Tips For Jack Russell Owners
Want A Well Behaved Jack Russell Terrier?
It is very important that you train your Jack Russell Terrier to be an obedient and faithful dog. For one thing, obedient and trained Jack Russell Terriers are happier and, less likely to get into battles with people or with other Jack critters. While Jacks have many wonderful features they are naturally curious and will follow many scents – JRT’s have been known to scurry off while chasing a squirrel or some other animal. It is important that you are able to control your dog if this happens.
Start by Taking Small Steps – A Little Every Day Training
Many communities require that dogs living in their neighborhoods be well trained. While Jack Russell Terriers are not usually aggressive dogs, it is wise that they be trained in basic dog obedience.
Of course, training your Jack Russell Terrier well will also make him or her a better family companion, especially in households where there are children. Many studies have shown that proper dog training makes a big impact when it comes to cutting down the number of behavior problems encountered by dog owning households.
Simple Steps To Well Behaved Jack Russell Terrier
When considering training your own Jack Russell Terrier, or having a professional train it, there are certain basic commands that must be mastered in order for a Jack Russell Terrier to be considered truly trained. These basic commands include:
- Heel – it is important that any Jack Russell Terrier learn to walk beside its owner on a loose lead, neither pulling ahead nor lagging behind
- Respond to the word No – the word no is one word that all Jack Russell Terriers must learn. Training your JRT to respond to this important word can save you a ton of trouble.
- Sit – Training your new dog to sit on command is a vital part of any Jack Russell Terrier training program.
- Stay – Any well trained dog should remain where his or her owner commands, so stay is a very important command in Jack Russell Terrier training.
- Down – Lying down on command is more than just a cute trick; it is a key component of any successful training program.
Your Jack Wants to be A Willing Companion
Jack Russell training does much more than just creates an obedient, willing companion. Training your Russell properly actually strengthens the bond that already exists between the dog and handler. Jack Russell Terriers are pack animals, and they look to their pack leader to tell them what to do. The key to successful training is to set yourself up as that pack leader.
Establishing yourself as pack leader is a very important concept for any potential owner to understand. There is only one leader in every pack, and the owner must establish him or herself as the dominant animal, failure to do so my lead to behavior problems.
A properly trained Jack Russell Terrier will respond properly to all the owner’s commands, and will not display anxiety, displeasure or confusion. A good Jack Russell Terrier training program will focus on allowing the Jack Russell Terrier to learn just what is expected of it, and will use positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviors.
In addition to making the Jack Russell Terrier a good member of the community, obedience training is a great way to fulfill some of the Jack Russell Terrier’s own needs, including the need for exercise, the security that comes with knowing what is expected of it, a feeling of accomplishment and a good working relationship with its handler. Jack Russell training gives your pet an important job to do, and an important goal to reach.
Giving your JRT pal a job is more important than you may think. Jack Russell Terriers were originally bred by humans to hunt for foxes. Many Jack Russell Terriers today have no important job to do, and this can often lead to boredom and neurotic behavior.
Basic obedience training, and ongoing training sessions, will provide your Jack Russell Terrier with an important job to do. This is especially important for your high energy Jack; they need to use up their extra energy and simply to enjoy themselves.
Incorporating playtime into your canine’s training sessions is a great way to prevent both yourself and your Jack Russell Terrier from becoming bored. Making time to play with your pup helps to strengthen the all-important bond between you, the pack leader – and your Jack Russell Terrier.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://britishgrit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/photo-6.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]We want to be your Jack Russell Terrier Reference.[/author_info] [/author]