Jack Russells don't do anything by halves. They dig, they bark at the door, they jump far higher than a dog that size has any right to, and they'll chase a ball until you give up long before they do. They also tend to live a long time and stay sharp for most of it, so the end can come suddenly: digging up the garden one week, gone the next.
The breed takes its name from the Reverend John Russell, a Devon parson in the 1800s who bred terriers to run with foxhounds and go to ground after the fox. That job explains the courage and the stubborn streak. A Jack Russell sees a squirrel and goes, without weighing the odds.
Each Small Goodbyes portrait comes in oil, watercolour, charcoal, line or pastel, with a free preview before you pay, and is made to order for your Jack Russell. If a friend has lost their Jack Russell, see our dog memorial gifts.
| Kennel Club group | Terrier |
|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth, UK | 12.7 years (Royal Veterinary College, 2022) |
| Coats you see most | white with tan or black patches; smooth, rough or broken coat |
| Styles that suit | line or watercolour for the white coat and patches; oil for a broken coat |
A long life, and a big gap
In the Royal Veterinary College's study of UK dogs, Jack Russells had the longest life expectancy of any breed, close to thirteen years at birth, and plenty live to fifteen or more. That means many owners lose a dog who was there for a whole chapter of life: a first flat, a marriage, children growing up. A memorial for a dog like that is about all those years, not only the end.
What owners remember
The cocked head and one ear flipped over. The patch over one eye. The hole at the bottom of the garden, and the face that said they'd never seen it before. The ball dropped in your lap at the worst possible moment. The bark at the postman every single day for fifteen years, and the way they then slept tucked against your back at night.
Choosing the photo
Action shots of a Jack Russell are often blurred, so choose one where they've stopped for a second and are looking at you, with the head cocked if you have it. Make sure the patches you know are in the picture, because owners recognise their dog by them straight away. A rough or broken coat shows its texture best in side light, near a window or outdoors.
Which style suits a Jack Russell
Line drawing and watercolour are lovely on a mostly white dog, because the patches and the face do all the work. Oil suits a wiry broken coat and gives it texture. Charcoal makes a strong, simple picture of the head and ears.
If it has only just happened, the practical steps are on our dog memorial portraits page, and pet loss quotes has lines that suit a dog with this much character.