Jack Russell Terriers: The Big Dog In A Little Dog's Body!
This lens is a bit of a labor of love. The Jack Russell Terrier has got to be one of my favorite dog breeds (the first dog I could call "mine" rather than the family dog was a JRT). I've had a few JRTs over the years - and made a few mistakes with them too - and wanted to pass on my experience with Jack Russells to help current or potential owners with their own dogs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dedicated to Dinky - 18 September 1982 to 20 August 1990~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About Dinky, My First Jack Russell Terrier
She started my love for this breed
In November of 1982, I was "introduced" to what would turn out to be my most treasured pet of all time, my beautiful tri-colour Jack Russell terrier - Dinky. A gift from my godfather, and originally named Tinker, she greeted me for the first time with a bite to the end of my nose!She was so tiny, it did not take long for me to give her a "permanent" name more befitting her size.
Despite her size, she was a big dog inside. Her bark was something a much bigger dog would have been proud of and she was absolutely fearless. But it was her devotion that made her stand out the most. She would be waiting to greet me on a morning and could time to the second when I was due home in an evening. After an excitable greeting, she would remain at my side or on my lap until it was time for bed.
But she was not the perfect dog in terms of training, and as I look back, I can spot a few behavioral issues that I overlooked or just plain ignored at the time. I'm going to discuss a few of them throughout this lens and let you know what I should have done!
Why You Should Consider a Jack Russell Terrier
There are so many different breeds of dog that you may wonder whether getting a Jack Russell Terrier is the right choice for you. Here are a few reasons why you should think about bringing one of these lovely dogs into your family.
- Variety - there are not many dog breeds where you can choose from such a wide range of coat types and sizes from miniature to mid terrier size while still being true to type
- Loyalty - JRTs are loyal and faithful to the end. They will love you unconditionally
- Comedy - Jack Russells can be really comical to watch.
- Intelligence - they are clever dogs and can be easy to train if you make sure you position yourself squarely as pack leader. They will test you regularly and try to be your boss if you let them though
Dog Training Questions
Feed from my dog training questions blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMy Jack Russell Terrier's Bad Habits
Dinky was a naughty girl sometimes - but I loved her
- Dinky was dog aggressive - usually against dogs much bigger than her
- She used to jump up on my lap or the furniture without my permission
- She trained me to pet her on command!
- Submissive urination and peeing with excitement were a problem at times
- Despite having open access to outdoors day and night, she would mess indoors through the night - either because it was too cold or she was just lazy!
Nowadays, the answers to these common Jack Russell Terrier training problems (and more advanced dog training techniques) can be found easily in books, videos and over the internet, but back then if you needed to train your dog, you more or less had to consult a professional trainer.
Jack Russell Terrier Performing Tricks
Jack Russell Terrier (some new tricks)
Cool Jack Russell Terrier Merchandise
Roll of Honour: My JRT's
Toby (1970 to 1991)
Judy (1980 to 1993)
Dinky (1982 to 1990)
Sabie (AKA Beasley) (1982 to 1998)
Charlie (1982 to 1986)
Judy#2 (1985 to 2001)
Sid (1987 to ? - stolen by 'travelers' in 1990)
Jack Russell Puppies
Don't Ya Just Love Love Them!
Molly the 10 week old Jack Russell Terrier
Jack Russell Terrier Jumping on Furniture
Dinky never waited for me to invite her to sit on my lap, she would just jump up and I would pet her. MISTAKE! By petting her, I was reinforcing her behavior. By jumping on you or your furniture, your dog is showing dominance over you. This lack of respect can lead to more serious behavioral problems.
These days, I do not allow pets on the furniture. They sit beside my legs, or I sit on the floor with them. This doesn't mean I love them any less, it is just easier to set things in black and white that the furniture is always out of bounds, hence avoiding any confusion for the dog.
If your dog has learned it is OK to jump on furniture and you want it to stop, you need to be consistent - correct her when she is on the furniture and praise/reinforce if she is sat good on the floor.
Jack Russell Terrier Piccies
Smooth Coat Tan & White Jack Russell
Wirehair Jack Russell Terrier
Jack Russell Terrier Pup
Cute JRT Pup
I loved the brown spots above each eye
My Jack Russell's Bad Toilet Habits
You see, out of habit, we used to put newspaper down in a corner of the enclosed porch where the dogs spent the night, which was basically saying "it is ok to go on the paper - you don't need to go outside if you don't want to"
Unless you live in an apartment, or your dog is left for any length of time where she will not be able to hold it in, then you should not try and teach them dual methods of housetraining (ie, paper training and outdoor toileting). Using paper or potty pads can be an option, but if your dog can get outside to pee, you should not put any paper down and she will make the effort to go outside!
Books For Jack Russell Owners
Jack Russell Terriers Complete Owner's Manual
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 01/08/2009) 
Jack Russell Terrier Handbook, The (Barron's Pet Handbooks)
Amazon Price: $11.69 (as of 01/08/2009)
Jack Russell Terriers for Dummies
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 01/08/2009)
Do You Like Jack Russell Terriers?
I Love 'Em!
What is your opinion of the JRT?
The Other Dogs Who Have Enriched my Life...
Because I felt guilty leaving them out, here is a roll of honor for my other canine family members..
Gone but not forgotten:
Several collies on the farm when I was too young to remember all their names
Tina (Boxer)
Lassie (Border Collie)
Tinker (Patterdale)
Shane (Sheltie)
Heidi (Rotweiller)
And last but not least, our newest addition to the family:
Harley (Yellow Labrador)
Leave your own message
Thanks for reading to the end of my lens - I hope you liked it.
If you want to leave a message about this lens, you can do so right here.
Taras-Choice wrote...
Hi. Yes, we do love Jack Russell's!!
You have created a really nice page here.
Take a look at my little Chloe: Click Here
I think I will have to put a page here for our little girl (Chloe), she is such a fun little dog and loves to play!
Posted November 01, 2008
Crystal wrote
Thanks for welcoming me to your Gone to the Dogs group! What a great lens this is, I learned a lot about JRTs and you, too. Thanks for the inspiration!
Posted October 24, 2008
GregGiordano wrote...
Our dog is more rat terrier than JRT but I believe they share similar traits. Nice lens!
Posted October 03, 2008
alslad wrote...
Arghhh... Just had a big dilemma! I am looking to bring another dog into the family and I just TURNED DOWN a JRT! She was a puppy from an "accidental" litter, and anyone who visits my Adopt a Dog lens will know I always try and go for the older dog. Anyways, after several nostalgic tugs at the old heart strings, reason prevailed...
Posted September 14, 2008
Kmarie923 wrote...
Nice lens, I have a JRT and I couldn't live without her. good job!
Posted August 27, 2008
JohannTheDog wrote...
Great lens! Some of my best agility buds are JRT's! We love doing the pairs relay together, we are both manic messes running that course. Too fun! I lensrolled you into my lens. Woofs, Johann
Posted July 15, 2008
CHOPRN1127 wrote...
I love all your lenses and your groups. We took your suggestion and made a JRT pop art design. Check it out here: Unique Jack Russell Terrier Gifts
Posted July 03, 2008
