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Are Jack Russells easy to train? Well the simple answer is yes because they are very intelligent dogs. They are very food motivated and eager to please which means that they will learn quickly. However, although they are easy to train in the house, you may find that their strong prey drive and distraction makes it a challenge to train them out in the park. As soon as they see another dog or rabbit or whatever they want to chase they can be off like shot!
Let’s take a look in more detail at how east they are to train for all the important things including toilet training, obedience, tricks and recall.
Are Jack Russells easy to toilet train?
Yes – Jack Russells pick up toilet training very quickly. Of course if you are training a puppy you need to have more patience and allow for accidents. It could take a few weeks for a young puppy to learn where to go. For an adult dog, it can be quicker than a week – both of my rescue Jack Russells picked it up in about 3 days with positive reinforcement – treat as soon as they do it in the right place!
Are Jack Russells easy to train for Obedience and Tricks?
Yes they totally are! Start with the basics such as sit, down, stand (here’s our article on Jack Russell obedience training if you want to read that first). They will pick it up very quickly by following the movement of the treat in your hand (and eventually by your hand without the treat!).
Are Jack Russells easy to train for Recall?
The simple is is NO they are not! Let’s be realistic though, if you teach them recall off lead from a puppy they will probably be fine. But, teaching an adult Jack Russell is a whole different ball game. The problem with Jack Russells is that they were bred as hunting dogs and as a result have a very high prey drive. So they might be doing well with training outside, until they see a cat or squirrel in which case they just take off and run in the completely opposite direction!!! This can be very dangerous particularly if they run across a main road or in the path of cyclists. If you don’t have 100% recall on your dog avoid letting him off lead in public spaces until you do. You can hire fields for recall training.
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The Jack Russell Terrier is an intelligent, mischievous, fearless and energetic breed. In order to keep your pup happy and healthy, you need to make sure he or she is getting the proper training. Training a Jack Russell is not as hard as one might think. In fact, if you have the right attitude and make sure to follow some simple tips, your pup will be an obedient and happy dog in no time.
If you don’t train and exercise your dog you could end up with a hyper Jack Russell! We’ve done the research for you so take a look at this article to get started on training your Jack Russell Terrier today!
What to Expect from Puppy Training?
It’s been said that the Jack Russell Terrier is a smart breed and they pick up on behavior very quickly. Even though the puppy training will generally happen over several weeks it can be done in literally a couple of minutes. The first thing to do is to reach out for help from your dog’s breeder and/or prior dog owner. They are both experts in their field and have witnessed previous training sessions. They will have plenty of valuable advice, but you can also ask for directions on what must be done or what not to do.
It’s very important to start out right away with puppy training. If you’ve had a difficult time with a previous dog, your owner may not have taken the time to train him properly. You can help prevent the same thing from happening again by simply putting in some effort at the very beginning. Doing so will give you an overall satisfaction and will save you from having to repeat puppy training in the future.
What Is The First Step In Training?
The first step that must be taken is to teach your pup not to chew on anything he shouldn’t be chewing on. It is essential that all household furniture be covered in order to prevent your Jack Russell Terrier from reaching for it and tearing the fabric, or worse, swallowing something he shouldn’t be ingesting.
Give your pup a male imitator toy to play with. You can either make the toy yourself or purchase one at a store such as Walmart. The toy must resemble an object that will not be easily ingested. This task may take time and patience, but it will be well worth it in the future when he’s chewing on something he’s not supposed to chew on.
How To Stop a Jack Russell Terrier From Digging?
There are many ways in which you can prevent your dog from digging. You can make sure that he has somewhere to play in a small area, but must learn ground rules about his digging behavior. If he does decide to dig, you can lay down some burlap or some other kind of material around the area where you don’t want him to dig and tell him no when he tries to get back up.
You must make sure that your pup knows what is acceptable and what is not acceptable by giving clear signals such as putting your hand out and saying “stop” when you see him getting into something. You must also talk to him in a firm tone of voice when he misbehaves. Sometimes, a loud noise will be enough to stop your dog from digging.
You can also divert the digging behaviour by giving him somewhere he CAN dig such as his own sandpit!
Getting Started with Puppy Training
Some dogs will need more training than others, which is why it’s very important to start at the beginning. Your Jack Russell Terrier can show you whether or not he is going to be obedient by how much effort he is putting into his puppy training. Some dogs are more easily trained than others, so don’t be discouraged if it takes longer than you thought it would for your pup to get the hang of things.
How to Train a Jack Russell Terrier
The following tips should work well for your pup’s training, but if they don’t it’s important that you continue to train him or her. Every time he misbehaves or shows signs of not being ready to be trained you need to repeat the steps and explain why what you are doing is what must be done. Eventually, this will become second nature for your dog and he will respond quickly.
Make sure you are providing plenty of exercise before and after your dog’s training sessions. The Jack Russell Terrier is an active breed by nature so give him plenty of room to run around during his training sessions. Don’t forget to trim your pup’s nails every now and then as well.
Jack Russell Terrier Basic Obedience
It is important to teach your Jack Russell Obedience commands so that you can develop the bond with him and he knows the basics. Once he has mastered these inside you can then practice them outside too.
Lying Down: This is considered a basic command for the Jack Russell Terrier. He will be lying down in a few seconds when he hears the command. How you say the command also plays a big part in how fast your pup responds. Say it in the same tone of voice as you would when you were speaking to another person. You could even use a soft “please” before saying it so it sounds more like an apology than just giving him an order.
Come: This is an easy one, but you must insist on the dog always coming to you when called to do so. This exercise is the closest thing to having a playtime that your dog will be getting when out of his crate from home. Make sure you get him engaged with you and tell him what a good job he did after your play time together.
Do Not Bite: Your Jack Russell Terrier shouldn’t be biting at your fingers unless it’s for play time, which is why it’s important to make sure this command comes quickly. When he does bite, scream “ouch” and pull away from him so that he gets the message not to do it again.
The Down and Stay Exercise: This is another exercise that is very easy for your dog to learn. It’s a great way to get your pup used to being still for a little bit before moving on. The command can be given in different ways depending on what you want the dog to do. If you wanted him to just lie down, you could say “down” and then wait patiently if he doesn’t fall asleep right away. If you wanted him to stay down, you would say “stay” and then move slowly towards the area where he lies down while giving him praise for staying put. Make sure that when your pup does stay down, he doesn’t move in any way. Even if your dog knows what he is supposed to do, you must not reward him until the exercise is perfect. This will ensure that your dog learns what he’s doing.
