Character of jack russell terriers

It is  mainly, because of its great character that the jack russell terrier is a dog much "en vogue" the last years,especially as a "pet"(family -dog).

But this dog is at first a terrier,  a hunting dog with a strong personnality!

It is not a "nervous" dog,as the majority of  people claim ,who never stops moving here and there , breaking everything appearing on its sight.If many of you are owners of such a jack,then it must be a breeding fault,an éducation fault-which is very frequent-or a dog bought in a "pet-shop".

It is certainly a very energetic little terrier,pleasant ,active who needs absolutely to get rid of its energy.The best thing for him is to live in a home with a garden, and  get some rounds per day in an open place(parc,farm,forest ect),without a leach,free to play and run,spending himself and develloping his muscles.

Unfortunately most people living in town,in appartements,are not capable to offer him this essential need ,to get rid of his energy,which causes behaviour problems (agressivity,nervousness,destructions at home,exessif barking...).It is very embarassing for him to be kept on a leach ,make a walk around the building and return back into the appartement.Better is ,if you live in town,not to have a jack russell terrier,or if you own one ,to go out with him 2-3 times/day(at least 30'-1h) in a big parc,let him run free,play with other dog-mates and in week-ends,drive him far away from town(sea,forest....).When you return back home from your daily walks ,he will be so happy,that he will take a good nap,-instead of breaking everything- which gives you your calm for some hours.!Weaken up he would love to play with his toys,essential for a jrt who needs to be "occupied",to turn into a well-balanced ,with sound temperament ,dog.Doing nothing hits into his nerves!If you are an old person or someone who loves "sitting" instead of "moving",then better for you is a frensh bouledogue or a pekinjee.....a jack russell will turn your life into hell!

Even if jack russell as a pet, doesn't hunt,his instinct of going after something is very alive in his genes and soul.In theses moments,for example,when chassing your neighbour's cat, it is very difficult to make him obey,to distract him with your orders. It is because of this hunting instinct and their independance that many jrt are hit by cars.That's another story to make this dog obey outside.Begin trainning very early (8 weeks) is very important.Firmness,consistence,strength of character,severity and humour are absolutely essential!A not well raised jack russell is a disaster!

"They enjoy hunting just as as much as a good romp in the garden with children":thanks to his cheerfulness,his taste of playing and his vitality,till an advanced age(15years old),he can be  a great friend for children.However,children under 6 years of age,must be under supervision ,if they are in presence of a jack russell(and any other dog),because they don't have yet the maturity,to imply the dog inside playing,according to their rules and this may cause accidents(a jack won't tolerate to be pulled from his tail for a long time!).According to my experience ,and within discussions with other owners and breeders,jack russells,love children and tend to protect them,instead of considering them as a hunting victim.We must explain to the child that when he runs he "asks" the dog to chasse him,not for biting him ,but for having fun with him.....we must try to make the child feel confident with the dog and not to be afraid of it,as most of people do.

The majority of books about jrt,speak mainly about Parson's temperament.Some of theses books mention that 2 or more jrts is an unbearable  situation, because of their vitality and their great agressivity between them.This is false!The truth is that jrt of same sex, don't get along very well,because of hierarchization problems(dominant male ,dominant female).Sometimes you have to act yourself to stop the quarrell.But if  have grown together from puppy age,(it is the same for jacks and other species,for example cats),the problems are minimal.If you introduce a new jack-mate into your own adult jack russell territory and if this one is well accepted,it could be a very pleasant situation for a person who knows how to react with his dogs.Furthermore when they are more than one,they occupie themselves,having fun together-some quarrels for a ball are possible of course-and allow you to rest for a while!Anyway,if you want a second jrt at your place,think about it a lot,get informed and be ready to have a happy,pleasant ,active life!

This little dog has high level intelligence ,superior to the average intelligence of dogs.Very often he will try to make a fool of you,to play comedy,to make a clown of himself, to fix his own limits and to make you feel like an idiot!It is the humoristic side of jrt,his  way to make you and your friends laugh a lot ,making himself  one of the best anti -stress and anxiolytic drugs! It is thanks to his funny,smart ,keen face,full of expression coupled to his great character that everyone can get hooked by jack russell terriers!But don't make the mistake to think that  your dog will  absolutely be just like all the very well trained jacks you see on TV  and that needs professional experience to be possible.It is your work and strong character,since very early(8 weeks of age) that will make a jack  give you the best of him and make you an accro fan of the breed!

Briefly,a jack russell is a little terrier,with a great character;it is a block of ennergy stored in a small package,a little dog who thinks and acts like a big one,remarquably brave for his size ."A small dog with a big heart",say Australian people,who needs a master who has a great sense of humour and a stronger character than his dog!It is as simple as that, to be happy with jack russell "terrors"!

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