Mika has been a much easier dog to train than DJ. I think it must be the Doberman blood in her. We can feel free to walk her without a leash, she will follow us and happily obey verbal commands. Neither myself or Ayako had any real knowledge of how to train a dog before we got her, Mika just seems to enjoy living in a structured daily routine, and especially likes performing tasks that require some discipline. D.J. is the opposite. He responds very poorly to discipline and rules, and is much more cooperative when he believes that a certain task is fun. In any case, I have read that Jack Russell Terriers and Beagles both are basically impulsive dogs that cannot help themselves when presented with something interesting. The most important thing to remember about dogs like D.J. is that they do need to be protected from themselves. I can say without a doubt that D.J. and Mika have taught us as much as we have them. Of course, that is one of the rewards of having a dog.