When Your Jack Russell Terrier Dog Has Separation Anxiety, and How to Deal With It

Separation anxiety can happen in any dog, at any age, and for any reason. Doctors are not very sure why this happens, but they agree that is happens more in dogs that were not properly nurtured as puppies, had new moves, or a new schedule. The dog might be moved around as a puppy, and these things can make a dog have separation anxiety. 

Some of the things a dog might do could be excessive, like howling, barking, whining, pacing, chewing, scratching, digging, urinating and defecating. As the time goes on, the systems become worse, the dog might break his teeth, rip his or her nails, and injure themselves. It seems to happen in pets that did not have much socializing as puppies. 

One good way to teach your Jack Russell Terrier Dog something good is to find a quiet place for just you and the dog, and get them to relax by you. When you have them relaxed, give them a treat. You can do this and slowly back away, and put more distance in between you and the dog, slowly separating the two of you. 

Another good technique, is be misleading your dog. They might be accustomed to your car keys shaking, meaning you are leaving, or you putting on your jacket, or other signs your dog might read, that lets them know you are leaving. 

Try picking up your car keys several times a day, and not leave. Put your jacket on, and take it back off, several times a day. Try to break up your dog’s regular routine pattern that you might not even think about. Your dog might already have a routine, that you subconsciously, don't even realize it. 

When you come home, pretend that you don't even notice the dog, until he or she has calmed down, and then when they have relaxed, give them a treat or praise. 

Another way is to give your dog some excitement. Could you imagine being cooped up all day long, while your owner is out working, and you have to play with the same old toy, day in and day out. If you turn the lights on 30 minutes early, or give your dog  a new toy, with a secret treat inside, that will keep them occupied, and spice up their day.  If you were a pet, would you not want to be treated that way?

Remember, young dogs still have lots of energy. If you come home and find your favorite chair in threads, you might want to consider increasing your younger dogs exercise pattern.  They should be exercised twice a day, from 30 to 45 minutes each time.

You could teach them commands, teach them to play fetch, and other good times. Your Jack Russell Terrier Dog needs plenty of exercise to feel like a dog. Most dogs were breed for a certain job.  A herder, a Shepard, a hunting dog, and more. A dog has these instincts in their blood, you need to make sure they get plenty of exercise.

When Your Jack Russell Terrier Dog Makes Potty Mistakes

Too many dogs have been abandoned at animal shelters, just for the sole purpose of the dog making potty mistakes in the wrong places, and not being properly trained. 

Jack Russell Terrier Dog’s sometimes might go potty in response to fear, excitement, separation anxiety, marking territory, and sometimes-medical problems.  It is best to start with your vet about any medical problems, before you move forward.  Some dogs may have a urinary infection.  Spayed females may have some small leaking at times, where they lie down or sleep. 

One of the most common symptoms is separation anxiety. If the dog has gone thru some new changes, or there has been a change in the household, it could be affecting your Jack Russell Terrier Dog. 

Another problem might be submissive urination, which occurs when your dog first sees you when you come home.  They may exhibit uncontrollable urinating and submissive behavior, like rolling on his or her back. 

One way to help remedy this, is to immediately take your Jack Russell Terrier Dog outside right when you get home, and try to stay calm and low beat when just greeting your dog, to help him or her get less excited. 

Some dogs will perform a marking behavior by lifting their hind leg and urinating. This is most common in unneutered male dogs that have not been neutered. If a male dog is neutered around 6 months of age, this will usually, cure this behavior. A male dog should be neutered if he is not intended for breeding, or there is a medical reason while your dog should not be neutered. 

If you see your Jack Russell Terrier Dog getting ready to go potty, immediately clap your hands together, or use another device to get their attention, and immediately take them outside. 

A dog is not considered housebroken until he or she has not had an accident for around 45 days in a row. You can easily train your young Jack Russell Terrier Dog to go outside when you notice that he or she is sniffing around as if they want to go. After they just ate, had a bath, just woke up, or just your gut instinct that your Jack Russell Terrier Dog might go potty inside. 

If you need to be gone from your Jack Russell Terrier Dog for an extended period of time, you should keep him or her in a crate or cage. Make sure you do not give them an oversize crate or cage, or they will use that space to go potty. 

If you need to train an adult Jack Russell Terrier Dog, do it just like you would a puppy! Give them the right guidance, and train them just as you would a puppy. An adult dog needs to urinate roughly 3 to 4 times a day, and defecate once or twice daily. 

When your puppy or adult Jack Russell Terrier Dog does a bad thing inside, in a firm and stern voice, say "Bad Dog", and then take then outside where you would like them to go, and tell them "Good Dog." Give praise when your Jack Russell Terrier Dog goes outside. 

To potty train a puppy or adult dog, you must lay down newspapers, and bring the puppy to the newspapers, and say "Good Dog" at that spot. When you catch your puppy starting to go, get them if you still can, and tell them "Bad Dog", and then put them on the newspaper, and tell them "Good Dog", and after they go, give them praise. 

You would start out with a wide section of newspapers on the floor in the beginning, and then slowly you can decrease the size to a manageable spot. Give your Jack Russell Terrier Dog a little time to get used to this.  They will learn to go on the newspapers when they get praise.  Use a stern voice when they go in the wrong spot, they would rather have praise, and will learn to go on the newspapers! 

When Should You Spay Or Neuter Your Dog?

If you want to know when you should spray or neuter your dog, please read on and learn more.  When the ovarian hysterectomy of the female species is described, it is called spraying. On the other hand castrating a male species is known as neutering.  Both are surgical treatments and can be done by a qualified veterinarian. This makes the dog incapable of having babies in future.  The procedure is very beneficial for you and your dog. 

When is the right time to spray or neuter?:  When the dog is as early as 8 weeks old, the procedure can be done easily, by a qualified vet. It is strongly recommended that they get the neutering done early, since it would be healthier for your dog, and the dog population doesn’t increase. 

Is it important to have your dog neutered?  Yes, it is important to have your dog neutered. Take a look at the animal shelters around; there numbers are increasing and the population of dogs with them increasing by the day.  Would you rather have the current dogs neutered and avoid over population or would you want them to grow only to be left out and euthanized later on?  Not everyone is a willing adopter, due to many reasons.  Some even abandon their pets, again for various reasons, hence neutering your pet helps. 

The health and behavioral benefits:  When you neuter the dog, he would live a happy life and a longer life, not to forget a healthier life.  When you spray the dog, she would be devoid of the mating heat-crying syndrome, when she is in heat.  In addition, there is a lot of mess when the dog is in heat, and she would thank you dearly for getting her sprayed on time, which avoids such a mess. When you neuter the male, he wouldn’t have sexual desires, he would not mark the furniture and the walls with his urine, there wouldn’t be aggressiveness in him, nor would he want to roman wild and aimlessly. When you neuter the males, it would prevent cancer of the testicles and his prostate gland wouldn’t enlarge, so the risk of having perianal tumors can be ruled out. 

For females, when you spray them, the chances of getting breast cancer (yes, it happens to dogs as well) in the first heat cycle is minimized and prevented altogether.  She also would be saved from uterine cancer and infections as well. I hope that now you might understand why neutering and spraying the dog would be good for them.  Always speak to your vet and then make a decision on whether the pet needs to be neutered or not.

How to Crate Train Your Jack Russell Terrier Dog

If you were a new Jack Russell Terrier puppy, wouldn't you want your new home to be warm, comfortable, secure and inviting! Sure, you would, and your new Jack Russell Terrier puppy, or even a full-grown older dog, loves a nice secure home to sleep in! 

You want your Jack Russell Terrier puppy or dog to have a secure place to rest and go to, when you want them to be in a secure place while you're away. 

To begin with a new puppy, you would want to have a good size crate, one they can stand up and lie down in, and turn around comfortably, but not to big either.

You would want to leave the door open in the beginning, and just get your Jack Russell Terrier Dog used to the crate. You would put a treat at the opening of the crate, and let your puppy or dog go and eat it. You would continue until you are putting the treats in the back of the crate, and your Jack Russell Terrier Dog feels comfortable going inside. 

You want them to get used to getting a treat for going inside, and then later turn it into praise. This will be their home. You would put their food and water inside, and with training, it will become their own little den, a place they like to sleep. 

After you have, your Jack Russell Terrier Dog going inside, it is time to shut the door jut for a very short period of time, 1 to 2 minutes.  You would give your Jack Russell Terrier Dog a treat while inside, and praise, then open the door back up. You never want to use the crate as punishment.  Don't put them in the crate when they have been bad.  They will associate that with being put in the crate, and you want them to feel good and secure in their spot. 

Put their crate out of the way, but not very out of the way. Somewhere in a room the family shares, but in his or her own little corner, make it a nice home for them. 

If you are going to be gone, and have to leave your Jack Russell Terrier Dog in his crate for a long period of time, try to get them their favorite toys.  A toy with a snack inside, that takes time to get out, so they are occupied for a while, because you want them to associate going into their crate, as a fun place to go. 

Are Rawhide Treats Good for Your Jack Russell Terrier Dog?

Give your dog some rawhide treats! They are good for them, and dogs love them! Rawhide is great for cleaning your dog's teeth, and it gives your Jack Russell Terrier Dog something to chew on, besides your couch or favorite pair of shoes! 

When looking at rawhide, try to find the biggest pieces, because you do not want the smaller bone fragments that break off the smaller ones for your Jack Russell Terrier Dog. You would be smart to ask your vet, or shop around for the best quality rawhide you can find. It comes in many different styles, and even fun filled treats inside some of them, to keep your Jack Russell Terrier Dog entertained! 

It is best to supervise your dog with a rawhide chew, as it could come apart and are lodged in the dog's throat, but that is extremely rare, but still could happen.  Just as any toy or treat you give your pet, should be supervised. When your dog has chewed on a big piece of rawhide, and it is soft and gooey, take it away, and give them a new one.  Let the old one harden up again, and you can give it back to them later. 

The good thing about rawhide is it is good for your Jack Russell Terrier Dog’s stress level. A bored Jack Russell Terrier Dog will have more stress, because he or she is bored, and a rawhide treat will keep them more occupied and entertained! 

It is hard to tell if good rawhide comes from the United States, or other countries, so it is best to get the best quality you can find. 

The Jack Russell Terrier Standard

As stated by the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America (JRTCA), the largest breed club devoted to this breed, “Jack Russell Terriers are a type, or strain, of working terrier. They are not considered purebred in the sense that they have a broad genetic make-up, a broad standard, and do not breed true to type. This is a result of having been bred strictly for hunting since their beginning in the early 1800’s, and their preservation as a working terrier since. The broad standard, varied genetic background based on years of restricted inbreeding and wide outcrossing, and great variety of size and type are the major characteristics that make this strain of terrier known as a Jack Russell such a unique, versatile working terrier.”  

 Still, there are physical characteristics every Jack Russell should have in common, and these are described in the breed standard. The Jack Russell must be compact and in totally balanced proportions. The shoulders should be clean, the legs straight, and the chest easily spanned by average-sized hands at the widest part of the dog behind the shoulders. The chest must be compressible. This required conformation allows the terrier success below ground, where he must be able to maneuver underground in narrow dark tunnels to get to the very flexible fox.   

In the following section, the words in quotes are taken from the breed standard written by the JRTCA. It begins by saying the Jack Russell “should impress with its fearless and happy disposition.” The Jack Russell Terrier is “a sturdy, tough dog, very much on its toes all the time. . . . The body length must be in proportion to the height, and it should present a compact, balanced image, always being solid and in hard condition.” 

The dog should not be slack of muscle or overweight. Nothing should be exaggerated about the dog’s appearance. A dog with a long back and stubby, crooked little legs is not acceptable. The dog should be a nice-looking, harmonious package, with everything in proportion. 

He should move effortlessly, with both pull from the front end and drive from the back end. The topline of the dog (that is, the line of the back) should move smoothly when viewed from the side. The legs should be straight, without turned-in hocks or turned-out front feet. 

The Jack Russell’s head “should be well balanced and in proportion to the body. The skull should be flat, of moderate width at the ears, narrowing to the eyes.” There should be a defined but not overly pronounced stop—the area where the muzzle meets the skull. “The length of the muzzle from the nose to the stop should be slightly shorter than the distance from the stop to the occiput,” which is the back of the skull. “The nose should be black. The jaw should be powerful and well boned with strongly muscled cheeks.” 

The dog’s eyes should be almond-shaped, dark, and “full of life and intelligence.” The ears are “small, V-shaped drop ears carried forward close to the head.” The ears should not stand up straight nor be thick and large like hound’s ears. 

The mouth of the Jack Russell Terrier has strong teeth and a scissors bite, which means the top teeth overlap the lower ones. A level bite, where the upper and lower teeth meet, is also acceptable. The neck of the Jack Russell is “clean and muscular, of good length, gradually widening at the shoulders.” The good neck allows the dog to spar with quarry below ground and adds to his athleticism while at work. 

“The chest of the Jack Russell Terrier should be shallow and narrow and the front legs not set too widely apart, giving an athletic rather than heavily chested appearance.” The chest needs to be flexible and compressible to enhance the dog’s ability to work up close to the quarry in bending and winding narrow tunnels below ground. A large chested dog is limited in hunting below ground because he cannot fit in a narrow earthen den. 

“The back should be strong, straight and, in proportion to the height of the terrier, giving a balanced image. The loin should be slightly arched.” In other words, the entire structure of the dog is designed for strength, to able to hold up under hard work and move efficiently. The feet of the Jack Russell Terrier need to be “round, hard padded, of cat-like appearance, neither turning in or out.” The dog needs strong feet for digging and crossing varied terrain. 

The tail “should be set rather high, carried gaily and in proportion to body length, usually about four inches long, providing a good hand-hold.” The tail is cropped at about three days old so it does not break while backing out of earth, and the dewclaws are removed. The tail is sometimes used as a handle of sorts to extricate the dog from the earth. It usually requires holding the dog’s tail and hind legs to dislodge him from work below ground. 

The coat is “smooth, without being so sparse as not to provide a certain amount of protection from the elements and undergrowth.” The coat is so very important as the dog’s protection. Sometimes JRTs are in the damp ground working long hours. The coat makes an enormous difference to the protection of the dog at work. The coat seems to resist thorns and burrs, and the dog can easily shake out loose dirt. The Jack Russell Terrier may wear a rough or a smooth coat, or it could be a combination of both, known as a broken coat. A broken-coated dog may have some tail or face furnishings (longer hairs). 

As for color, the dog must be more than 51 percent white, with solid tan, black, or brown markings. White is handy to see when working in dirt with a dog who is face to face with a critter who is earth-colored. Brindle markings, made up of several different colors of hair, are not allowed because they indicate the blood of another breed. 

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! 

Making Your Environment Flea Free

If there are fleas on your dog, there are fleas in your home, yard, and car, even if you can’t see them. You must break the lifecycle of the fleas to remove them. All these steps will have to take place to break the cycle.


In your home:
• Wash whatever is washable (the dog bed, sheets, blankets, pillow covers, slipcovers, curtains, etc.).


• Vacuum everything else in your home—furniture, floors, rugs, everything. Pay special attention to the folds and crevices in upholstery, cracks between floorboards, and the spaces between the floor and the baseboards. Flea larvae are sensitive to sunlight, so inside the house they prefer deep carpet, bedding, and cracks and crevices.


• When you’re done, throw the vacuum cleaner bag away—in an outside garbage can.


• Use a nontoxic flea-killing powder, such as Flea Busters or Zodiac FleaTrol, to treat your carpets (but remember, it does not control fleas elsewhere in the house). The powder stays deep in the carpet and kills fleas (using a form of boric acid) for up to a year.


• If you have a particularly serious flea problem, consider using a fogger or long-lasting spray to kill any adult and larval fleas, or having a professional exterminator treat your home.

Grooming a Rough- or Broken-Coated JRT

Rough or broken-coated JRTs require a bit more work. Left to grow naturally, the coat may not look neat and tidy. Although grooming the roughs or brokens is more involved, you may derive more satisfaction from the finished product.


Always keep in mind the Jack Russell is a double-coated breed: He has an undercoat and an overcoat. The overcoat is made up of the coarser hairs that protect the dog from briars and brush in the field.


Begin by thoroughly combing and brushing the dog to loosen dead hair and dirt. Then step back and decide whether the dog needs to be stripped of more accumulated dead hair. Stripping means gently pulling out the dead, loose hairs by hand. A stripping knife is a tool for stripping the dog’s coat, and is easier for the novice to remove the dead hairs with than hand stripping.

Before you use your stripping knives, first dull them by running the blades over an old brick. Start with the coarse knife and gently comb the blade through the coat in the direction of growth to remove the dead and loose hairs. Use a light hand, since the blade of the stripping knife may touch the skin of the dog and cause discomfort. Longer hairs are removed in small amounts with a straight pull, without bending your wrist. To protect the skin under the hair, always pull in the direction in which the hair grows. Begin at the head and proceed to the neck and shoulders, then the back and thighs, ending with the sides.


The fine stripping knife removes the undercoat. Care must be taken not to remove too much of the undercoat, which is the dog’s jacket. A dog with too much undercoat stripped out loses the efficiency and comfort of this jacket.


Some terrier groomers only hand strip, gently pulling the dead and loose hairs in the direction of their growth. If you are hand stripping, do only a little at a time. The JRT does not enjoy long stripping sessions. Stripping is an art, so have your dog’s breeder show you how to groom your terrier.


When all the long hair has been pulled and your dog looks like he is in his underwear, you can let him rest a bit while you trim his nails, carefully remove unwanted hair from between his toes using the scissors, and generally check him all over, as described in the weekly routine for a smooth-coated dog.


When this grooming procedure has been completed, mark the date on a calendar and circle the date ten days from then. On the tenth day, rake out the undercoat with the trimmer knife, which is used only for raking and never for stripping. A trimmer knife has teeth on one side and a wooden handle. Use it sparingly, because this tool can cut the hairs—it is only used for combing the dog lightly between uses of the stripping knives. (Do not dull the trimmer knife as you did the stripping knives.) This is a sharp instrument, so be very careful not to dig into the coat.


Some people prefer to use a piece of volcanic rock, found in equine supply shops and called a bot block, to maintain the coarse outer coat of the JRT. Run the volcanic rock over the dog’s coat to remove the hairs that stick up. This tool is handy for grooming the legs, because grooming them may be uncomfortable for the dog with other tools and knives.


Many dogs have thick areas of coat growth over the knees that need to be thinned with thinning scissors and the volcanic rock. You can trim the hair on the back of the legs with grooming or thinning scissors, along with the tip of the tail if it has feathering or a flag of hair on it.


Now that the basic coat work is done, you will begin daily maintenance. Put the dog up on the table and, with your rubber hound glove on one hand and your horsehair glove on the other, alternately stroke the dog with each hand for five minutes. This soon becomes a favorite procedure for the JRT and, again, gives you an opportunity to examine him. After the “gloving” has been completed, selectively pluck the individual long hairs using your fingers. Gently pluck the hairs that will be sticking up. At this point, you will find that there will be a fair number
of such long hairs but, as the days go by and the plucking continues, the “jacket” becomes tighter and there will be fewer and fewer hairs that stick out.



Every week during the grooming session, rake the coat using the trimmer knife to remove excess undercoat. If this is not done, the topcoat will begin to lift and start to look like a hay field gone awry. Your JRT will appear very untidy.

Grooming a Smooth-Coated JRT

For a smooth-coated JRT, start with a thorough, all-over brushing, followed by a rubdown with a well-soaked, tightly squeezed magnet cloth A magnet cloth (or, as it is sometimes called, a “magic magnet cloth”) is used for its ability to absorb and hold water. It is often yellow and is made of a washable cloth fiber that can be washed over and over again but not machine dried. Equine or tack stores often sell them for polishing horse’s coats. Some dog supply catalogs offer them in the grooming section. The cloth removes old hair and debris, giving a nice fresh look to the coat.

Then look the dog over for anything that may need attention:


teeth, eyes, nails, injury to the foot pads, fleas and ticks (comb him through with the metal flea comb for a thorough check), an unusual smell in the ears, and so forth. (Any unusual smell or matter in the ears requires the attention of a veterinarian.) Follow this routine weekly.


You will also want to brush the dog almost daily because the smooth coat sheds so freely. During the shedding season in spring and fall, take your dog outside to groom him. You can use a bristle brush to remove loose hairs so your home is less filled with the cactuslike hairs of the Jack Russell.

The Jack Russell Coat

The Jack Russell is a double-coated breed, which means he has a dense undercoat with a harsh overcoat that will protect him from the elements and the underbrush. The coat comes in three varieties: smooth, broken, and rough.


Smooth coats shed more freely than the rough or broken coats, but if you are uncomfortable finding white hairs year round on your clothing and furniture, be warned that this is unavoidable with a Jack Russell in your home.



Basic Supplies
Here’s what you will need to groom your JRT:
• Bristle brush
• Grooming scissors
• Horsehair glove
• Magnet cloth
• Stripping knives, fine and coarse
• Metal flea comb
• Nail trimmer
• Rubber hound glove
• Thinning scissors
• Trimmer knife
• Styptic powder
• Volcanic rock



To begin grooming your dog, place him on a table set at a height that will make the dog easy to work with and that is comfortable for your back. A professional grooming table is easiest for this purpose; it’s adjustable, has a nonskid surface, and comes with an extendable arm from which hangs a loop of leash (known as a noose) that you can use to keep your hands free for grooming.


Never leave the dog unattended for even a second while he is restrained in the noose. If you must stop grooming, have a crate ready in which to place the dog until you return.

Pet Food vs. People Food

Many of the foods we eat are excellent sources of nutrients— after all, we do just fine on them. But dogs, just like us, need the right combination of meat and other ingredients for a complete and balanced diet, and a bowl of meat doesn’t provide that. In the wild, dogs eat the fur, skin, bones, and guts of their prey, and even the contents of the stomach.


This doesn’t mean your dog can’t eat what you eat. A little meat, dairy, bread, some fruits, or vegetables as a treat are great. Just remember, we’re talking about the same food you eat, not the gristly, greasy leftovers you would normally toss in the trash. Stay away from sugar, too, and remember that chocolate is toxic to dogs.


If you want to share your food with your dog, be sure the total amount you give her each day doesn’t make up more than 15 percent of her diet, and that the rest of what you feed her is a top-quality complete and balanced dog food. (More people food could upset the balance of nutrients in the commercial food.) Can your dog eat an entirely homemade diet? Certainly, if you are willing to work at it. Any homemade diet will have to be carefully balanced, with all the right nutrients in just the right amounts.


It requires a lot of research to make a proper homemade diet, but it can be done. It’s best to work with a veterinary nutritionist.

What to Feed Your Jack Russell Terrier (JRT)

Dry food, or primarily dry food, is recommended. Some warm water may be added to kibble to release more food odors. Canned foods are not always necessary but, if you feel you must add them, take care that they do not exceed 20 or 25 percent of the dog’s diet. A puppy raised on dry food, with or without the occasional addition of water, will be quite content with that food for her lifetime.


To help keep your dog’s teeth and gums healthy, avoid semimoist food (which has a lot of salt, sugar, and preservatives) and too much canned food. These soft preparations encourage tartar buildup, which can lead to periodontal disease. Hard kibble helps keep teeth clean and gums healthy.



There are so many brands and types of dog food, it can be difficult to decide what is best for your Jack Russell. Premium, high-quality food should always be chosen over less expensive food that may contain poor-quality ingredients, fillers, and artificial colors and additives.


The dog’s stool is a primary indicator of the digestibility (usable amount of nutrients) of the food she is eating. Lower-cost foods may be soy- or corn-based, which tends to produce a larger, looser stool. A food that is based on good animal proteins will produce a firm, well-formed stool. Although store and discount brands should probably be avoided, relatively low-cost, high-quality foods are still available in grocery, feed, and specialty stores. Read and compare labels, seek quality and palatability, and you can be sure that you will be providing the best food available for your dog.


Protein
One area of debate about canine nutrition involves protein. Some people believe that if some is good, more is better, particularly for puppies and bitches who are pregnant or lactating. But high concentrations of protein in a dog’s diet are believed to be hard on the kidneys, especially for dogs with a history of kidney problems. Working dogs and puppies may be fed food with protein levels of 25 or 26 percent; mature dogs fare well with a level of 20 percent.



Fat
Another consideration is the fat content of dog food. Owners of working dogs
and dogs housed in outdoor kennels in cold weather may prefer a higher fat content, maybe 15 percent. Dogs, and even puppies, who are housed indoors, and older and overweight dogs will probably do very well on a food with a fat content of around 10 percent.


Supplements
One more consideration is supplements. Don’t give them unless your veterinarian prescribes them for some special reason. All good-quality dog foods labeled as “complete” will provide all that your dog needs in the way of nutrition. There may be rare or special circumstances, such as pregnancy and lactation, when your dog requires some supplementation of one or more nutrients, if recommended by your veterinarian. But casual supplementation can cause serious imbalances and unexpected problems. More of a good thing is not necessarily better.


Basically, the food you serve your Jack Russell Terrier should contain protein,
fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, all in proper quantities and in proper proportions. It is highly unlikely that a high-quality food will be lacking in any nutrient your dog needs for healthy growth, development, and maintenance.


It is impossible to give general advice and be right all the time. You know
your Jack Russell Terrier better than anyone else. As a responsible pet owner, you should seek the advice of your veterinarian and the dog’s breeder, read labels, and then decide what food is best. The appearance of your dog is the best indicator of good nutrition; watch her as she develops, grows, and ages, and adjust her diet accordingly.



Snacks
Just like adding artificial colors to dog food, feeding table scraps does more to please people than to benefit dogs. Your dog doesn’t care about all those flavors and colors. She’s perfectly happy with that plain old high quality kibble she’s always eaten. And if you never feed her table scraps, she’ll never know what she’s missing.


Scraps tend to be full of fat, salt, sugar, and spices—nothing that’s needed by or is good for your dog.



Even if you feed something healthy from the table, the dog will still get into the habit of begging, which will become a mealtime annoyance forever—not to mention the fact that your JRT could end up being a very finicky eater. Good people food snacks for your dog, in moderation, are pieces of carrot or apple. Most JRTs love them. Offer the snacks between meals—yours and the dog’s—or as rewards in training sessions.


Never feed your dog cooked bones as they splinter and can perforate the intestines. And never feed small, sharp bones to your dog. The best bones to
feed are the leg bones of cows. Don’t overdo it, though, because too much bone chewing can cause extreme wear on a mature dog’s teeth.

Reading Dog Food Labels

Dog food labels are not always easy to read, but if you know what to look for they can tell you a lot about what your dog is eating.

• The label should have a statement saying the dog food meets or exceeds the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutritional guidelines. If the dog food doesn’t meet AAFCO guidelines, it can’t be considered complete and balanced, and can cause nutritional deficiencies.

• The guaranteed analysis lists the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and water. AAFCO requires a minimum of 18 percent crude protein for adult dogs and 22 percent crude protein for puppies on a dry matter basis (that means with the water removed; canned foods should have more protein because they have more water). Dog food must also have a minimum of 5 percent crude fat for adults and 8 percent crude fat for puppies.

• The ingredients list the most common item in the food first, and so on until you get to the least common item, which is listed last.

• Look for a dog food that lists an animal protein source first, such as chicken or poultry meal, beef or beef byproducts, and that has other protein sources listed among the top five ingredients. That’s because a food that lists chicken, wheat, wheat gluten, corn, and wheat fiber as the first five ingredients has more chicken than wheat, but may not have more chicken than all the grain products put together.

• Other ingredients may include a carbohydrate source, fat, vitamins and minerals, preservatives, fiber, and sometimes other additives purported to be healthy.

• Some grocery store brands may add artificial colors, sugar, and fillers—all of which should be avoided.

Feeding the Older Jack Russell

Jack Russells remain quite active well into their senior years. However, compared to the activity levels they maintained as youngsters, even these lively terriers tend to slow down and nap more as they age, perhaps gaining some weight in the process.

When JRTs get to be more than 6 years old they may require fewer calories (particularly if they are gaining some weight), although they still need all of the essential nutritional elements found in a well-balanced food. As the metabolism also slows down a bit, you may want to feed your senior JRT smaller, more frequent meals.

An older Jack Russell may become a fussy eater. Have your veterinarian keep a close eye on the health of the teeth of your older Jack Russell. Teeth should be examined yearly to avoid any problems that may prevent the older dog from eating comfortably.


Free Feeding?

Free feeding (having food available for your dog at all times) is not recommended for Jack Russells—it is just too tempting. A fat Jack Russell Terrier is not desirable, nor is she healthy.

JRTs should always be in good working condition. All calories do count. Be sure to include biscuits and treats when calculating your dog’s total daily intake. A good, quick way to determine if your Jack Russell is carrying too much fat is to put your hand over her back, thumb on one side, fingers on the other, and run your hand
lightly down the back. You should be able to feel the individual ribs but you should not be able to see them.

Feeding Your Jack Russell Puppy

Having started life on mother’s milk, puppies are weaned between five and six weeks of age. The timing depends on the dam’s willingness to nurse and the practices of the breeder. While the pups are still nursing, at about four weeks, the breeder will begin to feed them a fine-textured, well-moistened, nutritious gruel to begin to accustom them to solid food. 


At first the food is all over the place. It must be served in a low dish or pan so the pups can reach it, but then, of course, they can also walk through and play in it. This milestone in the puppies’ lives marks the beginning of several weeks of more cleanup work for the breeder.

Puppies should never leave their dam and littermates before they are 8 weeks of age, and by the time you bring your puppy home she will have been fully weaned and eagerly crunching on puppy kibble. The breeder should send you home with a supply of the food the pup has been eating. You can either continue feeding that food or change to a different one. If you change, do it gradually, starting with about 25 percent of the new food and gradually increasing the proportion for about a week until only the new food is being served. (Changing food for dogs of any age should be done in this gradual manner to avoid upsetting the puppy’s or dog’s digestive system.)



Young puppies should be fed three times a day, at about the same times each day. Offer one-third of the daily ration at each serving. Set the food down in front of the pup and allow her to eat for ten or fifteen minutes. At the end of that time, pick up the dish and do not offer more food until the next mealtime. You probably won’t have to worry about your Jack Russell puppy eating enough—most are eager eaters. They may play around or even miss a meal or two, particularly when they are first brought to their new home, but they will soon get with the program. (A loss of appetite for longer periods may require your veterinarian’s attention.) Be very sure that plenty of fresh, clean water is always available.


Puppies require more protein and calories per pound of body weight than adults, so a general rule for Jack Russells is to serve the same amount of food per day to a pup as you would expect her to eat each day as an adult. For the most part, this would be about one cup of good-quality, small kibble per day. You can check with the breeder for information on how much food he or she expects your pup will require as an adult. Feeding guidelines printed on dog food bags are only estimates and should not be relied on as the precise amounts to feed your dog or puppy.


When your puppy reaches 5 or 6 months of age, she can be fed just twice a day, morning and evening, one-half the daily ration each time. Many breeders continue to feed two meals a day throughout the life of the dog, but some choose to feed only once a day after the dog reaches adulthood.

Bringing Home an Adult Dog

Consider getting an older, already spayed or neutered Jack Russell as companion to your dog—or as your only dog, for that matter. Many healthy, well-behaved older JRTs need new homes and can be applied for through the JRTCA’s Russell Rescue.

An older dog entering your home and life for the first time will have different needs than a puppy. A new puppy adjusts easily and is more adaptable, but an older dog has a history and habits, and may be more cautious in his new surroundings. The best thing you can do is to make the homecoming as stress-free
as possible and make your home a comfortable, stable environment in which your new dog will feel secure.

If you get a rehomed dog from a rescue group or other source, you may not know much about the dog’s history. The more you can find out, the better prepared you will be for the task ahead. Unfortunately, some rescue dogs have been harmed by humans and will have to be patiently taught to love and trust again.
Many foster homes work on helping the dog gain confidence and trust before placing him in a permanent home.

You can make this easier by being sensitive to the special circumstances of your JRT. Notice anything that seems to make him uncomfortable. Avoid movements or noises that seem to scare him. Introduce children to your new dog in as calm a manner as possible. Don’t let them jump on him or make loud, excited noises that may startle or frighten him.


Take your dog for long walks around your neighborhood to let him get his bearings and familiarize himself with his new environment. The sooner he feels at home, the better.

An older JRT should adjust quickly to your home and lifestyle. They are “no-regrets” dogs. With patience and understanding, he will soon be his happy, eager Jack Russell self. You can be proud you have offered him a second chance and a wonderful new home.

Crate Training

Jack Russells love their crates and use them as dens. When the door is left open and there is a comfortable bed inside, the dog will seek the crate for privacy and rest. Either a wire crate or a molded plastic carrier is suitable, as long as it is large enough for a grown Jack Russell to stand up in and turn around comfortably. If
the crate is too large the dog may choose to sleep at one end and eliminate at the other.

The bed or pad inside should be one that is not easily torn. An added baby blanket will let a puppy snuggle in and will help provide warmth and protection from drafts, especially in cold weather. A crate should not be
used for more than a few hours at a time and should never be used for punishment.

The crate should be a safe and happy place for your dog—a place where he will go willingly, whether you put him there or he goes in of his own accord.

Where you place the crate in your home is important for your dog’s comfort. Keep it out of drafts and direct sunlight (for a wire crate, a sheet or blanket can be used as a cover for privacy and draft protection, and removed when not needed). It is also very important that the crate be in a “people area,” not in a place where the dog will be isolated from his family.

Choose a time to start crate training when the dog is ready for rest, after he has relieved himself and has had plenty of exercise. Start by feeding your dog in the crate with the door open. He will quickly associate the crate with this reward.

Now that he has been eating his meals in his crate, you can use a small treat and happy voice of encouragement, and add a command, and he will enter the crate.

At first, just quietly close the door and don’t latch it. Later, when he is comfortable with the door being swung shut and he is busy with a treat or a meal, latch the door a few minutes at a time. If he fusses, wait until he settles down to let him out.

By offering him special treats and chew toys in the crate, he should not be upset by the door closing. Take these special crate toys and goodies away when he is not in the crate. When he is in the crate and occupied with a treat or special chew toy, leave the room quietly and return. Teach him this important lesson without discussion: When you leave, you always return.