Jack Russell's are known for being hyperactive. Unfortunately, that means that when one has company, these dogs' first instinct is to greet their visitors by jumping on them. Training them not to is not rocket science. It's actually very simple.
To train your company, instruct them that when your dog attempts to jump up on them, to simply take a step back. Depending on the dog, you may have to do this a few times for him/her to get the message, but I assure you, the dog will get the message. If the dog makes more than two attempts, simply say "Shh!" as you step back. The dog will quickly realize you are the alpha member of this relationship and will obey. The "Shh!" command must be authoritative; the dog needs to know you are the leader of the pack. What could be more simple?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Dog Training Isn't Rocket Science
Most of us own, have owned, or have dreamed of owning, a dog to enjoy the happiness of having someone love us unconditionally, but we often don’t give enough thought in advance to properly caring for our ‘best friend’. Dogs are wonderful pets; they’re going to love us regardless of how much or how little we play with them, cuddle them, or talk to them.
One evening while admiring a new litter of Jack Russell puppies our son’s dogs had bred, my husband and I decided we, too, wanted a dog, even though we had little experience as dog owners. As we were deciding which one to take him, we had the realization that because we both work, we needed to take two; one would be too lonely while we were away. That’s when we welcomed Blackjack and Bandit into our previously empty nest.
Our lack of experience didn’t prepare us for the energy of the Jack Russell breed, but because they’re so intelligent we found it quite easy to train our new pets. When the puppies needed correction, I would simply slap a newspaper against my leg, and, the sound alone would immediately correct their behavior. Wow, how easy was that. A short “Shh” works just as well, and is what we now use.
We soon discovered that by providing a few inexpensive toys, the puppies were able to keep themselves occupied, playing with the toys and each other. I’m proud to say they never, at any time, chewed up socks, shoes, or anything else we left within their reach. We built a 5’ x 7’ shaded fenced enclosure in our backyard, where they stayed during the day while we were at work. At night they slept in the house.
We enjoyed a serene relationship for a couple years, until one day I decided to purchase a different brand of dog food for them that looked to me to be tastier than the brand we had fed them for years (well, we don't like to eat the same thing every day, do we?). After a couple days, we noticed our buddies weren’t as enthusiastic about meal time as they had been, but we just attributed it to the change in weather. Then they started to ‘leave a deposit’ on the floor every night, without fail, no matter how many times we let them out before bedtime. This was extremely annoying to me, and I’m not proud to admit I suggested more than once that they may have to find a new home.
One night, while dishing up their evening meal, it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps the new food we had bought them was too rich for their system. I immediately returned to the store, purchased the brand we had been buying, and held my breath. The next morning, I tentatively walked into the living room (their favorite disposal site) and was elated to see they had not done their business on the floor. We’ve now gone several weeks without incident, and I marvel every time I think of how easy the solution was. The dogs were not in need of retraining, I was. If only all lessons could be so easy.
One evening while admiring a new litter of Jack Russell puppies our son’s dogs had bred, my husband and I decided we, too, wanted a dog, even though we had little experience as dog owners. As we were deciding which one to take him, we had the realization that because we both work, we needed to take two; one would be too lonely while we were away. That’s when we welcomed Blackjack and Bandit into our previously empty nest.
Our lack of experience didn’t prepare us for the energy of the Jack Russell breed, but because they’re so intelligent we found it quite easy to train our new pets. When the puppies needed correction, I would simply slap a newspaper against my leg, and, the sound alone would immediately correct their behavior. Wow, how easy was that. A short “Shh” works just as well, and is what we now use.
We soon discovered that by providing a few inexpensive toys, the puppies were able to keep themselves occupied, playing with the toys and each other. I’m proud to say they never, at any time, chewed up socks, shoes, or anything else we left within their reach. We built a 5’ x 7’ shaded fenced enclosure in our backyard, where they stayed during the day while we were at work. At night they slept in the house.
We enjoyed a serene relationship for a couple years, until one day I decided to purchase a different brand of dog food for them that looked to me to be tastier than the brand we had fed them for years (well, we don't like to eat the same thing every day, do we?). After a couple days, we noticed our buddies weren’t as enthusiastic about meal time as they had been, but we just attributed it to the change in weather. Then they started to ‘leave a deposit’ on the floor every night, without fail, no matter how many times we let them out before bedtime. This was extremely annoying to me, and I’m not proud to admit I suggested more than once that they may have to find a new home.
One night, while dishing up their evening meal, it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps the new food we had bought them was too rich for their system. I immediately returned to the store, purchased the brand we had been buying, and held my breath. The next morning, I tentatively walked into the living room (their favorite disposal site) and was elated to see they had not done their business on the floor. We’ve now gone several weeks without incident, and I marvel every time I think of how easy the solution was. The dogs were not in need of retraining, I was. If only all lessons could be so easy.
Most of us own, have owned, or have dreamed of owning a dog to enjoy the happiness of having someone love us unconditionally, but we often don’t give enough thought in advance to properly caring for our ‘best friend’. Dogs are wonderful pets; they’re going to love us regardless of how much or how little we play with them, cuddle with them, or talk to them.
One evening while admiring a new litter of Jack Russell puppies our son’s dogs had bred, my husband and I decided we, too, wanted a dog, even though we had little experience as dog owners. As we were deciding which one to take home, we had the realization that because we both work, we needed to take two, because one would be too lonely while we were away. That’s when we welcomed Blackjack and Bandit into our previously empty nest.
Our lack of experience didn’t prepare us for the energy of the Jack Russell breed, but because they’re so intelligent, we found it quite easy to train our new pets. When the puppies needed correction, I would simply slap a newspaper against my leg, and, the sound alone would immediately correct their behavior. Wow, that was easy. A quick, sharp “Shh” works just as well, and is what we now use.
We soon discovered that by providing a few inexpensive toys, the puppies were able to keep themselves occupied, playing with the toys and each other. I’m proud to say they never, at any time, chewed up socks, shoes, or anything else we left within their reach. We built a 5’ x 7’ shaded fenced enclosure in our backyard, where they stayed during the day while we were at work. At night they slept in the house.
We enjoyed a serene relationship for a couple years, until one day I decided to purchase a different brand of dog food for them that looked to me to be tastier than the brand we had fed them for years. I know I get tired of the eating the same thing every day, and thought they must, as well. After a couple days, we noticed our buddies weren’t as enthusiastic about meal time as they had been, but we just attributed it to the change in weather. Then they started to ‘leave a deposit’ on the floor every night, without fail, no matter how many times we let them out before bedtime. This was extremely annoying to me, and I’m not proud to admit I suggested more than once that they may have to find a new home.
One night, while dishing up their evening meal, it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps the new food we had bought them was too rich for their system. I immediately returned to the store, purchased the brand we had been buying, and held my breath. The next morning, I tentatively walked into the living room (their favorite disposal site) and was elated to see they had not done their business on the floor. We’ve now gone several weeks without incident, and I marvel every time I think of how easy the solution was. The dogs were not in need of retraining, I was. If only all life lessons could be so easy.
One evening while admiring a new litter of Jack Russell puppies our son’s dogs had bred, my husband and I decided we, too, wanted a dog, even though we had little experience as dog owners. As we were deciding which one to take home, we had the realization that because we both work, we needed to take two, because one would be too lonely while we were away. That’s when we welcomed Blackjack and Bandit into our previously empty nest.
Our lack of experience didn’t prepare us for the energy of the Jack Russell breed, but because they’re so intelligent, we found it quite easy to train our new pets. When the puppies needed correction, I would simply slap a newspaper against my leg, and, the sound alone would immediately correct their behavior. Wow, that was easy. A quick, sharp “Shh” works just as well, and is what we now use.
We soon discovered that by providing a few inexpensive toys, the puppies were able to keep themselves occupied, playing with the toys and each other. I’m proud to say they never, at any time, chewed up socks, shoes, or anything else we left within their reach. We built a 5’ x 7’ shaded fenced enclosure in our backyard, where they stayed during the day while we were at work. At night they slept in the house.
We enjoyed a serene relationship for a couple years, until one day I decided to purchase a different brand of dog food for them that looked to me to be tastier than the brand we had fed them for years. I know I get tired of the eating the same thing every day, and thought they must, as well. After a couple days, we noticed our buddies weren’t as enthusiastic about meal time as they had been, but we just attributed it to the change in weather. Then they started to ‘leave a deposit’ on the floor every night, without fail, no matter how many times we let them out before bedtime. This was extremely annoying to me, and I’m not proud to admit I suggested more than once that they may have to find a new home.
One night, while dishing up their evening meal, it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps the new food we had bought them was too rich for their system. I immediately returned to the store, purchased the brand we had been buying, and held my breath. The next morning, I tentatively walked into the living room (their favorite disposal site) and was elated to see they had not done their business on the floor. We’ve now gone several weeks without incident, and I marvel every time I think of how easy the solution was. The dogs were not in need of retraining, I was. If only all life lessons could be so easy.
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