Jack Russells are lively little dogs. They are full of character and simply lap up affection; that’s when they not off chasing a ball or trying to hunt something. I can speak of this with experience as we have a little Jack Russell ourselves. They make wonderful family pets but tend to shy away from small children if they become too rough with them.

A little Background

it is thought that the Jack Russell Terrier originated from cross breeding of the Parson Russell Terrier with some other small terrier breeds such as the Welsh Corgi.

The Jack Russell’s Characteristics

• It’s probably no surprise that this breed was originally used for fox hunting. Their small size makes them very agile for running quickly and burrowing down fox or rabbit holes.
• Jack Russells can be single minded. I have seen our Jack Russell positioned at the base of a tree, totally absorbed by a bird or some other kind of animal that is perched in one of the branchese. The little dog can stay there all day, totally oblivious to his other surroundings.
• If you once take away the ball or the toy that your Jack Russell is obsessed with, he will remember that he is feeling cold and quicly look to snuggle up or curl up in his bed. So he needs lots of exercise to keep him warm and to settle him down.
• Our Jack Russell is somewhat sensitive. Now that he is a grown dog, I would liken him to a gentleman with lots of manners. He is so polite when he takes food from your hand to eat, not like out little Maltese Shihtzu that would probably take your fingers too and not even notice.

How to Train a Jack Russell

• Jack Russell puppies tend to be “full of beans”. They are so active and then all of a sudden will plop and take a nap. So getting them to sit still and concentrate on your obedience lesson can be a big ask. That is why you need to make each lesson real fun and challenging. Foir example, Jack Russells love chasing balls so much that they can become quite transfixed watching the ball in your hand, waiting for you to release it. While he is captivated by what’s in your hand, start giving the command that you want to teach; when he responds you can give him what he is after, in this case a toss of the ball.
• Jack Russells, in their exuberance, tend to love to jump up. This is an irritating habit and one that is hard to break once it is ingrained. So be sure to avoid encouraging your little puppy to jump up to get attention and be sure to implement some Stop Dog Jumping training if the habit starts to appear.
• The “come here” training is essential with a Jack Russell. Our little puppy was somewhat of an escape artist when we first brough him home and certainly had selective hearing when it came to getting him to respond to his name. So it is essential that you use his name when you want him to come to you so that he knows who he is and it is important to do some treat-rewarding lessons every time he returns to you as a result.

Potty Training a Jack Russell Puppy

In particular start potty training your Jack Russell puppy as soon as he arrives home. It will only take a few days for your little puppy to start to get the idea of what you want, if done from the beginning and correctly. The tips in our article, Potty Training a Pup, can give you some great guidelines to start with so that you can have a well house-trained Jack Russell dog.

Once house trained, try to train your Jack Russell to let you know when he needs to go outside if you don’t have a doggy door. Our Jack Russell always goes to the door and just stairs in our direction somehow assumng that we will pick up his thoughts and respond accordingly. It would be heaps better if he could make a little noise to alert us.

Have fun with your affectionate, ball-of-enery Jack Russell Terrier.

~ Bright Dog Tips