Jack Russell World

Are Jack Russell Terriers Smart? Oh yes!  Given half a chance, your Jack Russell will have you wrapped around their little paw in no time at all.  They are very intelligent, quick thinkers and crafty.

Training the Jack Russell Terrier

When you take on a Jack Russell as a pet for the first time, you are in for a treat.  They bring their character to your home and treat them right and they’ll be loyal and protective.  Given just half a chance, they’ll dominate to the extent that they rule the house.  So early, consistent and fair training is needed to ensure you enjoy your Jack Russell and they know that they are not in charge.

Find the favourite toys or treats and give them value by only bringing them out at training time.  This means that your Jack Russell will be eager to play with the toy or enjoy the treat and will do what you want them to as soon as they learn it to get their reward.

Your Jack Russell might be a puppy or an older dog.  Either way, keep the early training sessions short and always end them on a success.  If they are not ‘getting’ what you are trying to teach, go back a step to something they do know, reward them and end there. It is likely that you will have to change your training method for that particular request and start again the next day.

Most dogs and Jack Russells are no exception respond well to high value food when training and this is particularly useful when training from sit to lie down and roll over.

At any time, if your Jack Russell seems bored, get them to do something they know and end the session with plenty of praise and fuss.

Even when they know commands and what they are supposed to do in certain situations, Jack Russells are independent spirited and many will ignore your commands and do their own thing.  So the trick here is to find the way to get their focus on you. 

Working the Jack Russell Terrier

Jack Russells were developed to hunt, and boy do they love to do so.  Your Jack Russell won’t need much encouragement to flush out rats and mice and dispatch them efficiently.  Where they will need training is not to attack anything that moves.  They can easily turn their hunting instinct to your neighbours’ cats or chickens with disastrous consequences.

What this means is that if you definitely do not want to work your Jack Russell at all, you need to discourage their natural instinct to do so.  Because they are smart, training them not to chase and kill small furries and fowl is relatively easy with consistent training.

When you do want your Jack Russell for working or to be able to dispatch the occasional vermin but to leave your small pets and the neighbourhood cats alone, then this is where their intelligence really pays off.  Because they are so smart, you can work with your Jack Russell’s natural prey drive to tell them when they can chase and attack and when they have to leave alone.  Or what they can chase and dispatch and what they should leave.  A well trained Jack Russell or Jack Russell team will chase and kill rats in a chicken pen but know to leave the chickens alone.

Jack Russell’s love to work as a team.  While a single Jack Russell will happily work, two or more will work together to get the job done and relish the praise you pour on them.   

As well as going underground to flush out rabbits and foxes and despatching vermin, your Jack Russell can also turn their paw to other jobs.  You can train your Jack Russell to do fly ball, agility or terrier racing.  They could help you by alerting you to the doorbell or alarms; they successfully help people in many ways as service dogs.   

The Jack Russell is Smart

With the correct and consistent training, your smart Jack Russell will want to help you, work with you and please you.  Many will still have that independent streak but should be won round to your way of thinking with a favourite toy or treats.  They are endearing little dogs. 

If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about The Ultimate Jack Russell Terrier Guide.

Today we take a looking at the topic of Jack Russell Adoption. How do you adopt a JRT and where to adopt from. Also, what training you will need to do.

Jack Russells make wonderful pets and if you are thinking of welcoming a new pet into your home, then adopting a Jack Russell could be the perfect option.

How to Adopt a Jack Russell

It’s a good idea before you start contacting rescue centres to have a look around at your home and garden to see if you need to make any changes to create the perfect Jack Russell home.

Garden

Your new dog will need a safe, secure garden where they can spend some time chilling, exploring and playing.  

Jack Russell’s are brilliant at finding their way through the tiniest space or under or over a fence or obstacle in their way.  So your garden needs to be well fenced to keep them safe.

Front Access Safety

Ideally, all access into and out of your home should be secure for your Jack Russell.  The front garden should also have a gate and be well fenced.  When this is not possible, a well-thought-out plan is needed to keep them safe.

Jack Russell’s love to chase and if they spot a cat across the road as you open your front door, they’ll be gone before you can say, Jack Russell.  However, well you train your Jack Russell or Parsons Russell terrier, they will run out through an open door or open gate.  Fortunately, there are strategies you can put in place to keep them safe when your front garden is not secure.

 Make sure that everyone in the family knows not to open the front door unless the Jack Russell is behind another door that is firmly closed.

If you don’t have a secure front garden, then whenever possible, plan to take them in and out for walks through the back access so that they don’t get into the habit of having fun when they go out through the front door.

Somewhere to Sleep

Think about where your Jack Russell will sleep, where you will feed them and groom them.  

When you have worked out all the logistics of welcoming an adopted Jack Russell into your family, then you can have the exciting time of looking for your Jack Russell.

How to Adopt a Jack Russell

Contact local rescue centres and discuss your desire to adopt a Jack Russell with them.  Then complete their interest forms.  They may go through the questions with you over the phone, but most likely, they will send them to you or guide you to the right place on the website.

Where to Adopt a Jack Russell From

There are several national rescue centres such as Dogs Trust, The Blue Cross and Rescue Remedies, and they would be a good place to start.

You might also like to try smaller local rescues such as Margaret Green Animal Rescue in the South West, Raystede in the South East or Manchester and Cheshire Dogs Home in the North West, to name a few.

Or, maybe you’d like to adopt an older Jack Russell?  Then Oldies Club is the perfect rescue for you to contact about adopting a Jack Russell.

The Process 

A member of the rehoming team will chat with you and learn about the type of dog that will suit you.  Just like people, Jack Russell’s come with all sorts of different personalities and needs.  The more flexible and open you are, the more likely that a suitable dog will be available sooner.

A volunteer or member of the team will come to your home to assess the home.  They will be non-judgmental; they are looking to make sure that you have a secure garden, somewhere suitable for the dog to spend time.  As well as, if necessary, that you have a robust strategy in place regarding any exits that are not backed up by a secure area.

In some cases, when it is not possible to carry out a home check, the rescue organisation will contact your veterinary surgeon instead when you have existing pets or have had a dog in your home before.

Training Your Adopted Jack Russell

When you get your Jack Russell home, you’ll want to show them the garden, where they will sleep around all the parts of the house that they are allowed to go into.  

The training you do will depend on the training that your Jack Russell has already received.  They may be a well trained adult dog that all you have to do is reinforce the training that has already been in place.  Or, at the other end of the scale, they may be from a puppy farm or have been in a home where they were not trained or socialised as a puppy.  It is important to discuss training needs with the rescue centre staff and to be honest about your experience and the dynamic of your home and family.

In all cases, you will need to be patient and consistent with your adopted Jack Russell.  They will need to learn to trust you.  Kind, consistent boundaries and training will see you well on your way to a rewarding relationship.

If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about Jack Russell and Kids 

Sometimes, Jack Russell’s get a bad press; they are described as unpredictable and snappy.  Yes, like any dog, they can be.  The secret is the training – and not just of the dog either. If it is important that your Jack Russell is good with kids, then well trained children are required too.

The Rescue Jack Russell

Any reputable rescue organisation will not rehome a Jack Russell to a family with young children unless they are confident about the dog’s background and are happy with how your children interact with the dog on visits to the centre.

When rehoming any dog, it is important that the dog goes to the right home and you, as responsible parents, want the right dog for your family.

Many, but not all dogs who end up in rescue do so because of the failings of the people where they came from who didn’t put the groundwork in with consistent socialisation and training.  Even when there is another reason why the Jack Russell finds itself in rescue kennels, they are one of the breeds that rescue centres don’t like rehoming to families with young children.

The Jack Russell Puppy

Welcoming a Jack Russell puppy into your home when you have children gives you the fun and opportunity of training and socialising your Jack Russell yourself. When they are properly trained and brought up with children, they make fantastic family pets.

Jack Russell’s are intelligent, fun-loving dogs and they thrive on consistent, reward-based training. If you are new to Jack Russell’s, then your lively little pup would probably benefit from puppy socialisation classes with an accredited trainer.

Training Your Children

When training your puppy, consistency is key in getting it right, so your kids need to know the training you are doing and the reward system in place.  It’s sensible to keep toddlers and teething puppies separate to avoid your terrier accidentally hurting your child when the pup is at the mouthy, chewy stage.  

It is also essential to instil in the children that the Jack Russell is not a toy; they shouldn’t pull its tail, bash it with toys or do anything to the puppy that they would not like done to themself, so no kicking, smacking, teasing allowed.

When you ensure that the experiences your puppy has with your children are positive when they are most impressionable as young puppies, you are setting them up well to being good around all children.  

From the beginning, have a set place where the Jack Russell eats and make sure that children in the home are kept away from that area or, if they are older, know to keep away from the dog when it is having meals.

Letting your kid/s join in with training is a great way to instil in them the importance of consistent and fair training.  Jack Russell’s who are brought up with kids, make great family pets.

Kids Around Dogs

Even if your dog is not a Jack Russell or even if you don’t have a dog, you should teach your kids how to behave around dogs.  Like puppies with children, your children should be positively rewarded for considerate interaction with dogs, which can start from around 18 months.  If your child at any age acts inappropriately towards a dog, then you should stop them immediately remove them from the situation and explain to them calmly why you have removed them.  

Teach your child to always ask if it is okay before approaching or touching a dog they don’t know.

Precautions of Jack Russell’s Around Kids

When you have a Jack Russell but don’t have kids, your terrier will not be used to the boisterous unpredictable behaviour of young children.  A Jack Russell who feels threatened or who thinks someone is threatening you may well respond by growling or barking at a child who approaches them or comes into the home.  Or worse still, even lunge or bite.

Generally, any dog aggression towards children is fear-based.  Although, it can also be food-based.  The Yellow Ribbon scheme is one way to help keep everyone safe.  When you know your dog is not used to children or is fearful of them, putting a bright yellow ribbon on their lead or collar is a warning to parents and savvy children not to rush up to or pet your Jack Russell.  Unfortunately, the scheme doesn’t get much publicity and you may need to warn parents and children as well to be careful.

Creating a positive experience around children when out with your Jack Russell is an extension of their training and is something that you should consider part of puppy socialisation.  With rescue dogs, or when you have not been able to create the perfect environment when your dog was young, then giving them high value treats when they encounter children reinforces positivity. 

In all instances, by taking a few precautions, you can keep everyone safe and happy:

• Any introductions of a dog and young children should be closely supervised by an adult
• Never leave babies, toddlers, young children or special needs older children alone with any dog
• If your Jack Russell shows signs of stress, calmly remove them from the situation and reassure them with praise so that they accept the encounter as positive
• Train your Jack Russell to follow verbal and sign commands
• If your Jack Russell has already shown signs of fear towards children, try and find a dog-savvy child to help you with positivity by them doing some obedience training with you and your dog
• If your Jack Russell has already shown signs of aggression towards children, then it is sensible to muzzle them when out where you might encounter children.

Having pets is enriching for children and there is no reason why a Jack Russell shouldn’t make a perfect family pet as long as both the dog and children are trained.  Where your child’s safety and your dog’s welfare are concerned, it is essential to be proactive and put the training in place for a safe, happy, successful coexistence. 

If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about Jack Russell Adoption

Today’s blog is all about Jack Russell Biting. Generally, Jack Russell’s are good-natured, friendly dogs with a few exceptions.  They are also a breed that tends to be protective of their home.  Jack Russell’s are also known to be highly protective of their family. 

Why Dogs Bite

Dogs explore and communicate with their mouths. A lot of what we view as biting is exploration and would be a normal behaviour if they were still part of a pack in the wild.  But our pet terriers are not part of a wild pack and so, even the exploratory and communicative mouthing and biting is not acceptable.

Those dogs who are carefully socialised as puppies will know not to bite and will not do so without good reason.  However, dogs who have not had the best upbringing or have been mistreated somehow are more likely to mouth and bite in unacceptable ways.   

There are adult dogs in rescue who did not receive the correct training as puppies who still mouth and play-bite at people.  They are not aware that it is an unallowed behaviour.

 Another example is the terrier who is loose in the garden when an unexpected visitor arrives and kicks or lashes out at the dog through no fault of the dog.  The terrier, having been kicked, retaliates by grabbing the offending leg and holding on as only a terrier can.  This actually happened to someone I know with a Parson Russell Terrier.  Fortunately, she witnessed the whole scenario from an upstairs window. Thereafter, from that bad experience and unless remedial training is successful, any previous well behaved and well-socialised terrier can no longer be trusted around strangers. Jack Russells and Parson Russell terriers have long memories, and it is a very fortunate owner who manages to completely eradicate such a bad memory through retraining their dog.

Training Puppies and Dogs

Eliminating biting at the puppy stage is a case of communication and consistency. Your puppy is not aware that biting and chewing you is not acceptable.  The biting and chewing stage is a way of learning and exploration and puppies also need to chew when they are growing and changing their teeth.

Engage the puppy with a toy that they are allowed to chew on and encourage them when they are biting the toy. Play tug with them and when you want them to let go, stop pulling and moving the toy and use the word you want to use for them to let go.  When they let go, reinforce the word and praise them.  High value treats work well to reward even the smallest good behaviour.

By letting them know what they can chew and the word for stopping, you are on the way to training your Jack Russell terrier puppy to stop biting you or things that they shouldn’t.

The training takes time, and it can take a few weeks.  Consistency pays off and sometimes the progress is slow, but the thing is to be consistent and train frequently for short bursts of time.

The plan is to redirect their energy and biting into play or to distract them into not biting.  Reward them when they don’t bite and when they let go of the toy when asked. 

If you have a bitey dog or puppy, put them on a lead when you have visitors so that they don’t get into the habit of charging up to people and biting at shoelaces or trousers.

When they lick you when before they would have bitten you, that is a good thing, so reward.  Be prepared to distract them from your hand, arm, shoe or trouser leg with a toy.

Adult Rescue Dogs

Because the habit is more set, it can take longer to eradicate undesirable biting and mouthing in adult dogs.  In some cases, it’s as though they realise they missed out on training and they are desperate to please you.

Frequently, adult rescue dogs that have not been trained and socialised have leftover puppy behaviour.

Whichever type your adult rescue Jack Russell is, the method of redirecting as described above works.  You are encouraging the good behaviour and removing some of the opportunities for them to practice the not so good, so they start to lose the habit.

Using high value treats is a tool that works well with older dogs.  A food orientated dog is less likely to bite when there are tasty treats about.  Use the treats with praise so that, at times, praise is enough.

Training in short bursts is even more important with an older dog.  You don’t want them to become disheartened or bored.  So plan the training in short bursts over several weeks and be prepared for consistent training to take longer.

If you enjoyed this article on  Jack Russell Biting you might also like to read about Jack Russell Teeth and Dental Care.