How NOT to Train a Jack Russell Terrier
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Jack Russell Terriers
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10 Tips for Training Jack Russell Terriers
Everything I have read about publishing successfully on the internet advises that I should write about what I know. Well, despite the fact that I have read just about everything there is to read about training Jack Russell Terriers (JRTs), I have yet to be able to put that vast knowledge to any productive use. But, I love mine (Oliver) anyway.
What I am, apparently, an expert at is How NOT to Train a JRT, so here goes. My Top 10 List:
10. No matter how much they whine at first, DO NOT let your Jack Russell Terrier get in the habit of sleeping outside of his or her kennel. You will have the most excrutiating time trying to get them to return to it later. Also, unless you want your Jack Russell wedged as a permanent fixture between you and your spouse at night in bed, DO NOT let your JRT sleep in your bed. You have to be firm when training your Jack Russell.
9. DO NOT let your Jack Russell Terrier get in the habit of standing on top of you with his or her paws on your chest. As much as you might love playing with them on the floor, they will very quickly begin to feel a sense of dominance. Pretty soon, they are the boss. It is hard enought to persuade your Jack Russell that you are the boss anyway, DO NOT help.
8. If you must (rather WHEN you must) discipline your Jack Russell, DO NOT immediately follow the discipline with love and affection. As guilt ridden as you might be for having to tell your dog "NO!", DO NOT confuse your Jack Russell with mixed emotions. Your Jack Russell needs to learn the difference between praise and discipline. This is essential when training your Jack Russell.
7. DO NOT let your Jack Russell demonstrate dominance over other dogs. There are several well-trained, considerably larger dogs in my neighborhood, but Oliver firmly believes he is twice the size of all them (put together). Luckily, those dogs are well behaved. As much as your Jack Russell will love to show off that he set another dog running with his or her fierce bark, you must correct this behavior. It will help when he or she comes across a dog who is not so well trained. It is essential that you socialize your Jack Russell during their training.
6. DO NOT let your Jack Russell Terrier get accustomed to being on the furniture at will. Train your Jack Russell that you determine when it is okay for him or her to be on the sofa, or on the bed, or on the kitchen table (no joke). It is easier to train your dog properly first than to try to retrain your dog later.
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5. DO NOT let your Jack Russell ride in the front seat of the car with you. There are plenty of good dog seats that buckle easily into your rear seat's seat belt. USE THEM. Trust me, if you don't, you will have a co-pilot sooner than you think. I mean it, hands on the steering wheel and all.
4. DO NOT respond to your dog's begging for table scraps. All it takes is once, and your quiet meals at home are history (dinner parties, history; holiday meals, history; barbecues, interesting). Our Jack Russell would voluntarily start doing tricks at the prospect of a human treat. BE STRONG.
3. DO NOT let your Jack Russell become the pack leader. As much as it has become normal to have 1 pet, dogs are still pack animals. They instinctively behave as they would in the wild, as they would in a pack. As much as you want to spoil your JRT rotten, you have to be the alpha dog, otherwise your dog will walk you, not the other way around. Quite literally, your JRT will become the leader of the house: playing when they want to, waking you up when they want to, tagging alone when they want to, you name it.
2. DO NOT forget that your Jack Russell is still a dog. As loveable and fun and fantastic as they are, they are not human, but trying convincing them of that. If you can remember your JRT is not human, it will be easier teaching your JRT that he or she is not human. This is probably the toughest one. Remember, your Jack Russell is a member of the family, but not human. If you treat your dog like a human, it will think it is human, and a dog cannot have a full life living as a human.
A Jack Russell and a Vacuum. This is not my JRT, but mine did do this too.
1. DO (okay, 9 DON'Ts and 1 DO) love it. Enjoy your JRT, they are loads of entertainment. They are smart, tricky, full of life, friendly, and they think this world was made just for them. Here is an example: our first JRT (Maggie) completely developed her own soccer game. She loved to play catch with tennis balls (yes catch, I would throw--up, over-the-shoulder, fast-pitch, slow-pitch-you name it--she would catch). One day while I was cooking supper, she decided (notice I said she decided, see 3 above) it was time to play ball. So, she threw (yes, threw--she could throw the tennis ball by moving her head) me the ball, and I, being preoccupied with pots, pans, oven doors, etc., kicked the ball back to her. It got past her through an open door, and the game was on. She then became a doorway soccer goalie. If you kicked the ball past her, she got mad, if she defended the goal, she was victorious and would return the ball so you could try again. Any doorway was fair game, any hall, in anyone's house. It was great.
Yes, I love my JRT, and I would highly recommend them as pets, for the right family. But, I am not much more than an oversized play thing for mine, as my experience clearly indicates. So, learn from my mistakes and enjoy your Jack Russell
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Too funny. As a dog lover myself it is hard to not give in to their demands, but you have to for your sanity.
Thank you Whitney05 and Hoodala for your comments. I figure if I can't be strong I may as well try to help anyone else who needs it.
JRTs are such an extremely intelligent but overly energetic breed; most people have NO idea what they're getting into! Great hub about how to deal with them!!
Indeed, helenathegreat. I dare say I had NO idea what I was getting into, but I wouldn't change it for the world.
Who were Jack and Russel and why did they have a terrier named after them?
Clever. I assume this question is posed jokingly, but if not, the Jack Russell Terrier is named after Parson (Rev.) John Russell, Devinshire, England (c. late 1700s-1800s) who bred a working terrier for fox hunting. If you have ever owned a Jack Russell, you know their fox hunting instinct is well developed, as evidenced by the holes in your yard. For more info, visit www.terrier.com.
Sooooooo cute and so true, I apparently too know how not to TRAIN A JACK RUSSEL.
Thank you, goofie96c. I bet you do.
We have a JRT.This was not by choice.See it was very cold in November in Florida, and I was painting the living room with a fire going. I have 3 daughters and saw something move near the fire out of the corner of my eye, I wrongly assumed it was a child and soon there was nothing between Petey and I but a can of semi gloss wheat paint and a roller.He proved instantly to be a sweet and lovable dog that fit right into my family.His owners claimed him 12 times, and each time they would claim him he would tear up their home escape and return to our family. I would be reading on the couch and he would spring in front of our door and he even eventually learned to hit the door bell with his nose.Its funny that the previous owners said he was a terrior, because he is such a good boy.He loves our 3 daughters and family as well as friends.He does think he is human but holds himself to the same obiendence as the children, which makes for interesting days.
I'm happy for you, and glad that "Petey" found such a loving home. One person's terror is another's treasure.
Those pictures are so cute that you have on your page. I think the title is well chosen because a lot of dog owners are not even aware that they are making serious mistakes somtimes.
Thank you, Urs Fehr. I agree. I sometimes wish my lessons weren't learned on the job.
I love the tips. I have an 18 month old JRT and she is house trained 100% but all the other things she needs trained on. Well I am STILL working on them. I have 5 acres and she loves to go outside and just run. She will run for an hour straight and then sleep for 2 hours. Funny how they ware themsevles out so much. Thanks for the tips on how NOT to do it though.
Thanks, Lisar. These are lessons learned over time, and I'm not sure JRT's are ever fully trained. I know more JRT owners who are trained by their JRT than JRTs that are trained by their owner..
I love JRTs!!! We named ours after an embalming tool :) She is recovering from a broken leg (I have a hub about caring for an injured JRT), but we have taught her a lot as she has been healing. But she still thinks she's the biggest dog on the block!
They do think they are the biggest dogs on the block. It's funny. We have neighbors behind our house with 2 big dogs, a boxer and a lab mix, Oliver (our JRT) just runs through a little hole in their fence and gives them all kinds of grief. Thanks, emmabalmer.
Our JRT is driving our neighbours nuts, He's always chasing and barking. What can we do to stop this.
Stand outside with your JRT and use a leash to correct his behavior. As he responds appropriate, reward him. Also, let him meet the neighbors, arrange a play date. They are territorial, but let friends around. Let your JRT socialize with your neighbors and he won't bark at them. He may still run up to them for affection, but not to bark.
I got my first JR two months back. I have owned dogs all my life. This little boy is a complete terror and trying his luck no end. I have had a hard time trying to train him, he is now four months old. Toilet trained almost. Play biting still an issue,demanding attention still an issue, wrecking my garden still an issue...lol. I knew that a JR would be a tough nut, but I have huge respect for that type of dog. We are both still learning and have a long way to go, but at the end of the day we love each other to bits. I know he will look after me and the house when he grows up, and I will always look after him.
They are stubborn, no doubt. In my limited experience the boys are harded to train than the girls. But, they are well worth it in the end, and yes they are infinitely loyal. Enjoy.
Our JRT is always beating up on my artificial plants. Mostly when he alone in the house. It's like he doesn't like being alone sometimes, but he only left alone for like half an hour to an hour. And once we walk in the door, he'll run to us and whimper away like he knows he did something wrong. But the kids just love him and just love playing with him.
Yes, they can be mischevious when left alone, and, yes, they know exactly when they have misbehaved. You might try treating the plant with pet repellant or something like that. It sounds like your JRT might not be getting enough exercise to burn off that extra energy. Try exercising your JRT. Thanks.
Thankyou for your tips on training , or rather what not to do. I am planning on picking up a JRT later today and am a little nervous about the breed needing so much attention. I have 4 weeks off work to try to train this male pup 16 weeks old. Im told he is cage trained and mostly potty trained.me and my partner work 8 hours 8am to 5. No children and pretty much will devote a lot of time to our new pet.I live in a Private community on almost an acre, but no fences are allowed. We were thinking of getting an invisible fence, I know this will be expensive, but do you feel this is cruel or unnecessary? I've only owned a cat and it was definitely spoiled 17 years, he died last year.. Can you give me advise on food, walking on a leash, potty training, or anything else that would be helpful, as I am somewhat of a pushover and want the dog not to rule me !!
I have had no experience with electronic fences. However, I have considered one myself because I have lost a dog who was run over. I wish I could say cruel or not, but I simply don't know. As far as food, find a food without corn. It is hard to do, but both of my JRTs had corn allergies, and it is common. I use a mix of Nutro Ultra and Authority Oven Baked.
Leash walking is essential, and training your JRT to walk on the leash is difficult but worth it. They tend to want to track (sniff the ground and go fast) which causes them to choke themselves. Keep the leash/collar high on their neck to keep their head up so they won't want to track.
Potty training - our male took a lot longer than our female. He responded to rewards much more than punishment. A simple treat and "good boy" after he did his business outside was sufficient.
I am a pushover, too. My wife is the disciplinarian, so I can't help you there. But, best of luck. I love JRTs and I'm sure you will too. It sounds like you are off to an excellent start (investigating what to do, planning, etc.).
I have talked to a few people about invisible fence for a JRT, and they all say it doesn't work. Apparently their JRTs blasted right through chasing birds or cats, and then was trapped outside the yard. I read that the leading cause of death in JRTs is accidents, mostly cars. As we're in town, ours is never untethered outside. She has a zipline in the backyard, so she can run and play with the kids. She also loves hiking, and has recently taken up swimming.(which is the only unfenced area she gets to go offleash) It's the one thing we can't seem to break her of. If she knows she's loose, she's GONE. We have figured out that while hiking, we can trick her with a direct command. As it already takes no influence for her to dart down a groundhog, or other wild animal hole, "What do you smell?" is her command for checking whatever I point at. If she starts to dig, "Get it" is her command for trying to find it. If we're hiking or geocaching, we all get sidetracked by different things. I'll wander to look at rocks, the kids wander to water to throw things into, and the wife usually has Caper's lead in hand. Caper hates to be left out of any adventures, even if they're only 30 feet away. If we want to switch people without walking back, we can say "Get it" and point to our feet. She will sprint or climb to our location, and start pawing and sniffing right where we pointed. This was also how we got her to swim for the first time, but the item we pointed at were skipping rocks. The biggest problem I've seen with JRTs is definately lack of exercise, and they will let you know when that time comes. We started out crate training, but after she was housebroken, we got rid of it. She is left alone with rule of the house for at least 8 hours a day, and we have no problems other than the occasional trashcan robbery.(She won't tip it over, she reaches in and plucks single items out) We once had a short noticed overnight trip, and no sitter. We doubled her food, tripled her water, and took her for a jog around town before we left. We fully expected some sort of cleanup when we got home almost 20 hours later, but to our surprise, there was nothing. She chose going outside over her usual overlyexcited greeting, but I don't blame her after holding it for that long. I've rambled long enough. If anyone figures out a sure fire way to capture a JRTs attention and keep it, let me know.
PS- If you haven't played with your JRT and a laser pointer, you haven't lived.
Thanks, Caper. Unfortunately, I can't help with your JRT being gone when she knows she's loose. Our Maggie was the exact same way. It was a game with her - "you can't catch me". The only thing that kind of worked was not chasing at all. If we didn't chase her around, she got bored a lot sooner and would come back home faster. I'm convinced there's no adventure a JRT won't try. We never really had any problems leaving ours at home alone either, but we have a doggie door so they could be in an out as their pleasure. I'll try the laser pointer, thanks for the tip.
That sound like a real neat idea, with the laser pointer. Our JRT knows when the kids are coming hot myself a laser pointer and ty it out. me from school. He just waits at the door, and when the door opens. He'll run out and take off, and we usually have a hard time catching him. Lotsa of exercise too'...........Can't even keep up with him. So i'm gonna get a laser pointer and try that out. Thanks for the tips. I keep coming back in here and check out some new tips. Thanks Again!
oooops'....I must've hit my mouse pad and didn't know it.........lol. I was saying our JRT knows when the kids are coming home from school, he just waits at the door and he runs right out when the door is opened. Thanks Again!
Thanks for the great hub! I have a big hairy mutt myself, but lots of horsepeople I know have Jack Russells. Those little buggers boss the horses around! I don't think I could ever have the patience for one, but I love to have them to play with. In college, my trainer's Jack Russell was always the first to get to a pole after a jumping horse had knocked one down, no matter if it was way down the hill on the cross country course. That dog had a mission, and she wasn't going to rest until the offending pole was bitten, chewed, and mangled into submission!
Good luck with the laser pointer, Rose W., I hope your JRT has fun with it. I'm sure he will. I have not tried it yet, but it does sound like a good idea.
annemaeve, yes, JRT's are bred to work with horses (run along side their owners while fox hunting). I had an interesting experience with my JRT and horses a while back. I took her to the park which is near our coliseum. A rodeo was going on that weekend and the participants were practicing in the area out back. Well, she took off for that area and had a blast chasing horses around. I don't think the riders were thrilled (they seemed quite nervous), but she had a blast, and the horses just pretty much ignored her. It was TOO funny.
Wow, look what you started! I have happily ignored all those rules, but I live alone so who cares. Its me and Barnie against the world. He once beat up a rocweiller, but has a stray cat as a best friend. Go figure?
It is funny, our Jack Russell has a stray cat as a best friend too. He barks at large dogs, befriends the smaller ones, and loves our cat, Alfie. Go figure indeed.
I'll be sure to tell Barnie he's not the only JR cat lover.
Please do, so he knows he's not the only one.
This is a great hub and I can totally relate! I have a JRT of my own (Her name is Gwennifer, Gwen for short) and she thinks she is the queen of the world. She is trained and pretty obedient, but stubborn as a cat. She knows and will perform all the standard commands, sit, lay down, stay etc. but she will only do it when she feels like it. And the cutest thing is when its time for her to get in her kennel for the night, she'll stubbornly go but huff and scoff the whole way. They are wonderful dogs though. Great hub, very entertaining and relatable.
Thanks, Valux. Yes, they are wonderful dogs, and stubborn as mules. Maggie was the same way, she would perform only when she wanted to, and usually only to get her way.
everything you have explained on this page is true . i cannot believe. i have a 6 year old jack and he is such a loving jack. but tell me how the hell do u train them? he doesnt even sit or give his paw. he will only eat chicken and sometimes dried food. anyway thought your page was great!!
Thanks, Claire. Our male was/is much harder to train than our female was. She seemed to pick things up instantly, very little training was needed at all. Oliver, on the other hand, was harder to train, but he was more loving and affectionate??? We trained with small treats. We would show him and let him sniff the treat, then put him in the sitting position, say "sit," and praise him, then give him the treat. Shake was the same way, we would let him know he was getting a treat and then grab his paw and say "shake," and then praise him and give him the treat.
omg i have a jack russel puppie that i just got named maggie she is three months old and so smart she already knows how to sit speak laydown and roll over i love jrts
I love JRTs too. Congrats on your new Maggie. I hope she brings you as much joy as ours has.
I am fostering (adopting?) a stray JRT. She was found in the park with no collar, and has no chip. We have posted signs, "found dog" ads in the paper, called the local Humane Society and animial conrtol. No reponse from her original family. My main concern is she is very aggressive with my 2 indoor cats. Is there some way I can train her or socialize my pets so we can all just get along? The vet thinkgs this dog is around 4yrs old...
I am fixing to inherit my daughters 10 month old jack. He has been worked with for house training since he was weeks old, but he always has puddles in the house. He will have just been on a long walk, taken care of business, then return to the house to pee after 15 minutes inside. He will be in the middle of a big romp with the whole family and stop to pee on the floor, bed, cushion, where ever the urge hits. He will be curled up beside and you will feel an uh-oh. Positive reinforcements haven't worked and neither has punshment. He was crate trained and was never left overly long: nightly releases, lunch breaks, fenced outsides...we are at a loss. do they have a history of bladder problems?
This site came up from a search I did looking for help to explain some wierd behaviour in our older (10 yr.s) JRT.
What I found was the cutest story about your JRT! Thanks it was great reading and it gave me the answer for this problem. He is just too smart and he is dominating me..oh boy has he! lol
Thanks again, Gloria
Dear Pete,
Thank you so much for posting this page. We have 1 1/2 year old jack a poo but is pretty much a small JRT. We took out of an abusive home when she was just 6 months old with intentions to find her a new home. However, she was so bad that we had a hard time giving her away to a family we thought would keep her and not go from home to home. Now almost 2 years later we still have her and love her but can be so bad! We call her Mollie the Terror! I had no idea about JRT and their attitude. But even though she is bad she does really good with our 2 year old little boy. She tries to dominate our 15 year old cocker spaniel and anything else that comes in her way. Lately she has been so bad that today I was actually on the internet trying to find a rescue shelter to give her away too. But then I found your website and read the comments and realized why we do love her and encouraged me to try harder with her. I don't have a lot of time for her since I have 2 children (2year old and 5 month old) So thank you for your information so now I can try it.
I am having trouble with her sleeping with us! We have a nice sized cage for her and our other dog to stay in but she goes into extreme panic evertime we put her in it. I'm afraid that she'll hypervenilate or something. Any suggestions? Also I know she's not getting enough exercise but I barely have time for me to exercise....any suggestions on how to give attention and exercise that won't take up my day? And any suggestions on how to discipline her when she growls and tries to dominate the other dogs? Sorry for all the questions but I do love her and would love to keep her but am at my whits ends!
Thanks Again,
Jessica
I also have a JRT 9 weeks old.............. your information could come in very usefull as i have given in to all 10 commands. Thanks.
I have a JRT his name is Waylon like the singer because as a puppie he loved to sing but he got old and stoped. I miss that some times.:)
Jessica, I am SO with you! I too was just last week on JRT rescue websites looking for a new home for my dog, Cooper. My husband was away for business for 3 months and I was at my wits end with this dog. He is gone for a half a day at a time. He either comes home on his own or a neighbor will kindly knock on the door, dog in arms. We live in a neighborhood with one acre lots and farmland all around. It's a JRT paradise. I had spent 10 days retraining him on the invisible fence. He played me the whole time and just blew right threw it. Shock or no shock. DO NOT get this containment system for your JRT! He was trained as a younger dog with the fence...and our older german shepherd...to stay in the yard but got more and more daring until now he just goes where he wants. We cannot have fences in our yards (he would dig or climb his way out anyway.)
My two kids play with him constantly as do my husband and I. We throw his ball ALL THE TIME. He gets plenty of exercise every day so I don't know why he is prone to those adventures. Aside from moving to a house with more than 5 acres, I'm not sure there is anything we can do. I hope the neighbors continue to be as tolerant as they have been. He is very sweet and scours the neighborhood looking for anyone to throw his ball for him. The only time he is mean is with other dogs.
We have a female JRT and had no trouble at all training her with the invisible fence. She learned early on what the boundries were (the system comes w/ flags you place around the perimeter) and it only took one time of taking her over the boundry with the colar on. They get a preemptive audio prior to the shock as a warning. The only trouble has been, she is so smart, she will sit right next to the boundry and let the colar beep and beep which wears down the batteries.
I have a 5 year old JRT, Dexter. We adpoted him without knowing much about JRT's and at about 6 months old we were thinking maybe we made a mistake. We use to call him "the Jack Russell Terror!!!". He was a crazy nut!! But everyone kept telling us that once they got past their terrible two's that they start settling down, and they were right. He's such a joy!! Still very energetic and playful like a puppy, but he surely loves just hanging out and napping too. I am shocked at how lovable they are...my husband and I have to bribe him with a bone to get any "alone" time. We also have 4 cats and we were worried this may be a problem because I have read that JRT's sometimes attack cats...but he is like the little brother to them. He plays with them at times but is quite gentle about it. He's aggressive to big dogs...but playful with smaller dogs. And you know the saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks"? I think JRT's have proven that one wrong...we teach him new tricks every day as they are extremely intelligent!! If we adopt again, it will definately be another JRT.
Please give me some pointers on how to potty train my 5 month old JRT.. I love him with all my heart, but he sure is stubborn.. When he was a baby he would cry and I we would let him out.. Very few accidents then. But we recently moved to a new home, and now he is out of whack. He urinates all over the house. He poops everywhere too.. not just in one area. My husband won't let me keep him in the house because we have new carpet.. :( he's been sleeping in the garage.. i've tried the whole kennel thing, i've tried the puppy pads (what a waste of money, he just chews them up and plays with them). i tried to keep him outside during the day. he actually digged a whole and escaped under the fence.. I couldn't believe it.. he is so smart. but yet hard headed.. Please any advice u can give me would help.. I want my puppy to be inside with us.. oh yeah another thing. how can I get him to stop biting. Well its more like nipping and he does it when we play with him. but he bites at our hands our feet and even our face.. usually a NO well make him stop for a lil bit, but after he forgets he does it again.. and bath time. he makes it so hard to give him a bath.. he hates it.. THANK YOU.. THE DELACRUZ FAMILY
Really appreciated your article and comments from Jack Russell/Pointer owners. Please keep any info you have on them coming. My "Peppy" is 7 months old and we need all the training we can got. Love him dearly and enjoy him very much. Thanks
I have a one year old jack russell terrier name keymia that has been to home to home.at first i didn't know much about these dogs.But when i got her,she was sweetest thing i set my eyes on.but when i took her home she didn't like my pit bull sophia not one bit.each time sophia came near her or me keymia was on her in a spilt sec.luckily sophia wasn't trained to fight.but after a while she got used to sophia.but now she's destroying stuff,doing her business in the house,destroying kennel after kennel,and eating anything she can put in her mouth,she like a small versoin of marley and me,but for some reason me,my 3 sisters and my dad still love her to death.
Hi there,
i found your write-up via a google search and i must say, it's probably been one the most helpful sites thus far. My wife and i have just welcomed a 2 month old JRT into our home and he is awesome. I just have one question though - is play fighting (i.e. wrestling and 'ruffing' him up) any good? or am i simply encouraging him to bite or be unruly? I had a stafie when i was younger and he loved a good ol' wrestle every now and then as long as it wasnt completely one-sided (i.e. me dominating him completely). Advice?
Thanks!
We have a 5 month old jackapoo named Sierra. She was a gift to my 17 year old daughter. LOVE HER! She's been so much fun. Very smart. Already loves to play ball. Very energetic and loving. She's mostly house trained in that she goes when we take her out but occasionally will have an accident if you go too long in between times taking her out. How can I get her to let us know when she needs to go out? My lab barks at the door to let us know when she needs to go out.
Also, when I take her out on the leash if she doesn't have to use the bathroom she wants to RUN and sniff everything. I'm afraid she's going to break her neck. She runs so hard and fast she has actually pulled the lead right out of my hand.... and then good luck on getting her back. If I chase her she just runs even harder and faster. Thanks for all the info and funny stories.
i am sorry but when you have no friends and you get a puppy and know it will listin to you an dgavew you kisses when you are crying. then you have to talk to it like a humen
When we first got my JRT, Zoey, he pottied trained HERSELF! I admit...we've spoiled her rotten ever since she was little, but she's not a bad dog. She loves her attention and we love paying attention to her. When my mom, dad, and myself come home from a long day, we can expect an excited, happy, little dog that waited all day to see us. There is one thing, though, that I'm concerned about. My parents tell me if I leave for school or my friends' house, she will NOT eat until I get home. She'll just lay on the couch and mope. She obiously is very attached to me as well as everyone else, but I'm afraid she's TOO attached and goes into depression. I anyone knows anything on how to help me it would be greatly appreciated. :)
Yea my dog loves to pull me and tell me where to go i pull on the leash and he eventually stops but he is terriable with other dogs!
I've only been a JRT owner for a week, but I've read about training them for about five hours a day since we brought our rescue, Dharma, home. Across the board, I'm reading that you should never trust a JRT off-leash outside. Our little Dharma is an angel inside--doesn't really play, jump, bark, anything. But outside, she loves chasing things. I've found that if I make a loud, high-pitched sound (ba-ba-ba) and run the other way, she'll usually stop chasing whatever it is and run after me instead. Then, when she gets to me, I say come and give her a treat.
We don't have a fence so I love, the idea of the zip line....
I, apparently, am absolutely crazy because I bought two Jack Russell sisters (the runt (Portia)and the alpha female - Brandi) nearly two years ago. I had had a Toy Fox Terrier and a Min Pin for 16 years prior, but I was not prepared for this! I thought it would be better to get two dogs since I work all day, and I was right about that part. Although I had to break Brandi from dragging around Portia by her neck! When Brandi was a pup, she would get mad at me and pee right in front of me - even on my bed! I found that "timeout" alone in a sectioned off corner of kitchen where she couldn't see out proved to be effective. But I had a hard time not laughing as she HOWLED for 15 minutes or so. I kept her in there until she got quiet, which was harder on me! Portia would rarely get into trouble, but she is my little obsessive princess predator, who endlessly searches for lizards... Brandi was such an alpha dog that I had to put her on her back and speak firmly to her to show her I was boss! But I exposed them to people and pets since I got them through parks and doggie day care once a week, which really helps to make them tired. They love other pets and people. When loose, I will run the other way and yell "BYE" or hide behind a tree, and they both come running back to me. I love both my JRT's and can't imagine life without them. They are so much fun!
I have just bought two lovely JRT sisters; Rosie and Sophie. Rosie is the boss and hard to house train. Having said that she is the most affectionate. Sophie is quieter and much more timid with people. Sophie almost house trained herself.
I am a little worried that they both engage in 'fights' that sound very ferocious. Should i stop them or is this normal behaviour? After a 'fight' they will cuddle up together in their shared basket, so it certainly loks like no hard feelings exist!
I would be most grateful for any advice.
I have just bought a JRT tonight. Its the cutest little pup ever. Thanks for all the advice, it looks like im going to need it, i can't wait :D
I got my JRT on a whim while driving by a crate of puppies on my way to babysit my niece and nephew. I thought, "What a cool thing to take for them to play with!" (My dog of 15 years had died only weeks before and I was missing a dog in my life.) The crate, or fenced circle on grass, was full of different puppies, probably 12 of them. I picked up the little white one with tan ears and fell in LOVE! She was so sweet and cuddly, I didn't even know what kind it was. The seller told me it was a JRT and I said, "like Wishbone!" PERFECT! I paid for her and was on my way to babysit!
Almost a year later... I have learned SO MUCH about JRT. I have fallen head over heals for my little Soffie. She is my best buddy and I adore everything about her. She was a joy to train, (most of the time). She still runs away when off leash, which I think is pretty common and I love the different techniques shared here. I do the same thing, hide, run the other way, squeak her toy, ignore her, etc. The bolting issue has been the hardest part about raising her so far. I am grateful to the person who mentioned the invisible fence. I bought an invisible fence a few days after I got Soffie, but was afraid it would hurt her. I think I'm going to try it now that she's a bit bigger.
We go to a dog park almost daily so she can RUN and RUN and RUN and get all of her energy out. She loves to play with other dogs and seems to be fearless, even towards the most fearsome looking dogs. One of her favorite indoor activities (mine too) is playing with the laser. She will run and chase the laser for at least 30 minutes at a time. It's great for wearing her out in the winter months and when we just can't get to the dog park. They are most defiantly FULL of energy and want to play ALL. THE. TIME. Great with kids!
Another thing I struggle with, how to keep her from jumping up on someone when a new person is around. Any suggestions? We have been to obedience school and worked on "DOWN", but she doesn't seemed fazed by the command when she's excited.
I love my little JRT. She has been the best dog. I'm single so I do let her sleep with me and I'm not ashamed. I like knowing she is there. When I'm at work she's crated so she doesn't chew my shoes. (Learned that lesson after 3 pairs were destroyed.)
Thanks for your top 10 list of what NOT to do! Very helpful and good reminders... For those of us who give in to table scrap begging, standing on chest, and driving the car!
ALL entertaining stuff. just got rocky aweek ago, wow, this is going to be interesting...but he's so sweet and evil and lovable...such a jrt. good boy
i have a jrt. i got her from a friend of mines who i use to dog-sit for. she is 1 1/2-years-old and spent all of her time in a cage before i got her. she was only out of the cage long enough to use the restroom and eat. is it possible that she can still be taught how to be good and obey me?
I have a JRT and its so hard to train her, it's easy to train her in the sense of 'sit' 'paw' 'laydown' and 'high five' (tehe) but if she does anything wrong and I dicipline her, she runs to the nearest person with her ears down and constantly gets cuddles FOR BEING MISBEHAVED! it drives me nuts.
She pees when someone comes home because of excitement (she's 1 in September), pees on my side of the bed but not my partners.
When we're out on a walk or chilling on the beach she constantly runs away and has no respect for me. And just constantly barks at the littlest of things!
As much as I love her, I didn't realise what I was getting myself into. Thanks for this post! I'll show everyone in the house, then maybe she'll be a better behaved dog. :)
My little Saco will head off to doggie school next week to have all my bad habits hopefully removed from his memory bank. yikes I hope it works...
I have a JRT and he is almost 10 weeks. He is loving but bites, dig holes in the grass and when I walk him, he wants to be the leader. He also bit my 9 yrs old girl when she was trying to put him back in the kennel. I am looking for help!
My JRT Is a Parsons JRT LOVE him to peices, he has been well trained he knows his Do's & Dont's, Althought it did take upto a year and half to get him night trained =/ But apart from that fun and loveable hes so CUTE!!
i got a jrt,not out of choice,but its mother had another little and she was getting pushed out by the family by the new pups ,we took her in our house shes is a very good dog very terrortoral(?) we live in a house that has 4 other people in she has a problem with men apart from me if any man walks in my house she will bark at him if he stands up ,althought she is getting better with training ,the main problem i am having is that she has never been house trained ,she is still using puppy matts which mean all over my house there are matts shes now 2 years old and i have not had her for that long i have had her for about 2 months and i already in love with her so getting rid of her would cause alot of upset by myself and by my girlfriend so if anyone has any ideas how to break her on this ?
vincent
Kizzy is 16 months old .. she had major surgery at 1 weeks old and other procedures but is the most loving dog you could wish for .. she will only eat lamb chops and a good lamb & rice kibble in late evenings .. 9pm to 11pm .. she loves eating on the run while out for her park walkies twice a day .. our pockets are always full of kibble ... she runs and chases her 'friends' has a whale of a time over the local park twice a day. She comes to work with me once a week ..I am an occupational therapist in a residential care home for alzheimers & dementia .. my residents love her & she loves most of them .. staying very clear of those who kick out at her.. she leaps up at the serving hatch and barks at the cook who refuses to spoil her .. she had 6 jacks at her stables so knows you never start anything with a Jack if you don't want it to carry on .. but kizzy trys it on at every visit. She has firm commandssuch as from us .. here .. stay .. this way.. stop..hush..quiet..no.. she recognises the words ..daddys park shoes... daddys coming home.. din dins (dinner) bedtime now (she lays on our bed untill light out).. down..leave..gentle(when play biting my hands) ..she sings to the coronation st tune thats very funny.. she dances with me.. loves her balls thrown.From a puppy she's had a waste paper basket full of her toys and she knows every one by name eg sqeaky.. ropey.. ball.. her understanding of vocabulry is amazing. When given a treat I ask her to say please mummy and she lifts her paw ..sweet. Just as you dispair with your JR it will win your heart forever ... I call Kizzy my little snow Angel as she loves the snow is pure white with large ponted wings of dark velvety ears.. JRs win your heart every time .. have fun. Ps thankyou for the laser hint ..we'll get one for our summer hols.. she loves running through the New Forest and along the beach.. Kizzy has two healthy fit owners now with all that walking ... lol :o) All JRs need is your time and love :o)
my 3 old JRT mix also chews up designer shoes while I'm at work all day and I live in an open floor plan house so I can't contain her (showed fear of crate early on and I submitted) Housebroken, sweet, obedient, energetic yes, but constantly obsesses to "go hunting" unattended off leash which is unsafe and uneighborly. I know she isn't getting enough exercise. any other suggestions to deal with constant whining to go ratting I would appreciate. I'm only physically able to go for inadequate short walks and she also feared invisible fence. help!
my jr is veary lovabale i dind't know what kind of terrier he was untell 3 weeks ago can i train him that it's not ok to sleep with me anymore. When i frist got him he sleped with me now i know this is a no no on my part especialy on me and my other sinant but as soon as i do my dog surely knows how to make me upset he go potty in the house after he has went outside for long walks. He makes it know he's mad not to be with me now i must retrain him again.
I had to put my last JRT to sleep at 15 years old. It was time and I know that but it broke my heart. I got him at 8 weeks and 1 weeks after my collie was put to sleep also at 15 after a stroke.
But Ive just put a deposit on another JRT. And will be picking him up in 2 weeks.
I must admit to not actually training him strictly but he was such a happy, well behaved soul full of life and did so many tricks I found I didnt need to.
But I think this time I shall. The only fault I had with Max was I could never keep him with me off the lead when other dogs were around.. He would be off like a shot being friendly. And as I go fishing alot and taking the dog with me I will be making sure my furry son will be at my side. So right now Ive 2 weeks to cram as much info and take notes to give him the training he needs. I can see already this dog (a rough coat - my Max was a long coat) is a character who actually chose me not me him lol
All of the 10 donts mentioned are rediculous! I had a JRT for 16 years and sleeping in the bed, hanging out on the sofa, riding in the front seat, not sleeping in a kennel, please maybe he shouldnt of had a dog. My JRT knew i was the boss, and sometimes he would test me , but very rarely. The only stressfull part was the barking like amadman when someone rang the doorbell. other than that he was part of the faimly.
I wish I would have read this 6 months ago lol. I have a wonderfully obnoxious jack russel/ chiuahua named Topsy. I do believe she got more Jack Russel than Chiuahua. Looks and all. It is like having an unruly child. She keeps me on my toes for sure.
Not sure where Francis got his dog, but mine (an adorable jack/chi) we call "Jack-Jack" is exactly as you describe in your "don't" list! In fact, as i try to write this i am battling to keep him off my keyboard... He is almost 6 yrs old & i continue to be amazed & amused by him on a daily basis. There are so many entertaining "Jack-tales" i could tell but most who share their lives w/one have been there! For all who would be JRT owners, pay heed to the "don't-list" because it is spot-on! Thanks for sharing - after owning my dog i am a lover-for-life of JRT's!
I love the tips you gave about how to train a JRT. I recently adopted a male, who we named Rusty, with my boyfriend and he is the most loveable thing in the world.However, if anyone can help me, Rusty has the worst habit of destroying everything in sight: wood flooring, cables, walls, and even his own kennel. You name it, he's chewed through it. I don't know how to stop him from that habit. Also, he's extremely attached to anyone, mostly my boyfriend and I. When we leave or even go to the bathroom or bedroom, he will cry and whine so loud that people have called the SPCA on us for pet abuse. We don't know what to do since we might move to an apartment soon and the noise and destruction he's creating will get us kicked out.
Very cute and informative! Jack Russell terriers are really a handful! They are so smart and lively - definitely a dog that needs a job! Voted up and funny! :D
I just found this, when looking to see why my 12 week JRT hates going outside, This is an amazing and funny link, thank you al for the stories and tips. Eddie is my little ball of crazy, and he has been so funny and strange. He is like a cat and hates to leave the house, we have been taking him to the park and he begs to be picked up and is so happy when we come home.
I just recieved a JRT 3 days ago and he already sleeps with my boyfriend and I (his choice, not mine as his dogs he had before we got together always slept with him).
Buddy is 5 months old and a laugh riot when he sees the large German Sheppard on the next street over. He goes crazy trying to get to see her but she ignores him and just travels back and forth in her yard.
I am guilty of spoiling Buddy but he is such a sweetheart. He loves to cuddle with me and my boyfriend when I wiggle in place too much.
Buddy is my walking companion who hopefully will help me lose weight and help manage my diabeties more easily.
He loves to go for truck rides and loves walks. He is surprising wellbehaved with the leash. He does pull when he sees larger dogs but he thinks he is protecting me. I was worried when he pulled the leash out of my hand the first day I had him and had just brought him home but he just went over to check out the neighbours and came back as soon as my bf called him. His previous owner (an elderly lady) had said he was good on that - with her tho, when he went to visit the neighbours, he would take half an hour or more to come back.
Adorable dogs! And I totally know where you are coming from. As I too have two Jack Russells.
Cool dont tips, enjoyed the read. cheers
Oliver is the spitin image of my pup
I have been reading all the posts and some make me laugh and some make me sad. I have an 11 YO JRT named Bunny. The first time I saw her at the JRT breeder she was solid white and jumping up and down like a little rabbit so Bunny just seem to become her name.
I have had many dogs over the years and my Bunny is by far the best dog I have ever trained. JRT are smart and have outstanding personalities. The thing is if you do not have the time to spend on these animals it is cruel to even buy one. They require attention, time and training. They want it. They are so easy to train if you just put the time into it.
I studied the breed before buying one and made sure I had a fenced in yard with doggie door ready for her when she came home. They are not crate animals. They require wide open spaces and running room or they get depressed and pent up energy that will come out in either over excitement or aggression.
I potty trained Bunny as if she were a baby. I made sure she did not eat or drink after a certain time of night (when we went to bed) I set my alarm and got up every two to three hours to take her outside. I would sit behind her and coax her to the dog door and outside...then I would go outside and say go pee pee. Naturally eventually she did and I would reward her with petting or a treat and so she associated pee pee with going to the bathroom. I did this for about a month...no sleep but well worth it. She has been fully potty trained since a puppy. The only time we have ever had an issue is once we forgot to unlock the dog door and she went in the house.
As far as dogs biting, nipping, rough housing...in my opinion NEVER rough house your dog with your hands and never allow her to bite on you...NEVER NEVER NEVER. When Bunny was a puppy she was allowed to bite a play toy that we held and nothing else...not my hands...not socks...nada. If she ever tried to bite or roughhouse my hands I would calmly grab her nose and hold her mouth shut and firmly say "NO". I never backed up discipline with love...ever. Just say NO and mean NO.
She was an alpha female and loved to run away once she was loose. The only way I ever broke her from this was a firm and vicious spanking ONE TIME in her life because she jumped out of the car on a major road and near caused several wrecks and killed herself while I yelled NO at her she just kept running so needless to say when I caught her I gave her the spanking of her life with me yelling NO NO NO the whole time. After that...she never ran again and if she even gets to far away I say NO, come here and she obeys. The only other time I spanked her was when she moodily bit my son because they were napping together and he decided to move and disturb her. I spanked her badly telling her NO immediately after and she has never bit anyone again. I have never had to spank her again either. Some people may think that my tactics are cruel but I am not an animal abuser. I have spanked her badly twice to show my dominance over her like a pack leader would do...it worked. It is a good thing too or she would most likely be run over by a car or put down for biting.
Oh for the person curious on how to keep them from digging out...put a layer of chicken wire at the bottom of your fence and bend it under and cover with dirt so your pup cannot dig through it. I had to do that as well when she was young. BTW they can climb chain link too.
Bunny is the best and most sweetest tempered dog ever. She is not overly hyper or dominate but she is very self confident and happy in a home where she knows I AM the pack leader. Dogs are happy when they know their place and do not live with confused emotions or doubt. She understand many human words and commands. I can walk her at the park without a leash. It took time and training but I put time into her like she deserves because I love her. Be patient and keep on it. It may take a year but it will be well worth it. People tell me constantly what a wonderful, well behaved dog she is and are very surprised she is a JRT because she is not spazzing all the time. I love her so much and hope she lives to be 20.
Take the time to think like they do and find ways to firmly train them and you will have a dog that your neighbors envy. =) OH and they are cute too!! lol
We adopted a nine month old, broken-coated Parson a year ago and she has been the best. She came to NH from a kill shelter in San Antonio, TX. The fostering family did a wonderful job with housetraining as she has never had an accident indoors. She loves her crate and she will let us know when she wants to go to bed. She is 'nose to the ground' walking on a leash and I realize that it will be a challenge for us to break her of this annoying habit. In the northeast, autumn is a wonderful time especially since chipmunks, squirrels and the like are everywhere. Just recently I took 'Roxie' for a walk and I couldn't understand why she was behaving so badly, pulling and straining to breathe. About 100 yards down the road, a squirrel had been smashed by an oncoming vehicle. Needless to say, 'Roxie' has a great nose for smaller four pawed animals! I don't believe that I will ever be able to have her off leash as this 'seek and destroy' instinct is alive and well.
my jack russell is not sleeping in his crate at night with out yawning loudly which is his way of letting us know he is awake he has slept sucessfully in his crate since we brought him home he is four months old and just recently he will not settle at night please help
Many people feel that crate training for JRT's or PRT's is not advised. I disagree with this simply because it is more about their activity when they are not in the crate. We have 3 PRT's and 1 JRT. The key with training is activity. They need to run and run a lot. This maybe one reason your Jack is restless. If you have a big yard this can help. As others have said though, beware of falling in a 6 foot deep hole if you are not careful. We have the fortune of having a large Almond orchard behind our home, so we let them run the orchard as much as possible. Only activity will keep these little guys somewhat mellow. On those days where it is raining, snowing etc. We have trained them to run on a treadmill. They of course can be stubborn so it takes some practice, but once they get the hang of it, they love it. The key here is activity. We also have trained ours as performance dogs. Specifically flyball and splashdogs. Wikipedia it and you will get the idea. They are a great breed but will test you to the limit. As someone said earlier if they get aggressive it is imperative to get control of them quickly and putting them on their back holding your hand on their chest is a act of dominance that helps them become submissive. They are hole diggers because they are hunters. They can climb fences like nobodies business and as said earlier they will take on bigger dogs.
Having said all of this they are great, great and I mean a great breed. They are smart, funny, loving, loyal, guard dogs and behave with other dogs much more than what people think. Remember dogs are instinctively "Packs". Once again with this breed it is about the activity. Give them the activity and there will be less issues with in fighting.
Lastly a comment about dog collars "AKA" shock collars. I believe that they should not be used unless there are serious dicipline issues. Having said that they can be useful. Many people are against them because many people use it as a punishment method which is not humane. In otherwards they are to lazy to train the dog so when it does something naughty buzzz with noooo reinforement of training after the act. The key with collar training is that if it becomes necessary when you do have to buzz, that when your pet comes back, you should praise them for the positive action. Then they know WHY it happened in the first place.
Kudos to all of you with this breed. They are awesome dogs that love to live life.
how do you get them from chewing everything,when you are at work???
Move anything you value, provide a huge bone and make sure upon your return you reward good behavior and if the dog has chewed anything not allowed take him by the
Scruff, show him the offending article and speak severely to him so he is in no doubt that you are not pleased! Jack russels love you to be pleased with them and do not deliberately want to upset you , they are very sensitive to discipline and will not want to risk your displeasure again. Most of all remember to provide them with lots of attention on your return, they get really bored on their own
My JRT is a bad boy.Found him when he was left by someone when he was about 5. I'm retired and spend 24/ with him. I love him,but he is very alpha around male dogs,and I dont care if its a Rott or Mastiff he wants to fight. They are the most loyal dogs you will ever find. Mans best friend.
Great Hub I have a Jack Russell too...... they are great dogs!
My husband and I just welcomed a 4 month old JRT into our lives, we named him Carlos.
I have enrolled him in puppy school and he starts in a couple of weeks.
We are both a little shell shocked, the last dog we had was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. JRT's are a handful however my husband and I have found that activity (a walk in the morning an a walk at night) seem to work wonders. Dxg200 is right - activity is the key.
TAJMAHAL
I have a friend who recently got a jack russel puppy and she picks it up by the collar instead of its body, can anybody tell me if this is ok or not.
I came by chance upon this site and have enjoyed the many experiences of Jack Russell owners. I have four,a blind 19 year old and her three offspring. I have made all the mistakes you all say don't make, they sleep on our bed, we have an extra large one, and they co-drive the land rover. They are bomb proof with children and the farm animals and fowl, but iffy with strange dogs and cats and fatal with rabbits and rats. They are not fussy eaters and are wonderful companions. The one thing I have tried to insist on is that they immediately come when called no matter what. They are an ideal pet for a country man and I love mine to bits.
Sheila - that is not OK. It will choke/strangle the dog and may seriously damage its trachea causing a chronic cough. Your friend should pick up the puppy by its body as you suggest. Picking it up by the collar is cruel and abusive.
Thank you for the reply on picking up the puppy by the collar. It is very difficult when it is your friend that is doing these things but will try to dicourage her from doing this, any advice on how to handle this situation?
My JRT Lucky is such a sweetheart...He will be 9 years old this feb 6,2012 he is so lovable!!!! He has alot of toys, and I kid you not..I give every 1 of those toys names...and Lucky knows every name...and when I ask Lucky to go and get 1 of those toys by name...such as tigery..which is (TIGER) from whiney the pooh...he will bring me back that toy...I know you probably do not believe me but it is true!!! I LOVE MY LUCKY LOU HE IS MY BABY BOY and I will forever HUG him ((((()))))!!
My Menchie loves sleeping in the bed with me and my husband. She also loves laser pointers, and has litterally chased one until she threw up! When she was a little puppy, we'd take her out in the yard, and when she started to wander off, we'd call her and start running or walking away, so now she loves to chase us and never lets me out of her sight when I'm home. I can hardly imagine life without my bundle of crazed energy! One thing I have found is a Thunder Shirt or even just a shirt or sweater (depending on the weather) helps calm her down, and a gentle leader helped a lot with leash pulling. Though, if you have a puller, and don't want to shell out the $30 for the gentle leader, a harness helps the dog not strangle itself. I keep a collar on Menchie just for her tags, and a harness for going on the lead.
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Our hearts are broken! I had to find our 6 year old make JRT a new home about 3 months ago. He bit my 18 year old son on the lip, 12-15 stiches and still needs to have plastice surgery to repair his lower lip. Axel was a sweet heart, had a few food agression issues as a puppy and he still displayed them when protecting his bones, but never bit any of our family. Until a he bit my son, who was trying to sit with him on a chair, bit him on the hand, broke the skin. A couple of weeks later, my son was in his room and Axel was cleaning up my son's dinner plate he left on the floor. My son picked the plate up and got close to Axel's face and he bit him. I never thought he was capable of doing that to anyone in the family, complete suprise!!
Omg if I knew then what I know now! My husband found a giveaway ad for an 8 mo female JRT and brought her home to me. I was concerned when I learned we were her 4th home in 2 months but more I felt sad for the dog. Let me just say I understand! She hates being left alone even if just a quick run to the store...she goes in her crate now. I would never have believed the damage she could do in 20minutes! So far in 4 months she's found n eaten 6 shoes..oodles of socks(her fav) boxes of Legos , enough stuffed animals ...not hers , to fill a store bin, a couch, 3 chairs, a window sill and yes a mattress!!! She sleeps with my husband n I , then each of our boys . I've tried chew toys....she favors ours! A quiet dinner has long since been given up on too. During the day it's just her and I and we have no potty accidents. After hubby n kids get home I find puddles n piles all over ...and yes she actually goes outside more when they are home. My husband has put his foot down...find her a home. I guess if u saw my living room furniture...all of it needs replaced as it bears her mark. I live the way she uses her frt paws to grab my arm to pull to her...pet me she's saying. I love her with all my heart but on a fixed income I have no idea how I'm going to replace all our furniture . I'm afraid she will go to another bad home as its very obvious she has been abused before we got her. I'm trying everything I can think of to keep her. I'm disabled and she is my bright spark of fun n laughter during the day and I dread not having her with me. You are right in that if she runs don't chase her and she usually comes rt back. Oh I wish I could find a fix !!! I'm still working with her but the damage may be permanent I'm afraid. Open to all suggestions...quickly before hubby finds a home for her.
I recently adopted two JRT from the shelter,Toby and Buddy. Had them both neutered and looking forward to the training process..............
I have had 3 JRTs and Zoe, my current JRT is by far the most fun, the most well behaved of the 3. I rescued her from the humane society and she has thanked me every day since....6 years now. She has never had a accident in the house, she has never been bad, however we do 4 miles each and every morning walking, and she is with me almost all the time. I have broken every "dont" rule there is, but I wouldnt have it any other way. She is my best friend, my constant companion, and a big hit with all my customers in my small retail shop. I sometimes think I will cry when thinking of just how good a dog she is. I know this breaks all the rules of the traits of a JRT, but she is just that good. Her antics are always precious, I could write a book. She is just too smart for her own good. Just remember what dog spelled backwards is.
I just came across this and enjoyed your 10 things NOT to do! I have always had large dogs I was never a little dog person, until I met "Brutis" I met him the day he was born after my neighbor asked if she could give my daughter a JRT puppy to repay her for helping her with her children. He was 1 of 4 and it was love at first sight for me! I went everyday after work just to hold him he calmed me down! I took him home at 4 weeks old. He was easily housebroken, as with every dog I have ever owned I would pet him while he was eating so he never had food aggression, I would take his toys away and give them back so he never guarded his toys.My biggest problem was he never liked any treats! He does love cheese! Turns out he is allergic to cheese! He will sit,speak,dance and fetch. He won't lay down on command!. He "tips off" a basketball. He rarely chews anything he shouldn't as a puppy when he did I would say "no" take the item away and give him something he is allowed to chew on.He will "bolt" but when I take him to the beach he will come for a stick! He loves to swim! I rarely recommend "items" to people but if you have a Jack I highly recommend a "Jolly Egg" you can see dogs with it on you tube! It gives them a lot of exercise and they can't pick it up in their mouths because of the shape. I actually have to hide mine because he will wear himself silly! He is the best dog! I feel bad when people say the are terrors! I wouldn't trade him for anything! I pretty much did all the "Nots" he definitely has me "trained"
I recently adopted a new JRT after having to put down my 16 yr old JRT. He was a part of our family and we all felt the loss greatly. Hence HAZMAT entered our lives. I forgot how much work and frustration it was to train a JRT puppy. Needless to say he is named appropriately but I would not change it for the world. He never fails to make me laugh, even after he decided that that pizza we left on the kitchen table smelled too good. I think he was just making sure we didn't overeat. lol. To everyone who feels that crate training is cruel to a dog I will dispute that. It is one of the best things you can do for your dog. It becomes their home and safe place. If my dogs are frightened during a storm that is where you will find them. It's their place and they know it. Hazmat is 5 months old now and the potty training is still a challenge. I know with time and patience I will bring him around to my way of thinking. His ball is his crack and when he goes outside he gets to play with it. That is his reward. You may find this strange but his favorite pasttime is shoving it under couches and tables and then sitting and howling till someone gets it for him. Believe me it gets a little tiring. If you have lots of patience and time you will never regret your "terror".
How do I stop my 2 year old rescue Jack Russel male from jumping around and whining in the car.
I guess I'm just the crazy one that decided to adopt not 1 but 2 JR & Beagle mix pups! What was I thinking?!
This is very useful to me. I have five dogs now (I know I am mad). One golden retriever (9) very placid male, one border terrier x jr, two jackchows. Now a lovely little white jr. He is nine weeks and I was just starting to do all the things you say not to do :) After reading this I am placing him in his crate. He has cried a bit but its a battle I now realise I need to win. I have had him in bed with me, now he will be placed in his crate and I did have him sleeping on my chest. Things will now change. My other dogs are well behaved. Although the younger dogs did growl at him at first but I destracted them by praise and giving them a slice of ham so they seem to be accepting him. Thank you for this article it will help me a great deal. Doreen
We have 2 JRTs and during walks one of them would literally choke herself pulling us and the other would go nuts barking at other dogs. We found the Gentle Leader which attaches to the leash and it really works by keeping them more in control. Highly recommend it! Check it out, it really helps.
OMG- this cracked me up! You explained my Emma perfectly and sadly everything that she does!
We have had Ben for a year now - he is 2 years old. My greatest fear is that he will run away. We let him out off leash earlier this evening to let him chase a red squirrel up a tree in our front yard. As soon as the squirrell was well up the tree he took one look at us and took off down the road at full speed. My husband sprinted off after him yelling his name but Ben just kept on running. I grabbed the white container he knows holds his dog bones. My husband got him to slow down and sort of come to him by playing dead and then dragging his feet in the gravel road. By then I caught up to them and called Ben, showing him the white tub, which made him run to me. He hesitated a bit, probably figuring he was in trouble, but I grabbed him and carried him home. We didn't know if we should scold him or praise him. We know it is only a matter of time before he gets off leash and we lose him. Clearly we need to do a much better job teaching Ben who is boss and training him to 'come' on command. He is a funny, loving, smart, hyper, adorable, barking bundle of energy. The best companion we have ever had. Oh, and he is a puller on the leash but I have been working with him and he is getting better. We live in an open area with about 10 houses and lots of open fields and woods so loads of things to get and hold his attention - squirrels, birds, other dogs, kids, the UPS truck, mailman....
PLEASE HELP.
I am pulling my hair out. I have just got my JRT back from a 2 year separation while I was overseas. He has been cared for by friends who have basically let him rule the roost. I am now sitting listening to him cry, bark and try to dig his way out of his cage that he shares with my other dog a Mini pincer who has a developed a habbit of peeing in the house, hence the cage. Please, short of me sleeping on the floor nex to them, how can I break this cycle. I have now given up and left the cage door open so as not to make them associate it with a punishment and more a sanctuary and am now letting them roam around the kitchen, running the risk of the pincher peeing everywhere. I feel that these dogs have been spoiled rotten and allowed to rule the roost. They are also so disobedient now, they don't come when called and just do as they please.
What can I do.
Thanks,
Tired and soooo emotional in the south of England
Pet fences do work with JRT's, my Henry is three years old and I trained him at 12 weeks. He doesn't even have to wear the collar any more. A few zaps and that was it. He never leaves the yard.
Whitney05 Level 2 Commenter 4 years ago
I remember watching Wishbone when I was in 4th grade. He was a very well trained JRT. I've never met one that trained and well behaved in my many years working with rescues and training dogs.
Great Hub. Good luck with your training.