Has your heart been stolen by a Jack Russell Terrier puppy of late and are you wondering how much it would cost to own one? Look no further as we explain everything you need to know about the cost of owning a Jack Russell Terrier.
Well, the cost of Jack Russell Terriers will depend on a wide variety of factors, including whether you are planning to buy one from a credible breeder or to adopt one.
- How Much Does a Jack Russell Terrier Cost?
- The Personality of a Jack Russell Terrier
- Factors That Determine the Cost of a Jack Russell Terrier
- Choosing the Breeder to Buy Your Jack Russell Terrier From
- Perks of Buying Your Puppy from a Professional Breeder
- Adopting a Jack Russell Terrier
- Costs Involved in Raising a Jack Russell Terrier
- Monthly Costs of a Jack Russell Terrier
- Parting Thoughts
How Much Does a Jack Russell Terrier Cost?
These adorable, charming, and feisty dogs aren’t that expensive to own and could cost you anywhere between $350 and $2,500. The cost you pay depends on whether your Jack Russell Terrier is purebred, mixed, or adopted.
The Personality of a Jack Russell Terrier
Jack Russell Terriers, developed as hunting dogs in England are known for their high energy levels. They are high-spirited, friendly, and lively.
If you aren’t an experienced pet owner, a Jack Russell Terrier could be quite a handful to deal with. They require plenty of activities and exercises owing to their hunting instinct and urge to wander.
Factors That Determine the Cost of a Jack Russell Terrier
We now know that the cost of a Jack Russell Terrier could range between $350 and $2,500; but, certain factors determine how much you’ll have to pay for your Jack Russell Terrier.
Let’s dive deep into the factors that influence the cost of a Jack Russell Terrier.
Purebred or Mixed
An important factor that would determine the cost of a Jack Russell Terrier is how they were bred. A purebred Jack Russell Terrier is going to cost you much more than a mixed one, which is generally sold at lower prices.
Credibility and Reputation of the Breeder
The single most important factor that decides the cost of a Jack Russell Terrier puppy is whether they were ethically bred by a professional breeder or not. Professional breeders invest a lot of time, energy, and money in taking care of their dogs and puppies. This is going to reflect on the prices charged by them.
Popularity
Jack Russell Terriers are affordable when compared to the other highly expensive breeds like Samoyed or Tibetan Mastiff. But if Jack Russell Terriers are popular and sought after in your location, that’s certainly going to reflect in the price charged by its breeders.
Coat Colors
If you wish to get a Jack Russell Terrier that has a unique color and markings, be prepared to pay more. Generally, people tend to prefer puppies of certain colors more, thereby increasing the demand and price for them.
Training Costs
Professional breeders often train their dogs and puppies in the best possible manner and sell them off only after making sure that they are socialized and well trained. Owning a trained dog is definitely going to be expensive, but you may not have to shell out any more money into training programs in the future.
Age
Most dog lovers prefer to get a young puppy. So the cost of buying a 3-week-old Jack Russell Terrier puppy is going to be much more than say, a 5-month-old Jack Russell Terrier puppy.
Choosing the Breeder to Buy Your Jack Russell Terrier From
Though Jack Russell Terrier isn’t a very expensive breed, the experience and credibility of the breeder play a deciding factor in the cost of the puppy. If you decide to get a Jack Russell Terrier puppy from a reputed and professional breeder, the cost could go up to anywhere between $1,000 and $2,500.
The cost seems worth it because professional breeders ensure that your puppy is healthy, has a good temperament, is properly trained, and socialized.
It’s your call to decide on whom to get your Jack Russell Terrier from, professional breeders, subpar breeders, or an adoption agency.
Perks of Buying Your Puppy from a Professional Breeder
Though you have to pay more for a puppy from a professional breeder, it also comes with its benefits.
Let’s have a look at the advantages of buying your Jack Russel Terrier from a reputed professional breeder.
Provides Lifetime Support
If you buy a cute, but cheap puppy from a subpar breeder, you might never see them again. But professional ethical breeders would always be happy to help you with your queries and doubts. They would provide you support, especially in the initial months of getting the puppy.
Offers Health Guarantees
Professional breeders ensure the health testing of parents before breeding so that the puppy is healthy. If you are getting your puppy from a professional breeder, health guarantees would be a part of their contract with you.
Provides Proper Training
What sets the professional breeders apart from subpar breeders is their dedication to providing training to the puppies before they are sold off to their new owners. Ethical breeders also make sure that the puppy has a good temperament and behaves well in social settings.
Adopting a Jack Russell Terrier
If your heart goes out to the poor plight of an abandoned Jack Russell Terrier, go ahead and adopt it. Nothing could be more satisfying than opening your doors to a helpless dog. Adopting a Jack Russell Terrier from a reputed adoption agency would cost around $300.
But keep in mind that you can’t be assured of the temperament, health, or training abilities of an adopted Jack Russell Terrier.
Costs Involved in Raising a Jack Russell Terrier
The payment made to the breeder or at the adoption agency is not the only cost involved in owning a Jack Russell Terrier. As a pet parent, you will have to ensure that all of its needs are met and your puppy leads a happy, healthy, and comfortable life.
So let’s dive into the details of the costs involved in owning a Jack Russell Terrier.
Costs of Initial Setup and Pet Supplies
Before you bring your precious pup to your home, make sure that you are prepared with everything that it would need, including a cozy and comfortable bed to food bowls.
Items like food bowls, water bowls, ID tags, and a bed would be one-time purchases at least for the first year.
The cost of this initial setup could come anywhere between $300 and $500. Make sure that you get everything in place before you bring your Jack Russell Terrier home.
Healthcare Costs
An important factor that contributes to the cost of taking care of a Jack Russell Terrier is healthcare expenses. One-time expenses like spaying/neutering your dog could cost between $50 and $300.
Healthcare expenses also comprise visits to the vet regularly as you may want to prevent all occurrences of possible diseases. The costs of vaccinations, deworming and emergency healthcare also need to be taken into account while estimating the healthcare expenses of your Jack Russell Terrier.
The yearly healthcare costs of Jack Russell Terrier could come close to $500.
Grooming Costs
Grooming your Jack Russell Terrier is completely optional unlike breeds like Shih Tzu or Lhasa Apso that require constant maintenance. You can pretty much take care of your Jack Russell Terrier’s grooming by yourself. You would just need a few supplies such as a good brush, shampoo, etc.
Some dog owners may still prefer to take their Jack Russell Terrier to a grooming center every month. The grooming costs of a Jack Russell Terrier could come to around $35 for each visit.
Food Costs
Jack Russell Terriers are small dogs with an even smaller appetite. The monthly food costs of Jack Russell Terriers could come roughly around $10-$15 per month.
Make sure that you feed them with high-quality food only and don’t make the mistake of overfeeding your dog. Do not compromise on the quality of food as it could lead to severe health problems.
Pet Insurance Costs
Getting pet insurance is highly recommended as emergency vet visits could cost you dearly. The pet insurance costs of Jack Russell Terriers could come to around $30-$50 per month.
Jack Russell Terriers are small dogs, making them more vulnerable to contracting diseases. Even though the pet insurance is going to cost you every month, it’s better than breaking the bank during emergency vet visits.
Environment Maintenance Costs
Environment maintenance costs would be high in the puppy years as compared to when they get older. Your highly energetic Jack Russell Terrier could cause some amount of damage to your furniture that would have to be taken care of.
You could also spend some money on preventive maintenance so that the damage costs are less. Maintenance costs could be in the range of $0-$500 depending on your Jack Russell Terrier’s nature.
Most dog owners hardly spend anything on maintenance costs.
Entertainment Costs
Like any other dog breed, Jack Russell Terrier also enjoys playing with toys. It’s best to buy a set of good quality toys that lasts long for your puppy so that you don’t have to replace them every month.
They are highly energetic and would love to chew on their toys a lot. The costs of getting toys for your Jack Russell Terrier could cost $15-$25 per month.
Additional Costs
Along with all the above-mentioned costs, there are some additional costs involved in owning a Jack Russell Terrier.
Dog Walking Costs
Jack Russell Terriers love activity and need plenty of exercise. If you absolutely can’t take off time to take your dog for walks, you could employ the services of a dog walker.
The health of your dog shouldn’t be negated and hiring a dogwalker could ensure its daily activity. The services of a dog walker could cost around $350 per month.
Expenses such as this should be accounted for while calculating the estimated monthly costs for your Jack Russell Terrier.
Cost of Getting a License
In many states across the U.S.A., it’s illegal to own an unlicensed dog. Getting a license for your Jack Russell Terrier would cost between $10 and $20 and this is an unavoidable cost.
Do not commit the mistake of not taking a license for your Jack Russell Terrier as this would not just make it illegal, but would also reduce the chances of relocating your dog in the event of losing it.
Microchip
Just like getting a license for your dog, getting a microchip has also become a necessity these days. Microchips make the job of identifying your dog easier and many states have made it a requirement to get microchips for your pets.
Microchips could cost you around $25 to $50.
Dog Boarding Costs during Traveling
You might want to ensure the safety and well-being of your Jack Russell Terrier when you are traveling without it. Dog boarding services are a blessing for dog owners who have to travel for a long duration.
The cost of such services depends on your location, time of the year, and the duration of your Jack Russell Terrier’s stay. The per-day cost of dog boarding could range from $25 to $90.
Monthly Costs of a Jack Russell Terrier
The monthly costs of owning a Jack Russell Terrier can range anywhere from $80 to $750, after taking into account all expenses such as food, pet supplies, medical expenses, maintenance costs, etc.
In the initial months, you would have to spend thousands of dollars to take care of the initial setup and medical expenses of your Jack Russell Terrier in the first few months. Spend on the essentials more and save money on the rest.
Expenses such as grooming costs could be eliminated if you could groom your Jack Russell Terrier yourself with the help of shampoo & a brush every few weeks! And you could cut down on the costs of hiring a dog walker if you could take it for walks yourself.
The visits to the vet and the associated costs can’t be avoided, but you can cut down on the grooming costs and dog walker expenses.
Jack Russell Terriers are small dogs that require very less maintenance compared to other high-maintenance breeds. If you budget carefully, Jack Russell Terriers could be a very affordable and easy-to-maintain breed.
Parting Thoughts
Jack Russell Terrier is a friendly, intelligent, charming dog breed with high levels of energy and enthusiasm. The cost of owning a Jack Russell Terrier depends on a wide range of factors starting from the kind of breeder to the monthly expenses that you would have to spend on them.
Ensure that you are purchasing your Jack Russell Terrier from an ethical professional breeder which would save you a lot of costs in the future. Jack Russell Terriers are great for dog lovers who are on a budget.