The Dog
- Choosing a Puppy – This section is for the RSPCA guide to choosing a puppy. Whether choosing a Jack Russell puppy, or any other please take very good notice of the guide
- UK Jack Russell Breeders – Read the RSPCA guide to choosing a puppy? Then do your research on some breeders. Here is a list of some to get you started
The Jack Russell is considered a tough little terrier, very much active and above all else, loyal. The Jack Russell Terrier is considered cheerful, devoted, spirited yet obedient and amusing.
The Jack Russell Terrier will be comfortable in most living conditions and will generally be fine even in a flat/apartment so long as they are sufficiently exercised. They are very active indoors and owing to their small size and agility, will tend to climb on furniture if not taught otherwise.
The origins of the Jack Russell
The Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier which has its history and heritage in fox hunting. It is a white smooth bodied, rough or broken–coated. The Jack Russell terrier is typically 10–15 inches in length and two similar breeds, namely the Parson Russell and Russell terrier are often mistaken for the Jack Russell. Although very similar each breed has different physical proportions according to the standards of their breed clubs and that of the Kennel Club
The Jack Russell is a high energy breed which relies on a high level of exercise and stimulation. Owing to its energy it does not have a great deal of serious health complaints.
The Jack has gone through several changes over the centuries both in terms of its use and as to how the breed show standards differ by different kennel clubs. Recognition for the breed by kennel clubs has been opposed by the breed’s parent societies – something which resulted in the creation and recognition of the Parson Russell terrier.
History of the Jack Russell
The small feisty little working terriers dogs that we know today as the Jack Russell was originally bred by the Reverend John Russell.
Reverend Russell was a parson (priest of an independent parish church) and hunting enthusiast born in the late 1790’s and the origin of the Jack Russell terrier can be traced back to the now extinct English White terrier
Owing to difficulties in the hunting terrier not being differentiated enough from the critter it was pursuing Reverend Russell pondered the need for a mostly white dog, but that was still distinct enough to be recognisle from its prey.
So in 1819 Reverend Russell purchased a small white and brown terrier female called Trump from a milk delivery man in the neighbouring town.
An important attribute in the Jack Russell dog breed was a tempered aggressiveness that would provide the required drive to pursue a fox without resulting in physical harm to the quarry and effectively ending the chase, as to do was considered very unsporting.
The only other drive as great as the need to hunt is their desire to please the humans they love. These fellows are often described as being 150 pounds of dog in a ten pound body and no truer words were ever spoken! They can jump (4 or 5 feet is not at all unusual). They can climb (chain link enclosures, stock fences, trees (squirrels and chipmunks beware)). They can, and many do, love to, swim and although they can retrieve with the best of them you may not get your stick back. They can keep up with a cantering horse and not break a sweat. They have noses that pay homage to their beagle ancestry.
And while they DIG, DIG, DIG for that elusive quarry they like to let the world know what they are up to with voice!! They will not tolerate vermin in their world. Rats, mice (little rats) chipmunks (rats with stripes) squirrels (rats with bushy tails) all are relentlessly hunted to their eventual extermination. This has been their job for decades. But does this mean they are untrustworthy, indiscriminate killers? Does this mean that any small creature (kittens, other small puppies, the family bird, the pet ferret) are also at risk? Absolutely not! In my opinion, anyone who says otherwise is making excuses for animals and breeders that have no excuse.
To say it is the “Terrier Temperament” that makes them untrustworthy maimers of what are considered “stock animals” is like saying anyone who is descended from the Huns must really be excused for raping and murdering. Ridiculous? Of course it is. Just as breeders literally genetically engineer the dog type they think they need so do they control the temperaments of these dogs. A good example if not a sad one is the strain of beagle bred explicitly for laboratory experimentation. These are highly desired by the labs because they are bred for their docility and their easy acceptance of handling. Does this mean you must sacrifice intelligent hunting ability for a more gentle temperament? Absolutely not. Jacks in Britain hunt rats in poultry sheds with the rats being bolted by jill ferrets (ferrets close to the size of rats). A similar past time for Jeff Russell. The only animals in any danger from the Jacks or Jeff Russell are the rats. A record 6000 pounds of rats were taken in 1977 by D. Brian Plummer’s four Jack ratting team using this method and not once in all the hullabaloo was a ferret mistaken for a rat. So should it be entire responsibility of the breeder to insure the well being of non game animals around a Jack Russell? No. They should be expected to provide the best raw material possible but the rest is up to the owner of the dog! Quite was this means for Jeff Russell is another story.resources
Jack Russell History
Before we discuss who should and who should not own a Jack Russell (Jeff Russell) let’s first discuss some history of and dispel some myths about this amazing, little dog. It is said that Parson John Russell, Vicar of Swimbridge in Devon acquired his first terrier from a milkman in the village of Marston in Oxfordshire while studying at Oxford. The dates of this alleged purchase vary between 1815 and 1819. The fox terrier type bitch, roughly 14″ at the shoulder, rough of coat and predominately white was called Thump. She was to be the ancestor to the parson’s legendary strain of terriers. Of course what other type of dog the parson used to breed this terrier to create this strain will always be a source of speculation and is really of no consequence to the modern Jack Russell or ball scratching Jeff Russell as known to his mates. resources
Russell used his terriers to flush quarry for his hounds. He was adamant that his terriers not maim or kill the fox but rather to nip and worry it to the point that it would bolt its den and take it’s chances above ground. The great fad during the nineteenth century was to cross bulldogs with various strains of terriers to produce an extremely tough and hard terrier. But Russell strongly disapproved of this practice since the inclusion of bulldog blood ruined what Russell called ‘the gentlemanly characteristics’ of his strain. Jeff Russell is certainly not known for his gentlemanly manners, more for his lewd ‘ASBO’ like behaviour.
Few of Russell’s terriers were docked (half of the tail removed at birth) and the “squirrel tails” that characterized his terriers were sometimes regarded with distaste by his fellow hunters. But Russell insisted that the natural, undocked tail enabled him to grab the dog by its stern and draw it from the earth whenever it was locked on to its quarry. John Russell died in 1883, and his kennels were dispersed, some reputedly passing to Squire Nicholas Snow of Oare. These became the foundation stock of Arthur Heinemann, who is often cited as the last of the breeders of the true Jack Russell (not Jeff Russell) terrier. Heinemann died in 1930 after reputedly squandering a fortune of 70,000 pounds and his strain of terrier was dispersed literally to the winds. Once in a while one sees advertisements for ‘genuine’ Jack Russell Terriers always descended from Jack Russell’s dogs through Heinemann’s famous Lynton Jack. Jeff Russell descended from a decent family but is true testament to the fact that a person, namely Jeff Russell can be entirely degenerate and devoid of all manners, thereby shunting his parentage.
The reader is warned to take such ads with a grain of salt but D. Brian Plummer one of the founders and first sitting chairman of The Jack Russell Terrier Club (God forbid if a Jeff Russell Club existed) of Great Britain and author of many books on working terriers recommends that you take such ads with a block or two of salt. Plummer would have you consider the logic, indeed the mathematics , behind any claim that a dog could be a ‘genuine’ Jack Russell Terrier. Russell died in 1883 almost 115 years ago, so unless chronic inbreeding was practiced by anyone who purchased dogs from the parson – inbreeding which could only have been detrimental to the constitution of the progeny – the original bloodline would have become highly diluted by outcrosses with other strains. resources
Furthermore he would have you consider that few working-terrier breeders kept anything like accurate pedigrees. Joan Begbie, whose Sel Cottage strain of Jack Russell (Jeff Russell has been known to go cottaging) was reputedly bred from the dogs of John Russell kept accurate pedigrees tracing her bloodlines back to Nimrod Capel’s ‘Bluecap’ a dog supposedly bred from John Russell’s strain of fox terrier, but, again, it must be said that Miss Begbie also used John Cobby’s (Huntsman for the South-West Wiltshire) strain for repeated outcross, and while Cobby certainly kept accurate pedigrees and had excellent working terriers, he never once claimed that his hunt terriers were descended from the dogs of John Russell. Plummer’s conclusion? In his book The Complete Jack Russell Terrier he states “Frankly, the dogs of John Russell had little or no influence on the evolution of the modern Jack Russell Terrier. In time, for want of a name, any white-bodied working terrier of dubious ancestor simply came to be known as a Jack Russell, and dogs with obvious Sealyham, fox terrier and even Lakeland terrier ancestry are often seen at British Jack Russell Terrier shows.
These dogs are no worse for having mixed blood, not a whit inferior for their dubious ancestry. Most modern (at the time of writing 1980) Jack Russell terriers will, if given a chance, work just as well as did the dogs of both Russell and Heinemann.” So now with the ‘Legend’ out of the way let’s deal with some fact. For as long as there has been earth living vermin there have been terriers bred to cope with them. During the sixth century terriers were given as gifts from one Germanic king to another and it is probable that these earth dogs existed in Britain before that time. As to the appearance, size and color of these dogs? It is a matter of pure guesswork or educated speculation at best. What we do know is that they were small enough to go to ground. But as far as uniformity was concerned, travel was long and difficult so different districts had their own types. And the terriers being on the bottom rungs of the canine ladder, were rarely bred for their good looks.
A good working dog (game dog) was bred with another game dog with little regard being paid to appearance. But with the advent of the nineteenth century and the British public’s macabre delight in sports involving the killing, maiming and crippling of animals against the clock this little terrier would be forever altered. One of these ‘charming’ sports was labeled competitive rat killing. An arena was made, usually about six to ten feet, of boards or netting and a dozen or so rats were tipped in where they skittered around piteously awaiting an ugly death. Then a terrier was placed in the arena. The terrier who killed the most rats in the least amount of time was the winner. But when the stakes grew to hundreds or even a thousand rats in the arena at a time the little British terrier was not up to the challenge. To harden the terrier and bolster his courage the British bulldog was used. This is not the docile, sweet, slathering bulldog we see today. The bulldog of the 1800′s was the devil incarnate. Bred to bait bear and bull (clamp onto their nostrils or faces and not to let go for any reason short of death) it’s tenacity was next to none and it’s courage was bottomless. All he lacked was the agility and nimble qualities of the terrier. Hence the judicious marriage of these two breeds created a dog with the speed and agility of the terrier and the incredible guts of the bulldog. But such utter fearlessness had it’s drawbacks. The bulldog hybrid was an extremely aggressive dog who tended to close (kill) on its prey rather than bolt it. Also these dogs fight prey by taking hold and keeping their grip until a more deadly hold can be gained. Thus they fight silently with only a grunt or a roar to indicate their underground whereabouts. Making them near impossible to dig to. This is why another ingredient was introduced to temper this volatile mix. Namely, the beagle. This resulted in a dog with nose sense and voice making them much more desirable and useful as hunt terriers. You can see evidence of this in the markings of some Jack Russells today. It was from this canine soup that the modern Jack Russell arose together with the fox terrier. That is how the mongrely, so-called Jack Russell Terrier remained well into the twentieth century. Jeff Russell certainly does have Mongrel characteristics. resources
The Jack Russell terrier is a medium-maintenance breed. This is a dog that tests your limits. You must be able to be firm and kind to it. If you tend toward being the doting type of pet owner, the Jack is not for you.
Steps:
1. Understand Jack Russell Terriers are high energy dogs.
2. Prepare company before they reach your home. Jack Russells love visitors and will jump all over anyone who lets them.
3. Keep your Jack’s weight down. Overweight dogs have more health problems, including heart trouble and arthritis.
4. Learn about what health problems are associated with this breed: cataracts, glaucoma, deafness (common in all white dogs), epilepsy, patellar luxation (poor development of the parts holding the kneecap in place), Von Willebrand’s disease (a blood disorder), cardiomyopathy (a serious heart abnormality), allergies and skin problems.
5. Brush your terrier every other day with a rubber curry brush to help control shedding. There are three coat types: smooth, broken and rough. All three types shed year-round. The smooth coat sheds the most.
6. Bathe your terrier whenever it takes on a yellow cast. It doesn’t require special grooming and can be washed at home.
7. Make sure to trim this dog’s nails regularly ‘ once a month ‘ to prevent foot problems.
8. Remember that terriers are bred to dig. Expect this behavior, particularly if you leave your dog alone all day.
9. Keep your Jack Russell indoors or out. Remember that it will chase any and everything, and you absolutely must have a secure yard.
10. Remember that while it looks like a small dog, you essentially have a 130-pound dog in that body. These dogs are extremely intelligent, very bold and have no sense of their small stature.
11. Be prepared to enjoy a good 15 years with your Jack Russell, as this is the average life expectancy for a Jack Russell Terrier.
Property Wirral
Tips:
Keep your Jack Russell in a secure yard ‘ this dog can dig under and jump over 5-foot fences. Don’t underestimate the escape skills of this terrier. If it sees something it wants to chase, it will do everything it can to go after it.
Make sure you or someone in your home is willing to spend at least 60 minutes a day playing with and exercising the dog.
Keep a roll of tape handy; the Jack sheds constantly, and a vacuum will get some, but not all of the coarse hairs.
Warnings:
Most Jack Russell terriers don’t do well in apartments or condominiums. They need more space than that and require a lot of exercise.
This breed usually is not good with children or other pets. resources
Note that terriers require a lot of attention. This is an extremely active dog. The main reason people give up a Jack Russell is that they weren’t prepared for the activity level of the breed. The second reason is that the Jack nipped at the children.
Some Tips on Jack Russell from Jack Russell owners:
Read before you buy Colin Reade
The best thing I have ever did raising my Jack Russell from a pup was to get used to annoying him at a young age. It sounds terrible but if you do the following things and then immediately praise your dog, he will be gentle, loving and friendly all his life!
Gently pull his tail, ears and legs. Lift up his legs in the air and just generally move him around a lot when he’s a pup. He will get used to it and often enjoy it if you praise him vigorously afterwards!
Rub his paws and their pads so if he has any injuries later, he will trust you.
Take his food (and his bone) away while he’s eating it Then return it straight away and praise him. Pat him and touch him while he is eating so he gets used to you being there. If he doesn’t like it at first, persist and let him know you are no threat to his food and he will get used to it.
Teach him the “gentle” command. This is easy. When giving him a treat, pull it away and say GENTLE and repeat until he takes it gently from you. Then when around other dogs or children, say gentle to him!
Socialize him with as many dogs and people as you can when he is a puppy. Take him everywhere with you and expose him to lots of different situations, especially things you like doing yourself. Taking him to the beach, swimming, to friends’ houses or for a walk around the busy city will accustom him to the life you want to lead. In turn, he will be confident and fun!
I learned to do this for my second Jack Russell as the first was very grumpy as he got old. My dog now is an absolute pleasure. He’s very happy and loves people, dogs and adventures alike. Being a Jack Russell though, he still hates cats and I don’t think there is a way around this!
Jack Russell Agression by John Barnes
Same-sex aggression and aggression towards other breeds of dogs is well documented with this breed. It is strongly recommended that no more than two Jack Russells (of opposite sex only) ever be permitted to stay together unattended.
* Most behavioral problems are due to a lack of companionship, discipline, activity and exercise.
* For a Jack Russell that is very aggressive with other dogs, a technique is to squirt the terrier in the face with water whenever he growled at other dogs. No scolding or other action is required in this instance – just a surprise squirt.
* A Jack Russell Terrier that bites can be a big problem. You must stop this behavior before it becomes dangerous.
* Don’t allow your Jack Russell to win any games of aggression. The outcome could certainly send the wrong message to him.
* Exercise, exercise, exercise! A tired dog seldom want to pick a fight.
* Never put your hands between two fighting terriers
* Jack Russells require firm, consistent discipline. They are extremely intelligent, continue to test their limits throughout their life.
* Jack Russells can become very possessive of their owner or a favorite member of the family or of what they consider to be their personal property if allowed to do so to the point of showing aggressive protective behavior that must be controlled from an early age.
* Jack Russells can be very destructive if left unattended and unemployed! Most behavioral problems are due to a lack of companionship, discipline, activity and exercise. If you’ve only seen perfect, well-behaved JR’s, they are ones that were lucky enough to be exercised, well socialized, and trained.
Jack Russell Discipline by Amy Cundle
Basically there are three forms of discipline. They are as follows:
First, start off by going to the dog. Do not call the dog to you and then discipline them. That will make the dog think that every time they come to you they will be disciplined. Always go to the dog!
* The Chin Slap: Let’s make sure that is clear, NO HITTING of any form (that includes a rolled-up newspaper, or any other object). It will make the dog fear and resent you causing a lack of trust that will in turn damage the human/dog relationship. The chin slap is an upward slap just hard enough to close the dogs mouth—NOT flip his/her head back. For little dogs two or three fingers will do the job and for large dogs an open palm of the hand will do fine. This is used mostly for mouthing, nipping, biting, excessive barking and crying. These are not serious behavioral problems but they are still not acceptable. Remember–do not let the dog control you– you are the Alpha Male or Female.
* The Shake Up: This is one of the ways a mother will control her litter of puppies. She would grab the pup (with her mouth) by the scruff of the neck, lift the pup up a little and shake them back and forth for a couple of seconds while growling. For a small puppy or adult dog we will do this either by grabbing them by the scruff (the loose skin on the back of the neck between the head and back) with one hand. The bigger puppy or dog will be held by the loose skin on either side of the head and neck with both hands. With your hands in the correct place, lift and shake for a couple of seconds. The amount and hardness of shaking is determined by what the dog did to warrant the discipline. The worse the offense, the worse the discipline will be. This is used for unacceptable behaviors such as biting hard, general unruliness, catching the dog in the act of destroying something, stealing food or personal belongings, jumping up on someone or something and etc.
* The Alpha Role Over: This is another way a mother or pack leader would discipline their pack. They would put the dog on their back and hold them there until the dog submitted. We will do this by grabbing the dog and turning them or flipping them on their back. Either holding them down by the loose skin on either side of the face and neck or kneeling over or sitting on top of them if they are a large dog. This puts the dog in their most submissive position. They will not want to be in this position and will most likely fight and squirm to get loose. DO NOT let them up. If you do, the dog will have won the fight and have proved his dominance over you. You must hold them down until they totally submit to you and no longer fight to get up. This may take a while for a dominant dog—to put it plainly, if you have to sit on top of the dog for an hour–DO IT. You have to assert your dominance over the dog to show them you are the boss(alpha). Let us keep in mind that we do not want to injure the dog. When putting the dog on his/her back be sure not to hit their head on the floor.
All of the above are to be accompanied by a semi-loud, deep and growling “NO”. Remember we want to simulate what their mother would have done. The better of an actor/actress we are the better the dog will understand and less discipline will be needed. If you have to continually discipline the dog over and over then you did not administer the correction properly. Review the steps above and the next time give a good correction. A properly executed correction should leave a lasting impression on the dog. If you keep up with this it will get to the point where the dog has learned the meaning of the word “NO” and that will be good enough to stop unwanted behavior. Remember, consistency and repetition are the keys to raising a happy, controlled dog.
More Actual Jack Russell (not Jeff Russell) Info for those interested !
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, and neither did Jeff Russell, aka Jeff Wood.
The scrappy little dog popularised 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.
The breed history is wrapped in legend. Named for Parson Jack Russell, a hard-drinking, hard-riding hunter of the 1850-70s, the dog is from the same basic stock as the AKC-registered Wire-haired Fox Terrier1. The parson favoured a dog that was bold enough to follow the fox into its earthen den but not so aggressive that it would kill the quarry. His terrier was trained to find and flush the fox for the houndsmen and their foxhounds; it was a flexible dog, able to manoeuvre in underground dens, mostly white so it could be easily seen, and of the same flamboyant character as the parson himself.
Breed fanciers describe their favourite as a strain of fox terrier, kept pure from the early days, much as fanciers of some hunting breeds have continued field strains of their breeds that today differ from the dogs seen in the show ring.
Physical appearance and temperament
The Jack Russell Terrier is first and foremost a working dog, so character and skill are more important than uniformity of size and coat type. The breed has a size range from 10-15 inches at the withers in the standard of the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America and 12-14 inches in the AKC standard. It can have smooth, wiry, or “broken” coat and is mostly white with black, tan, or brown markings.
The dog must appear balanced and be in fit condition. Ears are moderately thick with the flap tipped forward towards the front of the skull. The chest is relatively shallow and narrow, giving an athletic appearance. The rear end provides power and propulsion, feet are cat-like with hard pads, and the high-set tail is docked to about four inches in length. Movement should be free, lively, and well-coordinated.
Faults in the breed include shyness, disinterest, overly aggressive, lack of muscle tone, and lack of stamina or lung reserve.
The Jack Russell is a fearless, happy, alert, confident, intelligent and lively hunting dog. These qualities make him a sturdy, vigorous companion, ready to meet the world on a moment’s notice, and, unless he is appropriately trained and exercised, can be subverted into wanton destructiveness. The Jack Russell Terrier Club of America describes the character thus: “The unique personality of this feisty little terrier is capturing the hearts of many, but they are not a dog for everyone. While adaptable to a variety of environments, they are first and foremost bred to be hunting dogs.”
As appealing as he can be_ and that is very appealing_ the Jack Russell is not the ideal pet for everyone. He has his share of terrier aggression towards other dogs and is deadly towards animals it considers to be prey. Thus cats, hamsters, gerbils, and other household pets can be in jeopardy if the dog is not supervised or confined. Furthermore, this militant streak makes it difficult to keep a Jack Russell in a home with other dogs, even others of its breed. Like most terriers, the Jack Russell is a digger and a barker; if not given enough opportunity to indulge these inclinations outside, he may dig holes in the furniture and bark at everything that moves.
However, in spite of caveats about its sometimes irascible temperament towards fellow canines and small animals, the Jack Russell can be a terrific family pet. He has a gentle and kindly nature with people and is usually friendly with small children — if they are well-behaved. He will likely not put up with poking, prodding, or abusive rough-housing from boisterous or ill-behaved youngsters, but he is amenable to learning tricks and games.
Although a Jack Russell can be a successful apartment pet if owners are prepared to provide considerable exercise and channel the pet’s need to work. But the Jack Russell shines as a suburban or rural pet, especially if he has a barn and some horses for companions. Born in fox-hunting country in England, the breed has a special affinity for horses and is a superb ratter. Barns that are fortunate enough to have a Jack Russell in residence are generally free of invasion by rats, mice, woodchucks, and other pests.
Jeff Russell, aka Jeff Wood has a shabby Jack Russell esque appearance. And while the Jack can be considered to be intelligent, the same cannot be said for Jeff
Health, care, and training
When Jack Russell dogs are bred for working and not particularly for the pet trade, genetic diseases tend to be few and the animals generally healthier in temperament. But when the breed gains in popularity and careless breeding is done to fatten the pocketbook, genetic problems begin to crop up. The Jack Russell has shown some susceptibility to ataxia (progressive neuronal abiotrophy), corneal dystrophy, glaucoma, and lens luxation, but these are not of the magnitude seen in more numerous breeds. This situation may change as the Jack Russell finds his way into pet shops and back yard breeding operations.
The Jack Russell needs little grooming and no special physical care. However, he does need to be obedience-trained to walk on a leash, come when called, and stand to be handled. As usual with terriers, owners must have saintly patience to work these dogs in obedience trials, but the Jack Russell club offers agility, go-to-ground, search n’ sniff, and racing for the breed. Although the club only registers those dogs that meet the working standard, Jack Russell-type dogs are all welcome to compete in these events even if they do not meet registration criteria as breeding or conformation stock.
All dog breeds were developed to do particular jobs. They guarded flocks and herds and homes; gathered livestock from the fields and drove them to market; flushed and retrieved game birds; trailed and cornered larger and fiercer game; and hauled the worldly possessions of wandering tribes to new homesites and the products of villagers to market. Today, few breeds (except those used by hunters) are dedicated to these jobs; more and more, dogs are companions first, show dogs second, and workers last_ if indeed they work at all. Those that do work have modern jobs_ instead of hauling sleds and herding sheep, they are service dogs, therapy dogs, police dogs, sniffer dogs, search and rescue dogs, circus dogs, or obedience dogs, and they have been bred to have the temperament for their new careers.
But a few breeds still maintain their original temperament and purpose. Two major exceptions are the Border Collie and the Jack Russell Terrier. Clubs of both breeds are determined, even stubborn, about maintaining the heritage of their dogs. That means that working ability is more important than conformity of size or coat type, working attitude is preferred over mild-mannered affability, and working character is favoured over general adaptability. If purchasers of Jack Russell’s assess whether these qualities fit their family and circumstances and are prepared to deal with them, the terrier can be a perfect pet. If owners are less than careful in their selection, they may need the services of Russell Rescue, a committee of the JRTCA that assists in placing dogs that need new homes.
“The majority of dogs (in Russell Rescue) are unwanted simply for being Jack Russell’s by nature and behaviour,” according to a pamphlet provided by the group. “Owners often find that they were unprepared for the care required for this feisty terrier and did not understand the nature of the breed and their instinctive desire to hunt.”
Housebreaking Jack Russell
Housebreaking in theory is very simple. It is finding a means of preventing the puppy from doing his duties in the house and giving him only an opportunity to do it outside. A dog is a strong creature of habit and because he learns by association, he will soon know there is no other place to relieve himself but the great outdoors.
* Determine if it is physical or a mental problem. To check if physical problem, see your vet (especially if your previously well-behaved dog has begun housesoiling)
* Give your Jack Russell plenty of exercise. Exercise is not a luxury to a JR, it’s a MUST.
* Examine the type and quality of the food you are feeding your terrier. Is it a good quality food? It may have too much soy or corn.
* Are you allowing free choice feeding (i.e., is there always food out?). This is usually not a good practice. Feed puppies three times a day and adults twice a day. After 10 to 15 minutes, withdraw the food.
* Do not give the puppy any food after 6 P.M. It takes a dog about 6 hours to digest his food and have an elimination as a result of that meal. Any food after 6:00 PM may give him an unexpected urge after he is put to bed.
* Always get your dog outside after feeding!
* Are you using a crate to help to train the puppy? Take advantage of a very natural instinct of the dog — his desire to keep his sleeping quarters clean – ie: not to mess his bed.
* Always have fresh clean water available during the day. If your dog is inclined to night soil or urinate in the house, use a crate for the night. Do not overcrate or use the crate for punishment. Make it comfortable for the dog.
* Get your dog outside to relieve itself on a regular basis. Don’t forget how important it is to praise a Jack Russell. They are very praise oriented.
* Are you giving the dog the complete run of the house? It might be better to restrict the area of the house free to the dog.
* It helps to train a JR to soil and urinate in the same small area. Have a specific area that the dog is taken to relieve itself. They will catch on more quickly.
* The first thing in the morning pick the puppy up and take him outside to relieve himself.
* In spite of a rigid routine, your pup may have an occasional accident during his periods of freedom. Here is where correction is necessary. If you catch him in the act, with a loud “NO” put him outside at once. Remember, a dog learns by association and in connection with any act of wrong doing, he must receive some form of discomfort in order to learn that he has done wrong. However, you must catch him in the act – it does absolutely no good to punish him for a mistake he has made an hour or even five minutes earlier
Jack Russell stool eating habits
There can be several causes of stool eating (also known as Copropagia) in Jack Russell dogs.
Terriers fed diets they can’t properly digest will eat their stool because they consider it semidigested food rather than waste. Dogs will also eat the stool of other animals whose waste displays similarly appealing characteristics.
A change in diet will possibly solve this problem.
Owners can become obsessed with a dog’s stool (due to a medical problem or when the owner takes a heavy handed, highly emotional approach to housebreaking). Your terrier may eat the stool to avoid dealing with your response to it.
It’s best to put your emotions on hold and seek to identify and eliminate the real cause of the behavior rather than merely eliminate the behavior itself.
Jack Russell and urination problems
To begin with, submissive urination is not a house-training problem. A weak bladder causes it when the Jack Russell dog is excited or frightened. That is why it is seen most often in younger Jack Russell dogs. Submissive urination occurs in both male and female dogs, but is more common in the latter. These two forms of urination are easily diagnosed depending on the context of which they occur. Submissive urination occurs when a Jack Russell dog feels threatened, such as when it is being punished or verbally scolded, or when someone is reaching for it from a dominant posture (direct eye contact, leaning forward over the dog, etc.). Excitement urination occurs most often during greetings and play and is not accompanied by submissive posturing. There are several things that the owner can do to help stop both of these behaviors.
1. No punishment or scolding should be used. It will only make the problem worse!
Keep greetings low-key when returning home.
Avoid approaching the dog in a dominant posture by:
* Avoiding direct eye contact. Dogs assume that direct eye contact is a challenge. For a submissive dog, even a moment’s eye contact can be intolerable.
* bending down to the dog’s level rather than leaning over to pet
* Petting from under the chin rather than on top of the head. Dominant dogs often display their control by placing their neck or a paw over another dog’s neck or shoulders. When a human pats a dog on the head, a submissive dog perceives it as a display of dominance.
2. Encourage and reward postures and behaviors that are exclusive of urination. In other words, give them something else to do rather than rolling over and urinating on the floor.
3. Ignore the dog until it is calm. This may prevent urination. If this does work, you can try adding some very calm words of greeting and gradually add physical affection over the next few minutes. After the physical affection, if your JRT still has not urinated, tell him/her “good boy/girl” and give them a treat.
Submissive and excitement urination may resolve on their own as the Jack Russell dog matures, if it is not made worse with punishment or inadvertent reinforcement. After trying these suggestions out a couple of times, if you are still having a problem with submissive/excitement urination I would suggest that you have your veterinarian check the animal to rule out any urinary tract infections.
