When it comes to training a dog it is very important that your dog makes eye contact with you. Just like humans you know when someone is paying attention to what you are trying to say, by making eye contact with you, this is the same when it comes to dogs. If your dog is not looking at you when you are speaking to him/her then chances are good that they are not listening to you. This is important when training a dog you want something that tells you that the dog is truly listening to what you are trying to teach them.


Here is something that you can do to insure that your dog is making good eye contact with you and is ready to begin training.

First try and point to your eye and say watch me, if the dog does not even turn their head to look at you then you might want to try and reward them for this. Get a small treat that your dog likes and hold it between your thumb and index finger and draw a line for the dog’s nose up to your eyes and say watch me. Chance is good that the dog will look in the direction of the treat. Keep repeating this and even try and hold the treat up there for 10 seconds and then go longer because the longer the dog looks at you the better chance you have of holding their attention. Once it seems that the dog is getting the idea that when you say “watch me,” means to look at you, you can lose the treats and they will still focus on you because they know there will be a reward when they do.

The best thing that you can do for yourself while training is a dog is to be able to get their attention and hold it for long periods of time, this will keep your dog from wondering off and going into their own little world which can make it very hard for them to train.

Max of course has a keen sense of smell and so anything that has a smell that he likes is something that he will find rewarding. To some these smells can be gross like the trash can or dirty socks, but to a dog that might be just a day in heaven. If you do not catch a dog doing these unwanted behaviors right away they will continue to do them as they think of this as a way to get a reward for free. Dogs do not put a label on a reward like humans do. Humans think that a reward for a dog is them being able to get a dog treat that they would not normally get, but this is not true for dogs.


The best thing you can do is catch them doing this unwanted act and stop it right there. Do not yell no at the dog, this will only scare him or her and they might continue this behavior just not when you are around. Instead try making a noise that you can use every time they are doing something that you do not want them to do. They will not become scared of you if you use a sound like shhh to show that you do not like what they are doing.

Once they leave the item alone then you can give them a different type of rewards and praise them for the behavior that you are looking for. You have to make sure to catch them in the act because it does no good to yell at them about something that they did in the past. They will not know what you are yelling at them for and might revert to hiding from you.

It is best to give praise for a job well done and so when they leave the item alone give them a better option than getting these unwanted rewards for themselves.

 I have to say on Wednesday I was not so sure that I could get Max to even walk on a loose leash, he was so used to darting off whenever he felt like it, but today I have to give him a great amount of credit. I was not so sure that I even knew what I was doing because I could not really even hear the instructor at the last training class and I guess she did not really care to show me because she was too busy attending to the other dogs that looked like they had been previously trained compared to my Jack Russell. So Last night I decided to go over the papers that she had given us about the training class and try and at least attempt what they had put down on paper. Here is what the paper states if someone would like to also teach their dogs to walk on a loose leash and not have to struggle with their dog to go on simple walk.

Guide To Loose Leash Walks

Have a few treats that your dog likes in your pocket or coat, somewhere you can easily get to them while on your walk.

Relax and hold the leash against your body. The leash should just be hanging at your side.

Give your dog a treat if they are being calm and paying attention to you.

Then you will say the dogs name and let’s go and start walking.

If the dog has tension in the leash then just stop were you are and do not move. Your walking is like a reward for the dog. So if you continue to move while he/she is pulling you then it is like saying this is ok.

Stand there until your dog returns to your side. Once your dog returns then you can continue walking and also give him a dog treat as a reward for coming back.

This will teach your do to stay next to your side if they want to go for a walk.

Also they suggested that you walk in a little faster pace because if you walk to slow with the dog this gives them too much time to get distracted by their surroundings.



Today I tried this method with Max and it really did work. He understood that if he walks to far away from me that I would stop and not move and he returned to my side right away. It was great because even though there were plenty of distractions like out cat Harley he just kept on moving. So if you have a dog that likes to take you on the walk I would suggest trying to use this method because it does really help. If I can get my energetic Jack Russell to follow at my side I am almost sure that any dog can learn this and have success.

Last night was Max’s second night of training. He actually did better on walking around the store with me when he did not see any other dogs, but once the dogs began arriving he started barking all over again. He just kept going and going and would not do all the things that he has learned at home. He is doing great with the clicker training at home and he could sit and wait and all of the things that they were talking about last night, but he would not show it by looking at his behavior. I told one of the ladies there that he did not bark at home, well because he does not. He never makes a sound unless he hears something outside and she acted like she did not believe me. I could not blame her because of the way he was acting it was hard to believe it myself. There was another Jack Russell at the class as well last night and you could see that mine had never spent time around other dogs compared to that Jack Russell. It made me kind of sad to see the other dog being able to go around the other dogs without barking or snapping at them, but Max he was not having it. I am not sure but I think he was looking for some kind of attention from these actions because he would have never done this before. Like I had stated in another part of my blog he was around my mother’s dog and never did any of this.


He went on so long during the class with his barking that the trainer thought that it would be best to put a muzzle on him to calm him down and give the other dog owners a chance to hear what she was talking about. I do not like muzzles, but I thought it was in the best interest of everyone including Max. He had the muzzle on and I felt so sorry for him because he was crying the whole time, but I tried not to show it the best that I could because I did not want him to get a reaction out of me. He did start to sit once he got the muzzle on and he was listening to me a little more, but when we went for a walk around the store customers that were walking around looked at my dog like “he must be a biter.” It made me feel bad for Max because he does not bite at all, but there was nothing that I could do.

Loose Leash

Last night the thing that we were suppose to learn was how to get our dogs to walk on a loose leash. I thought that would never happen with Max. He was normally the one that was pulling me around by the leash. Last night there was a change in him though. She gave us each a section to walk down and told us to practice by ourselves on how to get our dogs to walk on a loose leash. When he was not around the other dogs he did this perfectly. I learned how to stop and let him loosen the leash himself before I started to walk with him again. The trainer even said that she saw great things from him when he was walking, but once he saw her dog, that she uses to train the other dogs he went crazy and stopped listening to me again and even found a way to start barking through the muzzle.

Needless to say I am feeling less and less confident about Max learning to be around other dogs, but we

Shall see. There are 6 more weeks of training and if he does not get along with the other dogs, then I will just feel like it was a waste of the money. Right now the only thing I can say is that I get the papers that explain what the training in tales for the night like a direction sheet, but that could have been given to me without having to find a babysitter and spend money on that and the training classes as well. I am hoping that he will come around so I can view what the trainer is showing us. Oh and because of Max’s constant barking I have no idea what we will be learning next week.

I want to point this out that this might not be for all children, but it is possible for you to own a Jack Russell and have children under the age of one in the household. It just takes a lot of training for your puppy and your child, but you can make it work.


Jack Russell’s are a dog that maybe tiny in size, but they do have very big hearts. When I got Max I was told by the previous owner that Max would get along with children and he even liked to play with their grandchildren, so I never thought that it would be an issue that I had 4 children in the home I just figured that they would have a new playmate. When getting home I thought that it would be good to do some research about the puppy that I just bought to find out their temperament and all that, something I have to admit I should have done before I even purchased him. I got to reading things online that said that you should never get a Jack Russell if you have children under the age of five in the household. This worried me because at the time I had an 11 month old and a 3 year old in the house. I was afraid that it was not going to work even though Max showed great affection towards my 11 month old when he entered the house. I was afraid that I would have to get rid of a dog that I just purchased because of this because I thought it could be something that I could not control in the dog. I found that I was wrong and that are something’s that I could do for Max and the younger children to be able to stay under one roof.

Max loved to sleep right next to my 11 month old and he would spend his time looking to see were the baby was. I think this was him bonding right away with my son and even today my son Travis is one and they are the best of friends. I started off right away teaching Max what the word down in our house was, which was basically not for him to jump up on anyone. Max learned this right away, and the reason for teaching him this at a young age was mainly because when Travis started to walk I did not want our dog jumping all over him and knocking him down. This is one thing that I noticed Jack Russell’s do to show who is boss in the house and I did not want him doing it to a young child, so I made sure to let him know that I was boss in the house and I would not let him get away with this. I also taught Max the word gentle, so that he would know that when he is doing something that if I said gentle he would calm down and be careful. I pretty much taught him this one when we would be playing around that if was biting down a little too hard for my liking that I would say gentle and he would ease up. This is something that he picked up quickly.

Now Max was not the only one that I had to train in this processes on trying to be able to keep a Jack Russell in my home with my children. I had to teach the children that this is a dog that does not like to be rough house with, that it is ok to pet him and play with him but never to pull on his tail or ears and never to tug on his fur. My kids are not high strung and they actually listened to me very well when I told them this. They would play catch with him and run outside, but they never were rough with him. This worked well and it helped the children to understand that he is still a playful dog you just have to be careful with him. I did not really let Max around Travis except when he wanted to lay down and go to sleep and I think this was a benefit to both Max and Travis. Travis is now one and I do let him go around Max, but I just tell him careful and he will slowly pet Max’s back. Travis also loves to give Max his toys and I think Max likes this as well, Max is not really protective his toys but because I have told him to be gentle when he is around Travis I say this a lot and he understands.

Needless to say it is possible for younger children to live with a Jack Russell, but you have to be vigilant on training this dog as well as the children. If you have children that already show signs that they like to rough house with animals then I would not suggest get a Jack Russell, but both child and dog can be trained.

Whoever thinks that a Jack Russell is not smart, they are wrong. My mom tried telling me that she did not think that Max was smart because he has some pink on the roof of his mouth. I laughed because she is always trying to compete with me, by saying that he dog is smarter. Max does some things that sometimes make him look as though he is not a smart dog like tearing up the trash or my shoes, but that is not a dumb dog it is a typical Jack Russell when they are bored and there are only a few things left for them to do.


He looks at me and cocks his head when I am talking to me and he also makes great eye contact and so I know he knows what I am saying to him and he is listening. Today though it was a funny moment of a dog trying to push his limits in the house but in at the same time use his intelligence. My husband and I do not let Max go into the bathroom because every time he is in there he tends to rip the toilet paper to shreds, and so we have taught him to sit outside the door and wait and he does a great job with this. Sometimes he will even take a nap by the door when I am in the bathtub. We today I was taking a bath and Max brought his fake duck dog toy and lay down. I told him to sit and wait, he did this and because I was taking a bath about 5 minutes into it he laid down. Then all of a sudden he kind of nudged the duck inside the doorway, but not so much that he could not reach it from where he was laying at. I just thought that he was done playing with it and he just did not want it anymore, then he pushed it a little farther in the doorway and moved towards it, this did not really mean to much to me at that moment and so I just let it be, but before I knew it he was nudging it all the way into the bathroom and then I figured out what he was doing. He thought that if he kept pushing the duck into the bathroom that I would not be upset with him for coming in to get it.

Needless to say Max outwitted me for a few seconds today

Max was born in April of last year and so it was really something for him to see the snow for the first time. He enjoyed romping around and having fun. He spent the whole day burying his head in the snow and trying to track things. This is something that was really fun to see, I have never seen a dog with their whole head stuck in the snow, but Max loved it. He also found out that snow turns into water when you eat it, so he spent a lot of time eating as much snow as he could scarf down while he was outside. I think this was a great experience for Max and it was fun watching him chase the birds around the yard. I felt bad for the poor birds, but Max was really having fun and none of the birds got injured in this. It is a moment that I will never forget with my four legged friend Max.

Jack Russells are a breed of dog that needs to constantly have some kind of stimulant to keep them busy and having fun. I have put together some of the top toys to help cure you dogs boredom and keep them from destroying your home.
1. Extreme Kong Dog Toy

Kong's are made out of a durable rubber that can stand up to the biggest dog bit. These dog toys will give your dog hours of enjoyment trying to get the dog treat out of them. This does not only help cure boredom, but also these dog toys help you dog stretch their jaw muscles and learn the value of having to work hard for something that they really want.
KONG Extreme Dog Toy, Large, Black

Price Range: $4.97-$16.97


2. Wiggly Giggly Ball

This ball is not the average ball. It is wiggly and giggly and sure to have your dog chasing something other than you around the house. This dog toy will give your dog hours of fun chancing it around the house and the best part to this ball unlike some of the dog toys that you have purchased for your dog; it is made out of a durable plastic, which will last your dog for years.

Multipet Wiggly Giggly Ball, Large

Price Range: $9.97-$12.99


3. Kyjen Plush Puppies I Qube Dog Toys

The I Qube dog toy is a way to have you dog try and to figure out the puzzle to get the little balls that are put inside out. I Qube promotes paw and eye coordination. This also is a great dog toy to help your dog to try and get the larger dog treats like milk bones out of it. You do not have to worry about your small puppy getting hurt on this product either as this dog toy is made out of a soft fabric and it can even be machine washed. This will have your dog testing their own IQs and helping them with brain development.

Kyjen I-Qube Puzzle Plush Interactive Dog Toy, Large

Price Range: $8.70


4. Premier Busy Buddy Tug-a-Jug Treat Dispensing Dog Toy

if you have even seen your dog want to play with a pop bottle around the house, this might be the perfect alternative. You can place a dog treat inside the clear just when you leave to go somewhere and your dog can spend hours enjoying the time trying to get the treat out. This dog toy differs from some of the other dog toys that dispense dog treats because the dog cannot hear and smell the dog treat, but it can also see it.

Price Range: $14.99


5. Plush Hide A Toys

This cute little tree stump plush includes 3 little plushy squirrels that can be hidden in the holes. This will give your dog the enjoyment of chasing after squirrels while you are gone. This dog toy is made out of a strong durable fabric, so let your dog have at it and get those squirrels that may have tormented them so long.

Price Range: $12.99


These dog toys are sure to make your pal say thank you and give you a chance to be away from the home without having to worry about the tornado that might have gone right through your house while you were away. Just remember dogs are just like humans, if they get bored then they will make their own fun and sometimes it might be at the owner's expense.

Jack Russell's are a highly trainable dog breed. Known for their intelligence no task is to big for them, this even includes being trained for TV and Movies.

Eddie From Frasier

Eddie was the loveable companion of Frasier's father on the television show "Frasier." Eddie was known on the show for his crazy antics on the show. It seemed as though Frasier’s father had more of a love for this dog then Frasier. Eddie's real name off screen was Moose and before acting he was the typical Jack Russell. He is an example of a rough coated Jack Russell, for someone that might have never seen one. Moose even made his way onto the big screen appearing in the move ‘My Dog Skip" with costar Kevin Bacon. His owners found that training Moose gave him some structure and also helped cure his boredom that caused him to bark constantly, or his dig up the whole back yard. Eddie was one of the Jack Russell's that made this breed so popular. Moose passed away in 2006 at the ripe old age of 16.

Wishbone

Wishbone was a children’s television series that appeared on PBS that's star was a loveable Jack Russell name of course Wishbone. This pooch played the part of characters in some classic novels, or course always playing the hero that comes to save the day. This Jack Russell was the perfect example of a smooth coated Jack.

Celebrities That Have Owned A Jack Russell

Jack Russell's have even made their way into the hearts of celebrities. A lot of celebrities look for the smaller breeds of dogs because they are a lot easier to travel with, this could be one of the reasons that have become popular or maybe it is because they are loveable by nature.

Some of the celebrities that have owned a Jack Russell are Mariah Carey, Bette Midler, Paul McCartney, Goldie Hawn, Lindsey Lohan, Olympic Diver Greg Louganis, and many more. It is not hard to see why these dogs would be at the top of the list for a celebrity.

When trying to find a safe way for you to be able to roam free throughout the yard you might choose the option of a wireless fence. This is a good option opposed to chaining your dog up or having a huge ugly fence blocking your whole yard, but keep in mind that sometimes wireless fences have their own flaws.
How Does PetSafe Wireless Instant Fence Work?

It requires that you put a specialized collar on your dog that you will be used to give your dog the warning signal that they have traveled out of the range of the wireless fence. You can choose from the high and low charge to warn your dog, this does not hurt the dog, but instead teaches the dog that once they get to a certain spot in the yard that they will get this kind of single and is suppose to teach them to stay away from any of the flags that you have put in the yard to show them were their boundaries are. The PetSmart wireless fence claims that it covers up to 100 yards around your house. You can set the box inside and it will still control the dog outside. You can choose through setting 2-10 that gives you the distance that you are allowing your dog to roam.

You can view the rest of this article at Associated Content and find out if this type of fence works on a Jack Russell?

PetSafe Wireless Instant Fence and Accessories

Greenies Dog Treats are dog treats that are shape to look like a toothbrush and are used for good oral hygiene for your dog, but do they work as well as they claim?

Greenies are almost like a textured dog bone that is used for the purpose to help dogs' clean their teeth while chewing on them. They contain vitamins, minerals, and plenty of protein so that the dog can easily digest this toothbrush looking dog treats. These are supposed to be used daily as a way to help with maintenance on your dogs teeth, but they do not recommend that this is the only way to take care of your dogs' oral hygiene. This product is approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council, but does that really mean that this a good product for your dog? Below I will explain some of the ups and downs I encountered with these teeth cleaning tools.

The Pluses To Greenies Dog Treats

Greenies I found really do work well on cleaning your dog's teeth right down to the gum. My dog personally loved these and thought that they were more like a dog treat for him to chew on all day which was a plus because he is a very picky dog when it comes to things that he likes. You can get greenies based on the size of your dog like some other dog treats provide, which is a plus because you do not want a toy size dog trying to eat a bone that is made for a larger breed of dog. Greenies are also great for any dog that has a hard time eating the harder type treats like milk bones. I found these treats were a lot easier for my dog that has even the hardest time breaking off little pieces of a milk bone that was for his specific size. These are something to consider for any dog with sensitive teeth, plus with these dog treats have more protein in them you do not risk you dog getting constipated from eating them. If you are someone that has a hard time trying to get a toothbrush in your dogs mouth, these are a heath alternative and your dog can do all the work themselves just by chewing on these toothbrush shaped bones all day.

The Negatives To Greenies Dog Treats

To find out how these dog treat might have a negative side you can check out the rest of the articles at Associated Content.

Greenies Dental Dog Treats

Greenies Dog Bone Treats can be found at any local pet store like PetSmart.

Well time has finally arrived and Max has started his way on learning technical training, instead of what I have taught him at home. I have been training him the basic commands like sit, stay, wait, and lay down since he was 8 weeks old. My husband and I thought it was best for both of our sanity if we put Max in some really training classes and get him out and socializing with other dogs that are around the same age as him. He has most of the commands down like sit, wait, and lay down but when it comes to the call back he does terrible he only returns when he wants to and this is just not working for us. I thought also it would be best if he could learn his in home manors since this is something that he sometimes does poorly with. So Each week I will be reporting back on how he did in his class for that week and what we learned, in hopes that it might help some other Jack Russell owners out. There are 8 weeks to the classes so I am hoping to see some improvement in Max.

Week 1:

Ok well here is the first start on trying to get Max to be a well behaved dog. We went to the class and another dog was graduating. I hope to see Max there at the end of it all, but do not know if we are going to have to do some extended training past the 8 weeks.

We went in to the circle that they have for all the dogs, which is pretty much like a pin to keep them in a specific area. Max saw the Pit Bull that was in the class and right away started barking uncontrollably. The trainer just told me to keep covering his eyes and that if he could not see the other dogs then he would know that he needed to stop barking to do so. I found this to be quite an ordeal because he would not even stop when I did this, instead would stop barking when I had his eyes covered and then start barking again and soon as I let him see the other dogs. The barking was bad and I am not quite sure why these dogs got a rise out of him, but my mom’s dog he could be around and he would never bark. The trainer after seeing what a hard time I was having told me to turn Max around and have him face away from the other dogs kind of like a time out. This seemed to work a lot better for him then the covering his eyes thing did.

The trainer then instructed us that we were going to be taking the dogs for a walk around the store on a loose leash. In my head I was thinking this not going to work because I can see Max nipping at some of the other dogs, so instead the whole time was on a tight leash, and pretty much running in place. I was a little disappointed because I had never seen him act this way, but I knew that this is a new place with new dogs and so I could not expect for him to act perfect otherwise I would have never needed the training classes.

Clickers and treats were then handed out and she showed us how she wanted us to load the clicker to give our dogs a better understanding that when we clicked the clicker they would get a reward. Everyone else’s dogs were clam and doing exactly what the owners were wanting them to do, but Max was still barking away. The trainer told me not to worry and that next time he will be use to this and less barking will be going on.

So this week is mainly loading the clicker and teaching Max when I click the clicker he will be getting rewarded for whatever he is doing at that time. So far he is doing a lot better at home.

Who knew that a Jack Russell's worst enemy was a balloon?



Each week I will post a Viedo of a Jack Russell doing something funny. If you would like your video put into our video blog archieve, just send the video to linda_paul28@yahoo.com and who knows your Jack could be featured here.

When your Jack Russell is a pup you will not be able to get them into dog training classes until they are at least 8 weeks old and are up to date on their shots. Also there is the factor of price when it comes to dog training. It is always a good idea with this breed of dog to get started on training the first day that they arrive in your home. You cannot coddle this breed of dog because they will learn that it is easy to manipulate you to do what they want. Training these dogs does not have to be a harsh form like swatting them with a newspaper or even yelling NO at them all day, instead there is a kinder gentler way to train these dog when they are puppies.
First rule never yell at your dog by name, if you say their name in a angry tone they will associate their name with angry and then when it comes time for you to train them the call back or getting them to return to you by their name they will refuse and instead do the opposite of what you want them to do.

Also never hit your dog in any way this will only have a negative response. In time after you do this to much to them you will in turn have an angry dog that will destroy anything that resembles something that you might have hit them this, or even worse them attacking you.

Jack Russell’s are a show dog; they love training and do not mind doing it one bit if you show them love when they have done something that you have asked of them. It mainly comes down to how you would like to be treated would you like someone to swat at you and scream at you all day for something you have done wrong, doubtful.
Potty Training- When bringing you pup home for the first time, the thing that you should have planned out is where you want them to potty outside. You need to before even stepping one foot in the door take the puppy to the spot that you want them to use as their own personal restroom. This will give your puppy the idea of where they need to go every time they are outside. Jack Russell has a high sense of smell and they use their nose for everything. Once they go potty in the spot that you allowed them to they can smell this and will continue to do this over and over again without too much trouble. You must make sure that you always take them to this spot because if you do not them they might make a restroom out of your whole yard. This is also why it is very important to use pet cleaner on the rugs if the dog has an accident because they can pick up on were that spot is and continue to do this in your home. (I will explain more later in the blog.)

Dog Treats And A Clicker- Clicker training is a great way to get these dogs a good start. Clicks are a plastic box with a bendable piece of metal inside, when you press down on this metal it will make a clicking noise. I do want to warn you that clicker training only works if you are willing to do the training part. You cannot press on the clicker and have the dog do exactly what you want it to; they do not know what a clicker is you have to show them. When you click the clicker make sure that you have plenty of treats. You will click the clicker and then give them a treat and keep doing this until they recognize that you clicker give you good things to eat, this is called loading the clicker. Some people get worried about this because they think that if you use this method that you will have to constantly give your dog treats, but this is not true. Once the dog gets the idea of what you want them to do, you can slowly wean away the clicker and then the treats and they will still follow your commands. Dogs are like humans they need rewards to make whatever you want them to do worth it. Say for instance if you work you probley would not want to work for free instead you do it to get a paycheck that is your reward, a dog feels the same way. You can practice loading the clicker and then once they know what you are going to do click the clicker and wait awhile before giving them the treat, this teaches them to be more patient in the long run, but also teaches them even when they have to wait a reward will come. Also some things that you can teach your Jack right away are sitting, you will tell them to sit and once they do you can click the clicker and reward them with a treat. I found some other ones that Max really responded to were sit, lay down, down, and up which is jumping up for a treat. He started doing these when he was 8 weeks old and so as you can see they are very intelligent dogs, but they need your guidance. Use the same words for everything you train them because if you go off of that, you Jack Russell might get confused. So say you use the word down to get them off the couch, and then you must use that every time because if you even say get down they may become confused as to what you are telling them.

Proper Training MUST start when they are puppies.

Before I bought my dog Max I did not know all the things that I would need for him. I thought he would be like my mom’s dog which is a Havanese and I thought that he would not need a whole lot, since he dog only need food a collar, and a fence to keep him happy. I did find first hand that Jack Russell’s need much more than that to keep them completely satisfied in the home. So instead of you having to learn the lesson that I had to learn, I will give you a list to what to get before you even bring a Jack Russell into your home.


Fence- This is a must and you also have to make sure that it is buried under the ground because Jack Russell’s are diggers and they will make their own way to get outside of the fence. Also make sure that the fence is at least 6’ high because not only are they diggers, but they are jumper and will try and jump as high as they can to get out the fence, do not let their short stature fool you.
Food & Water dish- Make sure that these dishes are heavy duty do not get anything that is made from cheap plastic they will tear these all to shreds.

Dog Collar & Leash- I found that the best collars are not the ones that are made from any form of fabric the best kind are made out of leather. This will allow you more time before the collar starts to unravel from all the tugging that this dog might do. I also found if you can afford a harness for the dog instead of using the collar when it is on its leash this will give you better control over the dog as well. The leash can be any kind of leash, but I do suggest that you do not get the retractable leashes until the dog has been trained and can walk with a loose leash.

Chew Toys- Chew toys are a must for these dogs, they will chew on everything and anything that they can get their mouths around. So it is best to give them something that is made out of harder plastics or even try and find plenty of ropes to keep them busy and stay away from the $.99 toys at Wal- Mart because those will be gone in one day. Also keep in mind when getting toys you want to make sure that you get a variety of toys because of these dogs being so intelligent they need constant stimulation and a variety, otherwise they might get bored and start looking for other things around the home to give them entertainment.

Dog Food- This is pretty much up to you if you want to go with wet or dry dog food, but I would suggest that you choose the dog food that is a little softer as these dogs tend to have a hard time chewing anything that is hard. Some people suggest that you opt for the healthier option which is all natural dog food and I pretty much think that it is up to the owner. All natural is better for your dog yes, but it can also be a lot pricier and the dog may not even like it.

Dog Training Classes- Be aware that you might not do this right away, but it is highly suggested that in the future before your puppy turns a year old that you get them into training classes. Jack Russell’s have a hard time socializing with other dogs and because of their strong will might try and run your household if you do not practice the proper techniques to get them to do what you want them to.

Dog Bed- This is a must because even though it might seem like you are pampering your pet, the more you let a jack sleep in your bed the less they will listen to you when you tell them that they are not allowed to. It is best in the begging to get them their own bed for them to sleep on, so that you never run into this problem.

Crate- This may seem like it is cruel to do to a dog, but for a Jack this is necessary, if you do not crate train these dogs they will turn your house upside down while you are gone. You need to teach them from the time that they come home, that the crate is not a place for punishment and that is a place just mainly for them to take a break in and come out when you come home. The crate should not be overly large because otherwise you might find your Jack defecating in his home, it is better to get it a little on the smaller side because they will not defecate where they sleep.

Having a Jack Russell is not cheap, but how can you put a price on a love that will last you a lifetime?

Here are something’s that you should really consider before even adopting or purchasing this breed of dog. They are not like some dogs that are just a good lap dog they are much more than this. You need to consider that these dogs were bred to hunt and therefore are classed as a working dog.

Time- This is something that is very important to these dogs. They can gain separation anxiety if you are away from the home for long periods of time and also they can find their own sense of entertainment when you are gone which is something that we quote as being destructive. If you spend most of your day outside of the home this is not the breed for you. They need to be trained regularly so that they learn the tools they need to get along with you in the home. This does not come natural you cannot expect to have a dog know what you want from them if you are never home to show them.

Children- You need to know that these dogs are generally hyper all their lives no matter what their age, so do not think that just because you get an older Jack Russell that you are not going to get a hyper one. You need to consider if you have younger children under the age of 5 that do not know how to respect the dog and its boundaries. Jack’s are known to be very protective of their things, and so the child cannot be grabbing at their toys or food. This is not to say they will bite, but you might not want to chance it. Also these dogs are very sensitive and do not like to rough house like some of the other breeds of dogs. They are not found of having their hair pulled on or their tail, but then again not very many dogs are. If you do not have a child that is old enough to know that this sort of thing cannot be done with this breed of dog, then that is something else to consider.

Space- Space is a big issue with these dogs, they need plenty of room to run and be able to get out and get some exercise daily. This does not mean that you have to have a house with a huge yard, but it is ideal for these dogs. They need to maintain exercise everyday to be able to stay healthy. If you do live in a house with a yard then it is best to get a fence, do not just let your Jack Russell run free, Jack’s are known to dart away from their owners because of something that they spot that they want to chase.

The best thing that you can do is be considerate of the dog and know that if you get a Jack Russell these are some of things that He/She will need and if you cannot provide them then you should look into another breed of dog.

This blog is mainly a tribute to my dog Max. We have had him a little over a year and we have had our ups and downs. The way I came about getting a Jack Russell was not really like some people would have thought. My husband had said to me that he never wanted to get a dog and so I just kept nagging at him because I was raised with dogs my whole life and so I really wanted my children to experience this. We already had two cats, two parakeets and a fish and so I was at first kind of scared to get a dog, but I knew if I waited any longer my husband would not give me the ok, so I started looking that day. My husband said that he did not want a large dog that small or medium in size would be alright and that is mainly because of younger son, he did not want a large dog that would be jumping all over him. I have to admit that I did not at the time do any research on a Jack Russell and really had no idea what one was.

How I Found Max

I was looking through the local online newspaper and I had seen someone post that they had two Jack Russell’s for sale a male and a female and then only lived about 10 miles from me. I was interested mainly because said that they would only grow to be about medium in size. I called the guy up right away and he said that I could come and look at the puppies that day. So I went and picked up my mom and we went to the town to see them. She had warned me that terriers were a hyper breed of dog, but I did not care because I had 4 children hyper was nothing to me.

Seeing Max For The First Time

When I first saw Max it was instant love at first sight, I knew that this was the dog that I wanted to take home. The previous owners lived on a farm like I did so I thought that our home would be perfect in size. He was running around pulling small tree branches around the yard and chasing after balls. I thought wow he is playful, but boy I did not know the half of it. I did ask the previous owner if he would good with children and he told me that yes he would that he had grandchildren come over all the time to play with the dogs and so I took him home.

My Husbands Reaction

My husband is a truck driver and was out on the road when I bought him. I had sent him pictures of Max so that he knew what he looked like. He was kind of shocked at first because I had went and bought the dog so fast, but once he got home he to feel in love with Max and has a close bond with the dog now, that I think he never thought that he would have with a dog.