You have made a great choice…………… The very first priority that you need to take into consideration before you buy a puppy is:

Do you have a fully fenced yard, bearing in mind, Jack Russell's were originally bred to flush fox, and are quite capable of digging out under a fence, or climbing over it, if it is not high enough. Your standard backyard wooden fence should be adequate but check to see they can't dig out. Also, look at gates to make sure the gap underneath isn't too large.

Being very intelligent, they can become bored, if left to their own devices without anything to occupy them, so some toys are a good investment. A bone to chew will keep them busy for some time. A ball to play with and some other toys, they don't have to be expensive, such as an empty plastic lemonade bottle that crackles when they bite it etc... Puppy socialising and basic training, is a must for your new puppy.

JRT's can be headstrong and need firm guidelines to follow. Good road sense is not one of their strong points, and your dog should always be on a lead when being taken for a walk. When you take your new puppy home, he will have had his first vaccination, plus he will have been on a thorough worming regime, being wormed every two weeks, and fully vet checked.

He will be no younger than eight weeks of age. You will be given his or her Australian National Kennel Council Pedigree and Registration paper, plus literature on the feeding regime, house training etc.

Jack Russell Terriers hunting instincts are strong, so if you live in a snake infested area, remember, the dog will pursue a snake, and generally come off second best, so it's wise to have a snake proof area for your dog if possible.

Jack Russell's come in three different coat types; this is a surprise to some people, as they generally have only seen a 'smooth coat'. The coat types are 'smooth', 'rough' and broken.

The 'smooth coat' is where the hair short and flat on the to the body. The rough coat has a longer coarser coat, with what we call facial furnishings [being bushy eyebrows and hairy face.] The longer hair of the rough coat is not to be confused with the type of coat that is seen on some long haired breeds such as, a Maltese or Old English Sheep dog etc, it is just longer than the smooth coated Jack Russell Terrier. A broken coat is between the smooth and rough; which is smooth coated body with facial furnishings.