Jack Russell World

Do you leave your Jack Russell at home, only to return hours later to a general disaster? Is the little one terrified during holidays? Are groups of people just too much to handle? Are you able to recognize Jack Russell Anxiety before it becomes a problem?

Signs of Jack Russell Anxiety

How exactly do you recognize Jack Russell anxiety? How can you tell if something is wrong?

Your little one probably won’t be feeling too secure. He will likely act differently than normal! Some behaviours can be very obvious, like household destruction with separation anxiety. Others might be less clear, requiring an experienced eye to recognize (ex. Yawning, lip licking).

• Aggression
• Frequent yawning
• Urinating or defecating in the home
• Drooling
• Excessive panting
• Destructive behaviour
• Depression
• Excessive barking
• Pacing
• Restlessness
• Repetitive or compulsive behaviours

Different types of Jack Russell Anxiety

Fear Related Anxiety

This is probably the first thing we think of when the phrase Jack Russell anxiety comes to mind! Fear is a normal and healthy response to unfamiliar or unknown things in a dog’s environment. Fear is what helps ensure your little Jack stays alive and uninjured!

You might say fear is an evolutionary adaptation! While the Jack Russell breed isn’t much more than a century and a half old, scientists believe his wolf ancestors appeared between 1-2 million years ago!

Even then, wolves weren’t even close to the largest predator around. A fearless wolf probably wouldn’t have lasted long.

Examples of fear-related anxiety include:

• Fear of loud noises (ex. fireworks, thunder)
• Fear of unfamiliar people or animals (ex. fear of groups or crowds)
• Fear of travel (ex. fear of cars)

A dog that has suffered a negative, traumatic confrontation with another dog might have a fear of other animals. 

You can avoid most cases of fear-related anxiety by socializing your dog with the instigator ahead of time. Strong, continuous socialization beginning at that third and fourth month is highly recommended!

Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety means exactly what the word implies. Many dogs become anxious when separated from their human or animal companions. This is especially common if the dog hasn’t been desensitized (isn’t used to; see explanation below) to solitude!

Imagine a young puppy adopted during the 2020 Covid quarantines. The owner worked from home for several months, so companionship is all this puppy has ever known! 

The owner is called back to his regular 9-5 job, leaving the now older puppy to his solitude for 8-9 hours at a time. This could seem terrifying to the dog! That young Jack Russell has no idea what happened to his human parent, where he went, or if he’ll come back again. 

Many handlers will return home to torn pillows, shredded blanketing, and various other types of damage! You might see scratch marks near the front door, where your Jack tried to ‘escape’ his prison and find you.

Seperation anxiety is extremely common in dogs! Your pup isn’t angry with you or trying to punish you for leaving, but rather distressed. Separation anxiety can become severe in rare cases and might require veterinarian prescribed calming medication.

Age-Related Anxiety

This type of anxiety could affect your older Jack Russell, just like it does with many other ageing dogs. Your pup might become easily startled, and his awareness might start to go. 

Age-related anxiety can be linked to Cognitive Dysfunction in dogs. This is a disorder very similar to the early stages of human Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Basically, your older dog may experience increased levels of anxiety or become startled easier.

How to Help Your Anxious Jack Russell

We’ll cover all three types below, along with general care tips to make management easier!

Fear Anxiety

How do you treat fear-related Jack Russell Anxiety? You counter condition your dog to the disliked stimulus by desensitizing him to it. 

Let’s start with Counterconditioning, meaning your dog is trained to give the opposite response he was originally conditioned, or learned, to give. When you are finished, your terrier should at least tolerate, if not enjoy the thing he once feared!

• You will accomplish this by slowly desensitizing your pup to the feared stimuli. You’ll gradually be introducing him to first very small then larger increments of it over time.
• Add something your dog enjoys more than the feared thing! 

Let’s say water gave your pet fear anxiety. He absolutely refuses to step foot in the pond nearby! 

Step One: You’re going to find a high-value treat reward. Begin by asking your jack to only get close to the water, but not yet get wet. You could throw a stick to the edge of the pond for him to retrieve. Reward your Jack with enthusiastic praise and the tasty treat!

Repeat this several times over a few days, slowly inching your way closer to the water. 

Step Two: Now you’re going to toss the stick right at the edge of the water! Your dog will have to just barely get his footpads wet. Reward with cheer and treats once the stick has been retrieved. This is the most impressive thing you’ve seen all week!

Gradually repeat this several times until your dog doesn’t even notice the water on his paws.

Step Three: Now this is all about gradually increasing the exposure. Slowly toss the stick further and further out. Your Jack will be swimming before long!

Note: Always supervise your terrier closely around water, and make sure every interaction is positive.

Separation Anxiety

How do you prevent separation anxiety in Jack Russells? You’re going to have to allow your terrier to slowly adjust to solitude over time! Never suddenly immerse your pet in long durations of solitude, as this is one of the leading causes of separation anxiety in the first place.

Begin by isolating your dog for only a few minutes. Every time you leave over the course of the next several days, add a few minutes to your absence. Eventually, you’ll be at a half-hour, then an hour, etc.

This reassures your pet that you’ll always return! The method is almost identical to crate training for dogs.

Age-Related Anxiety

This type of anxiety is caused by mental degeneration, and there really isn’t any cure for it. That being said, you can treat it by making accommodations for your older dog! You can also consider discussing anxiety-relieving medication with your veterinarian.

Try to limit loud noises and changes in your pet’s environment. Do your best to keep everything the same, familiar way it was. Maintain a constant aura of peaceful calm!

Positive, Reward-Based Reinforcement

Always focus on rewards and positive reinforcement! You’ll want to avoid using any kind of punishment when treating Jack Russell anxiety. 

Feeling upset when returning home to a trashed house is natural, and we completely understand! Your dog has cost you money, stress, and needless effort. Before responding, imagine how your little one is feeling.

Your dog is frightened and nervous! In many cases, he doesn’t understand why you’ve left. Punishing him for destruction or damage he’s caused while he was frightened and nervous might only make him feel more anxious!

If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about When do Jack Russells Calm Down?! and Can Jack Russells be left Alone?

Caring for a high-energy Jack Russell Terrier can seem frustrating at times! Their incredible energy and prey drive can become both frustrating and stressful, especially if you live near busy roads. 

When do Jack Russels calm down? It can seem like that bundle of energy might never tire out! It’s true; your Jack is going to have a lot of energy most of his life.

Why are Jack Russells so High Energy?

Parson John Russell was a dedicated fan of fox hunting. In the mid-1800’s he sought to breed the ultimate fox hunting dog! 

John’s champion was about the same height as fox terriers of the time, able to chase a prey animal to ground and beyond without killing it.

Of course, chasing prey to ground was only half the battle! With their small yet powerfully muscular, agile bodies, these terriers were easily able to flush prey out of their underground burrows.

Today’s Jacks have an equally high prey drive! Sure, most Jack Russells today are devoted members of the family, as opposed to the sprightly small game hunters of old. This doesn’t mean they’ve lost any of their hunting instincts.

Not many breeds come with a stronger prey drive than our little Jacks! This is one dog you want to keep tethered to your side via lead when out on the trail. If not, we might just end up with fewer wild critters running about!

Fenced-in Yard

This isn’t a dog you want roaming your neighborhood whenever he chooses. Even if your Terrier has been socialized well, you still have roads, traffic, and other hazards to worry about! Dogs don’t have the depth perception of a human, making vehicles even more dangerous.

• Make sure your dog is wearing identification tags.
• Countless dogs have reunited with owners thanks to microchipping!

Socialization is Crucial

Early, strong & consistent socialization is already very important for all dogs. However, socialization training is vital with the Jack. 

If you don’t teach your Jack Russell smaller animals are friendly and mean good things, the neighbor’s cat or your daughter’s bunny rabbit might not last too long. 

When do Jack Russels Calm Down?

He wouldn’t have been as useful to the hunter if a working Jack Russell began to lose his energetic drive on the hunt. Now that you know they were bred to be very high-energy dogs because that trait was valued, when do Jack Russells calm down? 

As your terrier begins reaching that advanced age of around 10-12, he’ll begin to calm. This isn’t exact and every dog will be a little different, but aging dogs generally aren’t as energetic. 

As he ages, your little one’s metabolism will begin to slow. He might begin to experience some vision loss. Weight management may become slightly more difficult. Those joints may encounter some arthritic degeneration. 

Sadly, these are all facts of life for both humans and dogs alike.

How Do You Calm a Hyper Jack Russell?

If you said exercise is the best way to calm a hyper Jack Russell, you’re right! These were bred to be high-energy dogs and valued for their spirited zest! What are the best exercises for a Jack Russell Terrier, and how much exercise do these dogs need?

Enrichment Activities

Simply offering a walk a day isn’t always enough! Enrichment activities utilize a dog’s natural instincts, behaviors, and characteristics. These are usually going to be some of the most enjoyable and fulfilling activities for your dog!

Social activities, like a visit to the dog park, are enriching!

Socialization and social interaction with other animals and people will offer several enrichment benefits! It’s important to ensure your Jack Russell has been fully vaccinated, and you’re familiar with other dogs at the park.

You want to control as many variables as possible, and you never know how comfortable that new dog is, or if the new dog is carrying anything that could harm your pup.

Tracking or scent ‘puzzle’ games are enriching!

Scent ‘puzzle’ games force a dog to use his nose in order to locate some type of reward. Tracking activities force a dog to utilize all of his advanced tracking skills! Have you ever hidden a favorite toy in your house, and challenged your terrier to find it?

Be sure your pup knows what you want him to do! This might take some training, but tracking comes naturally to all dogs and will present more of a challenge to you than your dog. 

Be sure to offer plenty of encouragement, help your pup along the way, and reward when he ‘finds’ the toy (even if you have to help him find it)!

How Long to Walk a Jack Russell?

To be satisfied, your terrier should probably get about 60 minutes of walking time a day, split into two walks. This still won’t completely deplete those vast levels of energy, and walking doesn’t always offer much in the way of mental stimulation.

It’s difficult for many handlers to meet those recommendations!

Do you have a fenced-in yard for your pet to roam? What do you do to keep up with your little one’s energy demands?

Looking After Your Older Jack Russell

Though he may be around 11 or 12 years old, your Jack will eventually calm down! This is a simple fact of life. As your pet’s energy levels lower, his metabolism will also begin to slow. Your pet’s joints could begin to suffer degenerative effects, and he may experience vision loss.

Aging dogs also tend to cope with higher levels of anxiety, and temperature regulation could become problematic. 

Go easy on your older Jack! Consider providing ramps for elevated surfaces like the stairs or car, so your pup doesn’t have to jump or climb. Nutrition is even more important to prevent weight gain.

If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about:

• Raising a Jack Russell Terrier Puppy
• Are Jack Russells Easy to Train?
• Can Jack Russells be left Alone?
• Jack Russell Anxiety

I’m sure that if you are a new dog owner then you are interested in taking your dog to the dog park for a bit of socialisation. It can be a great place to take your dog, but remember that you are always banking on other dog owners being responsible too. And sadly, not all of them are. Here’s our list of dog park pros and cons, followed by some dog park tips for staying safe.

What is a Dog Park?

A dog park is an enclosed space in public parks that is designated for your dogs to go off lead and run around and mix with each other. Most big USA and UK cities have dog parks. If you are not sure where your local dog park is, there are apps you can use to find them. Some of the most popular dog park finder apps are:

• Bark Happy – Featuring over 20,000 dog parks, bark happy is available as an app for iOS and Android.
• Paw Parks – An iOS app that helps you to find dog parks and walking trails near you.
• Dog Park Finder Plus – Over 6000 dog friendly parks, beaches and hikes on this iOS app powered by DogGoes.
• Hundescove – Hundescove is the perfect app if you want to find a dog park in Denmark.
• Dog Park Assistant – This doesn’t find dog parks but it’s an app that helps you to choose a healthy and safe dog park for your dog, with tips on dog park etiquette and safety.

Dog Park Pros and Cons

Pros

The main pros of the dog park are:

• If you have a sociable dog he or she will be able to have fun with other dogs.
• Dog will run together and get good exercise
• It’s usually enclosed so you can let your dog off lead (provided you trust the other dogs and owners!)
• It’s sociable for the adults too!

Cons

The main cons of dog parks are:

• Dogs can sometimes result in over-excitement and dogs may end up fighting
• If your dog gets attacked it may affect his behaviour towards other dogs in future
• Some dogs find it too overwhelming or stressful
• Some dog owners aren’t responsible e.g. don’t muzzle snappy dogs, don’t poop scoop, don’t intervene in fights

If your dog is constantly barking when at the dog park, you need to decide whether it’s a bark of excitement, or a bark out of stress. Not all dogs do well at the dark park and it may not be the best place for nervous dogs or dogs that have not been properly socialised as pups.

Our dog Blake prefers to meet dogs on a one to one basis, rather than the high energy and stressful environment of a dog park.

Tips for the Dog Park

• Keep aggressive dogs away from the dog park
• Always take poop scoop bags (plural – they poop a lot!)
• Muzzle dogs that are learning how to socialise
• Discipline your dog the second it displays any aggressive, dominating or inappropriate behaviour e.g. humping
• Only let your dog off lead if he has 100% recall
• Take a bottle of water and bowl or a special doggy water bottle – they get hot when playing
• Put a harness on your dog for the dog park because it is easier to grab your dog in an emergency situation

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