JRT Not a Latchkey Dog

This is a very adaptable dog who craves an interesting lifestyle. For example, a Jack Russell is a good candidate to go to work with you every day—if you are lucky enough to have a job that permits this. Many will be happy to sleep near you for most of the day. But you can’t park this dog silently all day while you work someplace far away from your Jack Russell. If you must leave a dog alone for nine or more hours a day unattended, this may not be the dog for you. 

Jack Russells need a job and thrive when they are given a routine and have something to do. They are worse than little children when they’re bored. A bored dog may bark to fill his days—which may also fill your neighbors with annoyance. The protests can be very vocal; this is a dog bred to use his voice when hunting to work quarry. 

You will need reliable containment if you leave your Jack Russell for even half a second. They can escape most containment that is not a maximum security setup. Your Jack Russell can dig under fences that lack proper turned-under safe wire buried under the edges of a pen or dog run. They can climb human style up and over chain-link fences. They can jump four feet up effortlessly from a standstill. 

It is unthinkable to keep any dog tied out on a rope, chain, or cable, especially the active Jack Russell. It is also cruel to leave such an active dog in a crate for long hours. This active dog does not fare well with such treatment. Expect this dog to require a great deal more of your time and attention than you ever imagined. 

Learn about and meet the breed before selecting a Jack Russell Terrier. Be prepared for the dog and what he will need. Many people can make adjustments and work out what both they and the dog require to be happy. The need to surrender a dog can be prevented with some adjustments by both dog and owner. But I cannot stress too strongly that this is not the dog for everyone. 

Jack Russell Terrier (JRTs) and Children

One of the most charming qualities of Jack Russells is their gentle and kindly nature toward children. The dog may be capable of being unusually friendly with small children provided the child understands how to handle the terrier. The intelligence of the dog and the strength of his presence mean he will not tolerate abuse from children. This is not a dog who takes well to punishment. He may defend himself if pushed too far, even from accidental abuse. Adult supervision is always suggested. JRTs fare better with children over 6 years of age. Some, however, adore their children and will allow themselves to be put in baby carriages and dressed in doll clothes.  

JRTs do adore their children, but they will not tolerate teasing or abuse. 

Management and Training for Giving Voice (aka Barking)

[The terrier’s] conduct when in the presence of rabbits is enough to make a meditative lurcher or retriever grieve….The fox-terrier converts himself into a kind of hurricane in fur, and he gives tongue like a stump-orator in full cry.  ∼ James Runciman, The Ethics of Drink and Other Social Questions  

It is difficult, if not outright impossible, to completely extinguish a dog’s desire to bark. Dogs communicate with each other by barks, growls and howls. In terriers, “giving voice” (the traditional terrier-man’s term for barking) when aroused was selectively strengthened over the generations. If a terrier chased his quarry underground, the only way to find the dog, if he wouldn’t or couldn’t come out, would be to listen for his barking and then start digging toward him. A quiet terrier might end up a dead terrier if he got stuck underground. Even more than some of the other terrier traits we’ve considered so far, this one is nearly as strong in modern terriers today as it was in their ancestors. It is also probably the most difficult one to modify effectively because most owners have unrealistic goals for the training. 

Setting a goal of teaching your dog to never bark is not fair and not realistic. It is the canine equivalent of telling a person he can never utter another word again as long as he lives. It ain’t gonna happen. Barking is the terrier’s native language and is a normal, healthy behavior that will always be a part of his behavioral repertoire. It is also a self-soothing technique that some dogs engage in when they are stressed. Barking is a behavior that causes dog owners much grief, but it can be altered to an acceptable level if you remember to be as tenacious as your terrier and stick with your training plan! 

Glitch has a lovely voice he uses quite often!