Anyone have a Jack Russell?

[packrat]

This is the breed JD wants next. We''re hoping to get one around September. I just wondered if anyone here had one and what they could tell me about them. We''ll be getting a female,regular sized, not the short legged kind.

 

[gemgirl]

I have a Jack/Rat named Bella. She is a designer cross-breed (Jack Russell/Rat Terrier, bred by a family who has bred and shown dogs for decades). I don''t know if I can help because she''s not a pure Jack but she definitely has all of the Jack''s qualities and tendencies.

I have known a few people who''ve owned Jacks and what you have to know and accept is that they need loads of attention (the world is really all about them), and they are very resistant to training.

 

[Rock_of_Love]

My neighbor has one...get ready for a dog with LOTS of energy!! Seriously, I don''t think that dog ever calms down.

I think it really depends on your temperament. Personally, I couldn''t have one...I think I''m too mellow and a Jack Russell would probably give me anxiety!! But, if you are a very active person, this is a dog that will keep up with you. Hiking, jumping (they have springs on their feet - ha ha!), you could train them for agility and other dog trials - I hear they are really good at that.

 

[whitby_2773]

hi packrat

i think this joke says it all - look for ''jack russells'' in the list of breeds...


How Many Dogs Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb?

GOLDEN RETRIEVER: The sun is shining. The day is young. We''ve got our whole lives ahead of us, and you''re inside worrying about a stupid burned out bulb?

BORDER COLLIE: Just one. And then I''ll replace any wiring that''s not up to code.

DACHSHUND: You know I can''t reach that stupid lamp!

ROTTWEILER: Make me.

LAB: Oh, me, me!!!! Pleeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I?

GERMAN SHEPHERD: I''ll change it as soon as I''ve led these people from the dark, checked to make sure I haven''t missed any, and made just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.

TIBETIAN TERRIER: Let the Border Collie do it. You can feed me while he''s busy.

JACK RUSSELL TERRIER: I''ll just pop it in while I''m bouncing off the ceiling.

POODLE: I''ll just blow in the Border Collie''s ear and he''ll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

COCKER SPANIEL: Why change it? I don''t need light to pee on the carpet.

DOBERMAN: While it''s dark, I''m going to sleep on the couch.

BOXER: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark....

CHIHUAHUA: Yo quiero Taco Bulb.

IRISH WOLFHOUND: Can somebody else do it? I''ve got this hangover....

POINTER: I see it. There it is. There it is, right there....

GREYHOUND: It isn''t moving. Who cares?

AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD: First, I''ll put all the light bulbs in a little circle...

OLD ENGLISH SHEEP DOG: Light bulb? I''m sorry, but I don''t see a light bulb....

HOUND DOG: ZZZZZZzzzzz.z.z.z..z..z..z...z

CAT: Dogs do not change light bulbs. People change light bulbs. So, the question is: How long will it be ! before I can expect some light and some decent service??

ALL OF WHICH PROVES, ONCE AGAIN, THAT WHILE DOGS HAVE MASTERS, CATS HAVE STAFF.

 

[lucyandroger]

I grew up with a Jack Russell. He''s currently 11 yrs. old, living with my mom.

They have TONS of energy and really need to be active. You should make sure you have time to take her for lots of long walks or have a big yard for her to run around in.

I''m not sure if this is common of the breed or not but our Jack does not get along with other dogs well. He''s very territorial and ends up starting fights with most dogs. Cats on the other hand....he LOVES cats. Our Jack even found an abandoned kitty once, picked it up in his teeth and brought it home. He guarded that kitty like it was his own little child.

And Jacks are extremely intelligent. Our Jack knows how to stand on hind legs, walk on hind legs, spin around, sit, speak, shake hands, and roll over on command.

So, IMO Jacks are great dogs but you have to know what you''re getting yourself into because they are also A LOT of work!

 

[Aloros]

I have a Jack/Chi mix. She''s not full JRT, but definitely has a lot of JRT traits. She is crazy! Very high-energy. I took her on a 3-mile hike to a waterfall once, up boulders, over logs, crossing streams...she was pulling at the leash the entire way and still raring to go at the end.

She''s pretty much a PITA, but I love love love her.

 

[gemgirl]

Date: 6/29/2009 1:01:06 PM
Author: Rock_of_Love
My neighbor has one...get ready for a dog with LOTS of energy!! Seriously, I don't think that dog ever calms down.

I think it really depends on your temperament. Personally, I couldn't have one...I think I'm too mellow and a Jack Russell would probably give me anxiety!! But, if you are a very active person, this is a dog that will keep up with you. Hiking, jumping (they have springs on their feet - ha ha!), you could train them for agility and other dog trials - I hear they are really good at that.

Bella is 4 1/2 yrs old, is fully grown and weighs not quite 16 lbs. (She's a miniature Jack/Rat). She can now jump almost as high as being eye to eye with me and I'm 5'5", but they can be conditioned to not do certain things like jumping (which comes naturally to them). I read an awful lot about puppies adapting to the temperament of your household. We also teach them what's acceptable and what's not. Now the only two things that will cause Bella to "sproing" is my opening a can of dog food for dinner, and her knowing there's company in the house when she's outside with her sister. We have a half glass storm door going out to our decks and she pops up into the glass half every thirty seconds if she hears people chatting in my dining area.

I just read lucyandroger's post. Bella has been walking on just her hind legs since she was just big enough to fit into my husband's hand. She walks as calmly and naturally on two legs as she does on four. She's a hoot, really!

 

[jet2ks]

Whitby, that is hilarious (and oh, too true).

I agree with the others, I had a friend with a Jack Russell and it was like he was jacked up on speed the whole time. He was also an escape artist because of the terrier penchant for digging. Totally fun, high energy dog to play with, but heaven help you when you were tired and he wasn't, yet.

 

[Mara]

our pal has one and that is the most hyper dog! but he has calmed as he has gotten older. however, he requires 2 walks a day and wakes her up at 6am every day! she is a bit too lenient with him, he is trainable because when he comes to our house he acts really differently. however he's just way too hyper and attention requiring for me... he's a doll but we are always happy to give him back after a day or two of babysitting him! our westie can be a slug like us, but can be active when we are active. we love having a pup that acts as we do and emulates us ... rather than trying to push us to conform to her way and making us have to continuously try to keep her in-line. i am far too lazy in my down time to be dealing with that!

 

[elrohwen]

My good friend has a female Jack Russell named Daisy that we have dog sat for about a dozen times. She was adopted from a Jack Russell rescue when she was maybe 3-ish, and she's about 6 now. She's an incredibly sweet dog and loves to spoon and snuggle. Her favorite place to sleep is under the covers while spooning with you

She has a lot of energy and is always ready to do something fun, but she's also good at relaxing on the couch when she gets the vibe that we just want to sit there. I imagine her energy plus a lack of self-control in a puppy could be destructive though! Luckily she's totally not destructive and a great little dog.

She's scrappy and doesn't take crap from other dogs, especially puppies trying to jump in her face, but with polite dogs she's very sweet. Even with puppies, she puts them in their place, but never bites them or gets mean. She's certainly not a super social lovey dog, but under supervision is good with other dogs. I can imagine with the wrong owner or the wrong training, she could've gone the other way.

She has a very very strong hunting instinct and recently sent a cat to the ICU (someone forgot to keep the cat locked in the bedroom). I had gerbils that she was obsessed with, and she would lay by the door to the room they were in while she was at our house. She knew they were in there, even if she hadn't seen them for months. Now that I have a rabbit, I can't have her over anymore because it just wouldn't be safe. She definitely has that terrier instinct to hunt and kill and she loves to get into small spaces like under decks (which is a Jack Russell trait as they were bred to go into burrows). I grew up with schnauzers, also terriers, who didn't even have half the hunting instinct she does.

So that's my experience with one particular Jack Russell. Despite her high energy and prey drive, she's absolutely sweet and well behaved and very smart.

ETA: Daisy also jumps like she has springs on her feet! When she wants to get up to see the gerbils on a table, she'll bounce forever until you grab her and make her stop. The landlord will not be happy when he sees the doggy toenail dings in our hardwood floors

 

[packrat]

Thanks for the replies everyone! The energy is my biggest concern. The kids have a lot of energy and play outside a lot..but I wonder about in the winter when the weather is bad. If we go to the city, we''re gone for several hours, and I think it would be hard to have a dog that we couldn''t just leave for a while (tho that isn''t very often). Chicken''s pretty low maintenance..if it''s nice and we''re going to be gone, we just put her outside. I worry about digging too...I have my yard *just so*. The yard is fenced in, so we don''t chain the dogs-Chicken has free reign. haha she''s a free range Chicken. JD swears the dog will adjust to our lifestyle..but I''m still hesitant about it. He''ll have to help walk the dogs too I guess, and take time to play with and train her.

We''ve got 2 cats as well, so hopefully they''ll get along. I would assume, a puppy coming in would get used to the other animals it''s living with. Some of the things I''ve read on various websites and breeder pages have me wondering you know? Some say JRT''s aren''t good if you have cats, or kids even, but other people have them, and they''re fine. I suppose it all depends on how a person raises them.

Maybe I need to invest in some great walking shoes and hiking boots!

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 6/29/2009 2:31:42 PM
Author: packrat
Thanks for the replies everyone! The energy is my biggest concern. The kids have a lot of energy and play outside a lot..but I wonder about in the winter when the weather is bad. If we go to the city, we''re gone for several hours, and I think it would be hard to have a dog that we couldn''t just leave for a while (tho that isn''t very often). Chicken''s pretty low maintenance..if it''s nice and we''re going to be gone, we just put her outside. I worry about digging too...I have my yard *just so*. The yard is fenced in, so we don''t chain the dogs-Chicken has free reign. haha she''s a free range Chicken. JD swears the dog will adjust to our lifestyle..but I''m still hesitant about it. He''ll have to help walk the dogs too I guess, and take time to play with and train her.

We''ve got 2 cats as well, so hopefully they''ll get along. I would assume, a puppy coming in would get used to the other animals it''s living with. Some of the things I''ve read on various websites and breeder pages have me wondering you know? Some say JRT''s aren''t good if you have cats, or kids even, but other people have them, and they''re fine. I suppose it all depends on how a person raises them.

Maybe I need to invest in some great walking shoes and hiking boots!

Daisy is a nut with fences, and will spend her whole time outside trying to find a gap to squeeze through. She ignores dogs at dog parks for the most part because she''s just trying to get out of the fence

Haha. Just another possible Jack trait, though I''m sure they''re not all like this. And if your dog had a chance to really test out your yard and get used to it, she would eventually figure out that she couldn''t escape and would probably settle down.

And for the cat thing, it could be a worry. I would recommend going to a rescue and finding a JRT that''s already known to be good with cats. Or get a puppy so that it grows up with a healthy respect of the cats. Most cats I know will put a puppy in its place before the puppy is big enough to harrass the cat too much.

 

[packrat]

I''m *hoping* that by getting a puppy as soon as she''s ready to leave her mommy, she''ll get used to the fence in the back, and the cats. We used to have pitbulls and the cats pretty much had the dogs cowed. They don''t take a lot of crap. Bella normally just sleeps on our bed most of the time, but this puppy would be able to sproing right up there with her!

 

[jet2ks]

Date: 6/29/2009 2:31:42 PM
Author: packrat
Thanks for the replies everyone! The energy is my biggest concern. The kids have a lot of energy and play outside a lot..but I wonder about in the winter when the weather is bad. If we go to the city, we''re gone for several hours, and I think it would be hard to have a dog that we couldn''t just leave for a while (tho that isn''t very often). Chicken''s pretty low maintenance..if it''s nice and we''re going to be gone, we just put her outside. I worry about digging too...I have my yard *just so*. The yard is fenced in, so we don''t chain the dogs-Chicken has free reign. haha she''s a free range Chicken. JD swears the dog will adjust to our lifestyle..but I''m still hesitant about it. He''ll have to help walk the dogs too I guess, and take time to play with and train her.

We''ve got 2 cats as well, so hopefully they''ll get along. I would assume, a puppy coming in would get used to the other animals it''s living with. Some of the things I''ve read on various websites and breeder pages have me wondering you know? Some say JRT''s aren''t good if you have cats, or kids even, but other people have them, and they''re fine. I suppose it all depends on how a person raises them.

Maybe I need to invest in some great walking shoes and hiking boots!

Digging is a pretty much a terrier trait--its bred into them from their origins of going into burrows after small game and rodents. I don''t know if it is really possible to train this out of them. If you are picky about your yard, you may want to rethink a Jack Russell. The only way I was able to help my friend dog proof his yard and prevent digging was to put hog panel down in the grass just inside the fence--they don''t like scraping paws on the metal grid. The dog still dug elsewhere (under the porch, in the flower gardens, next to the garage and sidwalk, etc) but at least wasn''t getting out.

 

[packrat]

Ugh-that''s what I''m afraid of! *sigh* We might need to talk about this before fall comes!

 

[October2008bride]

I used to have a JRT with my ex. He was a super cute dog and everyone loved him. Except our neighbours because he used to bark his head off when we went to work.

I absolutely loved him, but he wasn''t really snuggly all that often. Best part was at night, he would burrow under the covers of the bed and sleep. JRTs love burrowing/digging.

He was pretty possessive though. Even if I was hugging someone, he''d get snappy and bark and jump up on us. It was like he thought I was being attacked.

They aren''t known as being typically great with kids or other pets (except cats, as someone else mentioned), so that can be a concern.

I had a friend with a female JRT and she was much more laid back. An honestly, if you don''t have time to be EXTREMELY consistent with training, it could be a nightmare. They are very very bright and if you let your training slip, it is hard to get them back on track.

 

[tyty333]

We have neighbors with 2 of them. When ever I see them they are like a white/brown flash zipping by...they
seem to move pretty fast. Anyway I do know that they bit the golden retriever that lives next door
and one of them growls at their owner (the guy). Our neighbor says they also yap a lot

.

 

[packrat]

The smartness..I wonder about that too..I''m all for a smart dog but sometimes it seems the smarties are the naughties. Chicken just kinda hangs out..JD says if she was a human she''d be the dumb pretty girl w/big boobs. One of the pitbulls we used to have, Sadie, JD had gotten when she was a puppy years ago. He picked her b/c she was the smartest in the litter. She was an incredibly smart dog but ohhhh she used her brains to torment me. And stubborn. Ohhh boy was she stubborn. Smart = stubborn? I''ve since informed him that any new puppy we get, yes I want him to pick out a good one, but I don''t specifically want the smartest/stubbornest one in the bunch.

 

[NovemberBride]

We have a JRT/pug mix - a "jug" (see my avatar). Rex has lots of JRT tendencies. He has a ton of energy (literally does wind sprints around the house), loves to run and jump. He is also super snuggly and loves to sleep next to us. He''s very protective of me and barks and jumps around when someone (including DH) hugs or kisses me. I wouldn''t trade my little guy for the world, but I also wouldn''t recommend him to anyone who does not want a high energy dog. I would not count on a JRT adapting to your more laid back lifestyle - it''s just not their personality. Rex is trained, as in he is house trained and knows sit, paw, down, etc. However, I don''t think there''s any training that could "calm him down".

We take our jug on at least 3 long walks a day and he is never tired. We also crate him during the day because he has separation anxiety and can be vrey destructive. He''s only 2, so some of this may calm down with age, but I am not counting on it.

 

[lucyandroger]

Date: 6/29/2009 4:25:47 PM
Author: packrat
The smartness..I wonder about that too..I'm all for a smart dog but sometimes it seems the smarties are the naughties. Chicken just kinda hangs out..JD says if she was a human she'd be the dumb pretty girl w/big boobs. One of the pitbulls we used to have, Sadie, JD had gotten when she was a puppy years ago. He picked her b/c she was the smartest in the litter. She was an incredibly smart dog but ohhhh she used her brains to torment me. And stubborn. Ohhh boy was she stubborn. Smart = stubborn? I've since informed him that any new puppy we get, yes I want him to pick out a good one, but I don't specifically want the smartest/stubbornest one in the bunch.

For sure the intelligence is a blessing and a curse. My family could keep you entertained for hours with stories of how our Jack out-smarted us or tried to trick us.

Our Jack loves to dart out of the house and roam the neighborhood whenever possible. He knows when we're most vulnerable. So the second someone tries to leave the house with a suitcase in their hands, he darts past them and out of the house. He also knows which people don't pay attention and focuses on them.

When he goes on his walks, there's a routine and after a long walk, he poops and gets a treat. Well one night he had to go pretty bad by the time his night time walk came around so he had to poop right away. Well, he didn't come looking for his treat, just acted like nothing happened (no covering it up or anything). I took him on the rest of his walk and when it came to the "normal poop time," he fake pooped. He went through the circling, squatting, and scratching and then came to me for his treat. I think he was afraid that his walk would have been cut short if he pooped too soon so he figured he'd just trick me.

Also, I have to agree with people on the digging. They can dig for hours. They have a one-track mind and will just keep going until they find what they're looking for.

 

[Aloros]

Yes, our girl digs and digs and digs. We have our vegetable garden fenced off in a separate part of the yard. We still have flowers in the rest of our yard, and potted plants on our deck, so she really can''t be left out there unsupervised...unless we''re ok with having a plant or two munched or dug up (she chewed off three sunflowers at the stalk). I''m probably going to give her a designated digging area and try to put some sort of barrier around our planting areas.

If you stop paying attention to her for too long a stretch, she''ll get one of her squeaky toys in her mouth and just squeak squeak squeak it in your face until you throw it! She''s very insistent.

I find her and our 11-year-old tire one another out, but OMG, she nips at his ankles and grabs his sleeves and chews his stuff...She KNOWS she can get away with it with him. She never tries this on us.

She dislikes most small children, but likes a few of them. It seems really random.

 

[lyra]

We have a Smooth Fox Terrier. You might want to look at those since you mentioned you liked the long legged JRT. She was a wild child, but she's pretty easily handled these days. She turns 11 in September. I don't think JRT's are particularly good with kids. I would expect some nipping issues at the least. I would expect digging, yes, although our terrier has never done it, surprisingly. Our chihuahua does it though, but she's plain crazy anyway.

These dogs need lots to do, physical and mental stimulation is a must. Long walks to tire the dog out may be somewhat mandatory. They have boundless energy for sure, like most terriers. Our smooth fox pretty much settled at 10 years old, but people always think she's years younger! Are you sure you want 2 female dogs? It could go well, it could go badly. Ours are pretty good together now after 5 months, but there are minor dominance issues daily. Kind of funny, but as soon as they finish eating, they each go to lick the other's bowl, every single time. Like getting the last word in.

You sound a bit like you're not totally happy with getting a JRT. You should do more research and visit some breeders and see how you really feel about the dog as both a puppy and an adult. Most good breeders I know don't let puppies of this size go until about 10 weeks of age, partly to ensure health of the puppy. Good luck!

ETA: most terriers are barkers. You should be prepared for this. LOUD barkers too.

 

[kcoursolle]

Don't have one, but have known one for years. He is great overall, very intelligent and understands commands quickly (although doesn't always obey lol). He is very active and one thing I have noticed is that he tends to try to be the boss (dominate) of the smallest member of the house (children).

ETA: historically they were trained to hunt rodents.

 

[packrat]

Yeah, I''m a little...hesitant I guess. Husband really really wants one, and I''m still just unsure. I think we need to find someone who has one and visit with the kids and see how it goes maybe. I''m worried it will be like having a really loud kid w/ADHD and OCD or something.

Might have to research smaller dogs a little more too-maybe a different small breed would be better for us.

 

[Mara]

definitely continue to research and if possible, visit some jack puppies or a jack from the breeder that you want to purchase from.

the thing about it is that puppies are hugely different from adults. i hated my dog's puppy stage. nipping, crying, yowling, stubbornness. as an adult, she is soooo much more of a joy for us. i couldn't wait til she got out of the puppy stage and we could see more of her personality emerge. so it's going to be hard to gauge a puppy to adult in my opinion...also puppies to me seem to be like 100 times the work of an adult dog!

one note about digging, we have a terrier and she will not dig, she doesn't bother anything in the yard. she is more interested in fruitlessly chasing the squirrels that run the wires in the trees. so you can train a terrier not to dig! we also had a short hair terrier (Fox Terrier) and she was honestly just like my friend's jack. needed crazy training, i never gave it to her (i was a kid) and she was pretty crazy.

i read a lot of books on westies before we got ours but i had owned one before. ours is a lot of what the books say they are NOT. so you can't go by books...and each dog has their own personality, but i would say that you should listen to a lot of people who know or have jacks because that's a good measure. good luck!!

 

[Beacon]

We had one long ago. Short legged small dog. She was a maniac! We lived in the country so all animals ran loose most of the time. She would chase the horses with total courage. She would grab and bite their tails!

She definitely was a hunter and we had cats. She forced the cats to go live in the barn as she would surely kill them if she could get to them.

This is a dog that has high energy and high exersize needs. She was a cutie though and totally fearless. She loved to play and was a good dog. It is definitely something you need to think over as our experience was that she was a small tazmanian devil

 

[mochi]

Jack Russell Terrorists are high energy..if you don''t keep them busy, they will find something to do and it''s usually something not approved by you.

 

[PinkTower]

My dentist has these. I remember him saying once that they could literally climb the walls. That statement stuck with me. A former neighbor has one. The neighbor has to throw a tennis ball for long periods of time every night in the parking lot. They are not the dog for me.

 

[packrat]

Thanks for the continued help guys! I was up late last night researching JRT''s (Jack Russell Terrorists, Mochi hahaha!)and other small breeds. I know if I am still really unsure, JD''s not going to demand that be the breed we get. One of our friends has a shortie Jack, and she''s a great dog..I''ll see if he can remember who he got her from and we can maybe visit w/them for a bit and see how it goes!

 

[elrohwen]

I would look into a rescue like this:
http://www.russellrescue.com/

If you''re so concerned about particular traits (no digging, not destructive, good with kids and cats) I''m sure they can help you find one that matches your requirements but still has that great JRT personality. I think puppies are so up in the air; if you''re willing to accept the potential good and bad traits they''re great, but if you have a specific list of things you don''t want, an older dog (1+ years) with an established personality could be perfect for you. This rescue has tons of adorable dogs available!