I have twelve Jack Russell Terriers. I love them all, but there are moments when I wonder if I should be attending some kind of rehab for this. Maybe a JRT’s Anonymous group or something. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great little dogs, but they are definitely NOT for everybody.
Quite a few folks may remember the PBS kids‘ show “Wishbone” from a few years back; for those who don’t, it was a show about a Jack Russell named Wishbone who acted out characters from classic literature. Tom Sawyer, Julius Caesar, that sort of thing. What most people never knew is that Wishbone’s part was actually played by a crew of twelve different Jack Russells (no, unfortunately they weren’t mine!).
As for Eddie, that lovable guy from the TV show Fraser? Moose, the dog who played the part, was the original horror story I hear all the time from overwhelmed Jack Russell owners. He chewed through doors; he ate clothes and shoes; he ignored all commands unless it suited him to do otherwise; he barked constantly. While this obviously meant that he had the perfect attitude and temperament for a Hollywood superstar, it made him the world’s worst house-pet.
Out of the twelve Jack Russells that live with me, five are rescues. JJ and Gus-Gus came from good homes with people who simply had had no idea what they were getting into with a Jack Russell. Dillon and Chesney, unfortunately, were both abused before they came to us. Chesney’s was a mild case, if any abuse can truly be considered mild, but Dillon had suffered a tragedy that no pup should have to go through.
From his automatic reaction to any raised voice or sudden movement, he had obviously been beaten, and often. He was near starvation when we found him, and was so filthy that his solid white coat was a dingy gray. A ring of bare skin around his neck spoke of a too-tight collar, and he had an open wound in the center of his throat from being repeatedly shocked by an electric collar. After a full year with us, he is just starting to carry his ears and tail in an upright position, instead of tucked down and flat in fear.
What does any of this have to do with you considering a Jack Russell? Simple. There is a nationwide network of dedicated people who take in unwanted or abandoned Jack Russells, and we hate to see it happen. We hope that by educating the public about the needs and demands of these feisty little terriers, we can help to cut down the number of people who call us to come get their Jack Russell, when they should never have gotten one in the first place.
Whenever someone asks me if I raise Jack Russells for sale, or where they can get one, the first thing I ask is where they live: house or apartment? Fenced yard? Neighbors who would be upset by a barking dog? Jack Russells need lots of exercise, and as a rule they do not do well in an apartment setting, especially if they have to be left alone for several hours a day.
As a breed, these dogs are incredibly intelligent – although there are some exceptions! – and they can get bored very easily. This translates into behaviors designed to get your attention: chewing the furniture, shredding your favorite clothes, scattering toilet paper bits all over the house, and on and on.
Jack Russells tend to be very territorial as well, and this translates into lots of barking at strange noises. Again, this is where an apartment, condo, townhouse, or any dwelling with shared walls would be a bad idea. Not only can your neighbors hear your dog barking, but a Jack Russell would hear every little sound going on all around him, and it can drive him into a frenzy, especially if no one was home to reassure him.
Another thing that I hear often is this: “My kids want a Jack Russell because they’re so cute, and I think a little dog would be better than a big one.” I’m sorry, but when I hear that, I get an instant case of the screaming heebie-jeebies. A Jack Russell and a small child together is like playing Russian Roulette, with five barrels loaded instead of just one. Jack Russells don’t have a lot of patience, and small children will grab and pull on whatever they can reach.
I hear people tell me all the time that their Jack Russell just started attacking the child every time they were near each other, for no reason at all. “They were just playing so well the other day. Little Tommy was throwing a stick for Spot, and accidentally stepped on Spot’s foot. Now we don’t dare let Spot near him.”
Well, let’s look at this from Spot’s point of view. He’s a tough little dude, showing off for his pack – the family – at how good he is at chasing down this nasty stick and bringing it back to little Tommy. Then he gets his foot stomped on, which of course hurts like crazy, so he yells. More than likely, Tommy’s next move was to grab Spot to see what was wrong, which will always be interpreted as an aggressive move by Spot. So Spot, knowing how much smaller he is than everybody else, goes on the defensive. As we all know, the best defense is a good offense, and this is something Jack Russells believe implicitly.
Now, I’ve had lengthy conversations with people at various places about the history and personality of Jack Russell Terriers, and there’s usually a point about ten minutes or so into things when they look at me oddly and ask if I have anything good to say about the breed. I sometimes get so wrapped up in warning people of what to expect, that I forget to highlight the good points.
First, they are intelligent. I don’t mean smart, as in they can learn to fetch slippers and shake hands, but intelligent to the point that you will have to start spelling certain words around them if you don’t want them to know what’s going on. At my house, we do training in Go-To-Ground – a trial event where tunnels are loaded with rat scent, and a caged rat is placed at the end for the dog to bark at – and the command we use is “Rat’s in the hole!” All of my dogs know what the word rat means, and we started spelling it some time ago. Now, because of my two-year-old, SpitFyre, I have to spell “R-o-d-e-n-t” instead of “R-a-t” because she figured out I was spelling rat.
I also watched SpitFyre with her sister WildFyre as they helped each other figure out how to open the sliding glass door on the shower stall. After a few minutes of staring at the shower door, with occasional glances at each other, they got up at the same time, each grabbed hold of a corner of the towel hanging on the door, and carefully pulled in the same direction together to slide open the door. There are times when I wonder why I don’t hear the Twilight Zone theme song playing around here.
Second, these little guys are as loyal as they come. If one of them bonds with you, it’s for life. They love to play and snuggle with their people. Some even like to sleep under the covers with their head on the pillow, just like a little person.
They’ve got great personalities. Every one is different, and can run the gamut from laid-back couch potato to an excellent impression of a Mexican Jumping Bean; some do both. Their faces can be so expressive, you sit there and half expect them to open their mouths and start speaking out loud.
One of the unfortunate side effects to the increasing popularity of Jack Russell Terriers is unscrupulous breeders. These are people who know little to nothing about the breed, and could care less; they’re just in it to make a quick buck. Quite often, the breeding stock are never tested for the various genetic disorders common to the breed. Somewhat more rarely, but still not uncommon, is inbreeding.
If you answer an ad for Jack Russells for sale, always insist on seeing at least the mother, and preferably the father if he’s there. If the sire is not there, ask for contact information for his owner’s as well, and try to get a look at him. Knowing what the parents look and act like is no guarantee of how a puppy will turn out, but it will give you a base line to start with. Next, ask about grandparents and great-grandparents. Any reputable breeder will be able to tell you what kennel they got their dogs from, or may even have them on site.
You want to observe the puppies in a group. If you answer the ad the first day it is placed, but are told when you arrive that there is only one puppy left, and you only see that one, be suspicious, especially if the breeder is unwilling to let you see the parents. The breeder may well be trying to unload an undesirable puppy on an unsuspecting customer.
When you watch the puppies, keep track of which one appears to be the most dominant, and which the most submissive. Watch how they interact with each other, and with you. When you take a puppy home with you, away from its mother and siblings, you and your family become its new “pack.”
If you choose the puppy that always seems to come out on top in the puppy struggles, and demands all the attention for himself, be aware that you will probably have to reestablish your dominance on a regular basis, probably daily. JRT’s are bred to be aggressive and confident in all interactions, despite their small size, and they’ll walk all over you in a heartbeat if you give them the chance. Once you allow your dog to feel dominant, it is next to impossible to regain control. Dominant pups can be a lot of fun, though, and they usually have the most personality of the litter.
On the other hand, if you feel sorry for the poor little pup who always seems to get the short end of the stick, you’re getting the most submissive dog in the pack; the doormat, so to speak. You’ll always have to be very careful with how you discipline and train this puppy, as it is very easy to ruin their spirit and self-confidence. These dogs are extremely sensitive, and need constant reassurance. The upside is that the more submissive puppies tend to be calmer, and love to be snuggled and carried around like a baby.
It is always a good idea to visit the puppies several times before bringing your choice home, to give your new family member a chance to get to know you in familiar surroundings, where he feels safe. Then, when you bring him home, he will associate you with his first home, and feel safe with you. This is an excellent time to begin the bonding process.
I believe that the first week in the new home is the most crucial time in terms of bonding. If you can spend several hours a day with your new puppy, you have the best chance of creating a solid attachment, and the pup is much more likely to view you as a surrogate mother.
If you don’t feel a particular attachment to any of the pups, you may want to hold off on buying one. Sometimes it’s better to build a relationship with the breeder, and wait for another litter, to see if there’s another pup that will fit your family better. Any reputable breeder should be more than happy to do this.
