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! 

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. 

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.