When you decide to adopt a dog, you have specific tasks and upkeep that is required to keep your pet at optimal health and to live with that luxurious and odor-free fur.
Jack Russell’s are no different and require some love and grooming to maintain at peak hygiene.
It also seems that some dog owners take this to the extreme when it comes to bath time, brushing and playing keep up and other Jack Russell owners entirely neglect this part of the ownership process.
I was curious about several things before I ultimately adopted my Jack Russell to ensure I could provide the best care possible.
One of those questions was simple and was concerning the brushing process for a new Jack Russell.
More specifically, how often should you brush a Jack Russell?
After owning my female Jack Russell for about 1 ½ years, here is the information I can provide you on this topic.
A Jack Russell should be brushed a minimum of once per week. The more you brush your Jack Russell, the better. Brushing your Jack Russell can offer several benefits such as reduced shedding, less bacteria build-up, and less chance of your Jack Russell having any bad odor emitting.
That is the very quick and most basic way to answer the question of the day.
However, it is also essential to understand that other factors need to be considered, such as your Jack Russell’s coat type.
Luckily, I plan to cover all this in-depth for you in today’s brief 2-3-minute post.
Consider this your ultimate resource for understanding best practices for brushing your Jack Russell like an expert.
To make things a bit more easy to navigate and to streamline the reading, I’ve created easy to navigate links directly below that will allow you to skip to any specific section of this post that you desire to learn more about.
Here is what is on the lesson plan for today:
- How Often Should You Brush A Jack Russell Recap
- The Difference in Brushing Different Jack Russell Coats
- Enjoy the Benefits of Brushing and Grooming Your Jack Russell
- Final Thoughts
- Share Your Thoughts
For those of you who need information quickly or do not feel like sticking around, take my advice, and use the links directly above to navigate this post however you desire.
However, if you have those couple of minutes to spare, stick around, and I will cover everything I think you should understand when it comes to brushing your Jack Russell in the correct way and the correct frequency.
Here are the essential details you need to understand.
How Often Should You Brush A Jack Russell Recap
The most crucial factor to keep in mind when it comes to brushing a Jack Russell is that they are still a dog.
In most circumstances, dogs need to be brushed relatively often to get old dead hair and skin cells removed and to keep their fur and skin healthy, shiny, and clean.
Jack Russell’s are no different from this point of view.
In fact, most Jack Russell Terrier owners will advise that the more you brush this breed, the more benefits you will be afforded (more on this later in this post).
Jack Russell’s are also a dog breed that can be bred in several different coat styles.
This also makes a difference in how often and how you will brush your Jack Russell in general.
For now, let us start moving in and explaining these different fur coats that a Jack Russell may have and why it impacts or creates a difference with your brushing techniques and frequency.
The Difference in Brushing Different Jack Russell Coats
Like mentioned a moment ago, you have different coats with Jack Russell’s.
While the brushing routines may be relatively similar, you still have some key differences to keep in mind.
Here is a more in-depth look at what I am referring too.
Smooth Coated Jack Russell’s
A smooth-coated Jack Russell is what I currently parent and adopted about 18 months ago.
Her name is Luna, and when it comes to brushing, trust me, the more, the better.
For being such small thin hairs, they can surely hold in some odor, and shedding tends to increase when I skip some brushing.
If I had the time to do it every day or could remember to do it every day, I know 100% it would make a dramatic difference in her shine, coat healthiness, and her overall shedding.
The minimum you should be brushing a smooth-coated Jack Russell is once per week.
Again, always keep in mind that the more you brush your Jack Russell with a smooth coat, the better.
It is going to help remove any bacteria in the hair in addition to cleaning the topcoat.
I would also recommend stepping up your brushing frequency in the spring and even the fall when the seasons are changing.
This time of year seems to produce the most shedding for my Jack Russell, and the brushing helps dramatically.
My best advice is to use something gentle on your Jack Russell but also a brush that can move flawlessly through any dirty fur or hair tangles.
For the absolute best results, you would want to turn to hand stripping.
This creates exceptionally smooth coats and minimal shedding when completed with the correct frequency.
The lesson to take away from this part of the post…
Brush frequently for the best results.
Trust me, you will not regret it, and it does not take long enough to become an inconvenience.
Rough Coated or “Broken Coated Jack Russell’s
Rough coated Jack Russell’s are a bit different.
While you can still brush your rough-coated Jack Russell as often as possible, it is also recommended that you entirely strip the hair that did not shed throughout the year.
Twice a year is ideal.
This will create the healthiest and cleanest looking coat and remove all dead hair, dander, and bacteria.
It is also recommended that you take the time to brush and untangle the fur before any fur stripping to help remove any additional dirt, tangles, or debris from the outdoors.
It is also important not to forget that Jack Russell’s are hyper dogs and prefer to be moving and jumping around.
Rough coated stripping jobs are a bit more time consuming compared to a simple brushing.
If it were me, and for the ease of completion, I would highly recommend taking your Jack Russell to a local dog groomer to have this brushing and stripping completed.
It will be more comfortable, will get done correctly, and leave your Jack Russell with a healthy coat of fur.
It is worth the money for the headache it is saving.
Enjoy the Benefits of Brushing and Grooming Your Jack Russell
Before ending this post and sending you on your way, I want to emphasize the benefits you can experience by being diligent and timely with your brushings and your Jack Russell.
It makes a world of difference.
First and foremost, it is going to help dramatically to remove any dirt, which in return is going to keep your Jack Russell smelling much better.
This alone is a large enough benefit if you ask me to get me motivated to brush my Jack Russel as often as possible.
Next, it is going to save a lot of wear and tear on your vacuum at home by dramatically reducing shedding.
Overall, for the time it takes to complete this essential grooming of your Jack Russell, it is 100% worth the time and something I advise getting done as often as possible.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, providing the best care possible for your Jack Russell does require brushing as often as time permits.
It is part of the grooming process and something you should be mentally prepared for before adopting or something to mentally adjust for shortly after the adoption.
It will not leave you disappointed with the results and will make your Jack Russell more comfortable and cleaner.
Jack Russell’s make for excellent pets and I have no regrets thus far into my journey and doubt you will either.
Luna and I wish you the best of luck with your Jack Russell and the journey ahead of you.
Share Your Thoughts
Do you have any further recommendations you can share with the Terrier Owner community about brushing your Jack Russell effectively?
Do you have any other brushing techniques, tips, or tricks you can share with the community?
Be sure to share those thoughts, stories, and concerns by dropping a comment below.
As always, Luna and I appreciate you stopping by and reading today.
Thanks again, and we will see you next time.