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Russell Terrier

The Russell Terrier is the shorter-legged AKC sibling of the Parson Russell Terrier, with 10-12-inch shoulder height standard and type developed in Australia from English working Jack Russell stock.

Calculate Russell Terrier age
Lifespan13.3 yrrange 13–14
SizeSmallTerrier Group
Weight9–15 lb4.1–6.8 kg
Senior at8 yrgeriatric at 12

Gallery (3)

About

About the Russell Terrier

The Russell Terrier is the shorter-legged AKC sibling of the Parson Russell Terrier, with 10-12-inch shoulder height standard and type developed in Australia from English working Jack Russell stock. AKC recognition dates to 2012.

Aging

How Russell Terriers age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 13.3 years (n=32,663) — one of the largest samples available. Primary lens luxation and congenital deafness are the defining inherited concerns, both DNA-testable in modern breeding programmes.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.3 yr · range 13–14Senior careSenior at 8 · geriatric at 12Common health issues4 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
9–15 lb(4.1–6.8 kg)
Height
10–12 in(25.4–30.5 cm)
Coat type
Wire
Colors
White
Temperament

Temperament

How Russell Terriers tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

alertlivelyinquisitiveclever
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~5 yr

    Primary Lens Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Primary Lens Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
90min
per day

Russell Terriers are high-output dogs — plan for 90 minutes of daily activity across a mix of walks, off-leash play, and purposeful work.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.