Average Jack Russell Terriers Litter Size; Up to 12?
Most Jack Russell Owners are curious about the Jack Russell Terriers litter size. We know that JRT’s are a small dog breed with excessive energy, and they have a high demand nowadays. A few of my friends keep asking me whether I can give a JRT puppy from my beautiful dogs named Shaggy and Lenny.
Therefore, I am going to discuss some interesting facts about Jack Russell’s litter size. I hope this post will answer most of the questions on your mind right now.
What is Jack Russell’s average litter size? Typically, Jack Russells give birth to around 5 – 6 puppies in one litter. However, they can give birth to up to 12 puppies sometimes. It depends on the JRT’s size, age and health condition. The average Jack Russell litter size is 6 puppies. Jacks can give birth to puppies safely up to 6-8 times in their lifetime. The best age for having puppies is between 2 – 6 years.
It is good news that your loving dog is going to have cute puppies. However, it would be better to have in-depth knowledge about your dog’s pregnancy and caring for them.
I have listed below the main topics that I discuss in this post. Feel free to jump straight to the topic you want. Let’s get started.
What is the JRT’s most suitable age for mating?
Reproduction is one of the natural facts for all living beings. However, the most suitable age delivers quality reproductive results. Therefore, we have to know about Jack Russell’s most suitable age for mating.
Typically, male dogs come to their maturity in between 6 – 9 months. However, it is advisable to mate them between 1 – 7 years of age because that is the peak level of their reproduction ability.
And also, most dogs are healthy in between that age. Therefore, there is a possibility of neutering the genetic health issues for new puppies.
Female dogs can reproduce after 9 – 12 months of age. However, as I mentioned earlier, the best time would be 1 year to 6 years. Most of the time, female dogs can give birth to new puppies safely at this age.
How many litters can a Jack Russell have?
This is a tricky question. There is a controversial discussion about how many litters a dog can have. The answer is simple. Dogs can have litters until their reproductive ability remains. It is the same as human beings.
Typically, dogs can have two litters per year. And also, as I mentioned earlier, they can give birth from 1 year to 6 years of their age.
However, we should think about their rights as well. Do we have a right to breed the dogs as much as we can? The answer is up to you.
In my personal opinion, we shouldn’t do that in the way we want. We shouldn’t make them puppy making machines. The first thing we should practice is to respect their rights if we genuinely love dogs.
Choosing a healthy male dog or a female for mating
This is a fundamental fact you should consider before mating them. If you plan to have new puppies from your dog, please consider the health, age, pedigree, mating history and previous results of the other mating partner.
That would give the best results as you expect. And also, it helps for safe litter as well as healthy puppies.
How long are Jack Russells pregnant?
The average pregnancy time is in between 58 – 63 days. Typically, fertilization occurs within 5 days after mating. There will not be any visible sign of pregnancy in the first half of the term.
However, you will see some changes in the appetite, such as rejecting food and drinking more water. Sometimes, the mucus comes out of your dog’s lady part after 22 – 28 days after gestation. If you want to confirm, you can do an ultrasound test.
What is the average Jack Russell litter size?
Jack Russells can give birth to around 5 – 8 puppies in one litter. And the maximum of 12 puppies per one litter. As I mentioned earlier, It depends on your dog’s age, size and health condition. However, average Jack Russell litter size is 6 puppies.
How long will Jack Russells take to give birth to puppies?
The time will depend on how many puppies your Jack Russells have and the strength of your dog. Typically, the total time for the labour will be about 12 – 24 hours.
However, it would be best if you can arrange around 24 hours for continuous support.
Like any dog, Jacks take around 15 – 30 minutes of intervals within the labour between the puppies. If your Jack takes more than a 30 minutes interval between births, it would be best to contact your vet.
Does my Jack Russell need medical support in her litter?
Suppose there is a lot of blood discharge; you will need to contact your vet. And also, if the dog is exhausted and cannot push the puppies out anymore, she needs immediate medical attention.
You can read more about how to prepare for your Jack Russell’s pregnancy from here.
Conclusion – So, what is the Jack Russell litter size
We discussed Jack Russell’s litter size in this post. You can expect around 5 – 6 Jack Russell puppies in an average litter.
Moreover, we discussed the best age for mating, labouring time and more from this post. I hope this post was helpful to you.
Stay with Jack Russell Owner. Cheers from Lenny and Shaggy.
