washing is included in the plans, it is better to dry the puppy with a towel without using a hair dryer.

For work, you will need a table and a knife for stripping and thinning, as well as curved scissors. The plucking starts from the head in this order: the occipital part and the neck, then the withers, the back, the tail and the limbs. On the legs, the hair is removed to the hock. At the end, excess hairs are removed with thinning scissors.

During the haircut, special attention should be paid to:

• the neck - regrown, dangling wool is removed from its bottom;
• tail - a brush and growing eyes are cut off from it;
• groin - wool is carefully cut with scissors with blunt tips.

Long-haired Jack Russell terriers have more hard wool, however, they often shed. Therefore, the only way to process hair - trimming. To teach the dog to this procedure from 3-4 months and experienced dog breeders advise to carry out the first haircut from a professional groomer. The event is repeated every 3 months, but, at the same time, the dog's coat is regularly combed out.

Trimming features:

• pulling out hair in the direction of their growth, in order to avoid damage on the animal's body - to do this, hold the skin with one hand;
• always start trimming from the back of the head, moving along the body of the dog;
• do not grab too large strands;
• should pay attention to the uniformity and smooth transitions from short hair to long;
• an important point - the formation of a mustache, beard and general appearance of the muzzle.

How the grooming and trimming of the Jack Russell Terrier takes place, see below.