Should you own a Jack Russell Terrier?

I found an interesting article the other day about how some new owners are stunned when they start training their Jack Russell’s.

Here’s an excerpt ….
In the early and mid-1980s, psychologists and wanna-bes flooded the market with self-help books to encourage people to be assertive without being aggressive, to stand up for themselves, to stop acting like wimps in their relationships.
The Jack Russell Terrier never needed such counsel.

The scrappy little dog popularized in television comedies and commercials and on the big screen is the epitome of the assertive and energetic personality: he’s bold, brash, vigorous, and supremely self-confident, characteristics that often stun owners who thought they were purchasing a couch potato or a lap dog.”

This sums up what is so true about Training Jack Russell Terriers. They are not lap dogs. They are big dogs in a little dog’s body.

The Jack Russell Terrier, is free from many of the hereditary afflictions associated with so many of today’s pedigree breeds of dog.

When embarking on the search for a puppy, you should be sure that this is the right breed for you and your family.

The Jack Russell has a strong but rewarding personality. The Jack Russell was bred as a worker, and retains many of the attributes first bred for in a Terrier.

The Jack Russell Terrier is bred with a brain and will know how to use that brain to his best advantage. This can inevitably be good or bad. Depending on how he is handled and trained correctly, the Jack Russell Terrier will make an excellent family pet.

The key to training a Jack Russell, is to start early and be consistent.

Doing a Vet Check on your Jack Russell Terrier

The importance of the physical examination should not be underestimated in case of all dogs. Simple but systematic physical examination techniques may help diagnose many of the disorders in dogs and therefore, without physical examination of the dog, it is impossible to know the status of your Jack Russell’s health.

In order that the Vet will be able to examine your pet in the case of vaccinations, general health concerns and emergencies, it is important that your Jack Russell gets used to being handled and examined in his own environment. The more your pet is used to being examined, the easier it will be down the track when it is really important. Doing Vet checks regularly allows you to recognize many problems and have them treated.

The long term aim is for your Jack Russell to eventually become comfortable enough to be examined lying down on their side and back without becoming distressed. This is part of the bonding process between you and your Jack Russell and will become second nature to both of you in due course.

Here are a number of routine checks you should make to ensure your Jack Russell is clean, fit and healthy:

· Gums and teeth for signs of tartar buildup and gum disease.

· Ears (smell for any discharge); if he frequently shakes his head and scratches his ears and whimpers, he may have ear mites.

· Eyes(check around both) for discharge or any foreign objects. If weeping persists, seek veterinary advice.

 ·Nails should be checked regularly to ensure nails haven’t curled around and pushing back into the paws.

·Skin around the top of the nail needs to be checked for signs of infection. If it looks swollen and red, seek veterinary advice.

·Pads can become split and cracked. Check for foreign objects that may have become embedded in the pad. Seek veterinary advice.

·Check around their bottoms for any discharge. Seek veterinary advice.

·Feel for breaks in the tail (if it is not docked already). This is easily done by light moving your fingers down his tail and can be quite common. A broken tail can be quite painful for your dog.

A fit, clean and healthy Jack Russell will continue to be a loyal loving companion for many years to come.

Teaching your Jack Russell Terrier to Sit

There is a general “process” to teaching, no matter what you want your Jack Russell to do. The solution is to get your dog to carry out the act and at that precise instant give the instruction for the act, then praise your dog and reward him with a treat. After a while, he will get the message and connect the act with the instruction.

Given below are some ways you can teach your dog the most fundamental instruction – Sit.

1. The first thing you have to do is to get your Jack Russell puppy or dog to connect the action of sitting with the instruction. To do this, merely spend time with your dog and when he sits give the “sit” instruction.

2. Going down to your dog’s height will allow you to give his reward (treat) faster, so grab a handful of bite sized treats and get down on the floor.

3. Take the treat up above the dog’s head. He will smell the food and go behind it with his nose. This act will compel him to sit – or backup, but we are hopeful for the sitting act.

4. The solution to the teaching is to give the reward at the precise instant the dog sits, but you have got to also give the instruction at that instant as well so that he links the instruction with act. Hence when your dog sits, you should say “sit”, following it up by right away giving him the treat.

5. Shower praise on your dog – demonstrate delight in your voice; this will actually make him act in response. Such as “YES”! “Good Boy”!

6. Go over three to five times at each sitting but no more than that. Training should be enjoyable and not an unpleasant task, so do not go over the top with it in one sitting.

It is preferable to have more than a few sittings all through the day.

When you take the time to teach your Jack Russell dog, you get much more than just a dog that obeys you. He is keen to do things with you. He grasps to pay attention when you say his name. He gets accustomed to being with you and doing things on your command. Through Jack Russell Training your stance as a person in charge is made stronger. You should aim to train a couple of minutes every day on working his “tricks”. This sort of recurring reinforcement will help him to keep in mind what he is supposed to do and in addition generate the bond between you and him.