I need some info on Jack Russells. I think you said you had one/some. I've read up on them online but I'd rather hear from someone who owns one/some.
How are they with young children. The young children are always supervised and would never be left alone with the JRT to torment it.
Are they stubborn? Trainable? Hyper? Need lots of outside time? Are they lap dogs?
Thanks for any help.
"Some" Made me chuckle. Yes, I currently collect Jacks and have around 3 (had 7 after my first litter). I have 1 male and 2 females.
First, Jacks are incredibly smart and trainable, assuming you have the time to deal with them. Most of the behavior flaws my dogs have are due to not training them properly (my fault), and not because they are dumb dogs. About the only thing they can't learn is how to drive a stick shift.
They are also active dogs. When we lived in an apartment, we had to give them more potty breaks each day. Now, the backyard takes care of their energy. We generally let them out in the morning as we get up, but then they're good until the late-afternoon. They are small enough that much of their energy can be spent by playing inside, if outdoor time is a problem. (On a side note, I have one Jack who can jump a 5 foot fence if she ever got up the courage).
Jacks, like many other terriers, are a bit hyper (though moreso while young) and can be barky dogs. The barking can be corrected by training; the hyper not so much. If you're a dog person, then you'll love how a Jack greets you when you get home from work; it's like they're spring-loaded. Just don't ever expect a lazy labrador.
As for kids, we've never had any serious problems. We also watch our kids closely and the dogs handle them well. My male dog once got so excited to see my daughter that he jumped into the bassinet with her. Most of the time, the dogs retreat to their hiding spots if they want to get away; otherwise, they'll try to play with the kids. In fact, since my daughter thinks that every dog is as nice as her's, she thinks she can cuddle with any dog on the street (which usually results in me getting bit by some yappy mutt).
Are they lap dogs? Ignore whatever you read, they live for the lap. When I was looking into Jacks many years ago, everything I read said they weren't. But I can honestly say that each of my dogs loves to cuddle with people and they fight each other for a lap. They also like to burrow, so just give up making the bed now and save yourself some the effort.
I think they are terrific dogs. Whether we lived in a cramped apartment or house, they were fine. Hyper, yes, but I've always liked it. Good with kids, yes, which will be easier to deal with if you get a puppy and they learn their place in the family. Outside time? Only if they need to burn off more energy. Do they travel well? Yep. Do they shed? Like a yeti. Are they loveable? You betcha.
Shoot me an email or ask anymore questions you might have, Melissa.
I've got a Jack Russell Terrier I've had for fifteen years now, and he's absolutely the best. Everything Zeni said is true from my experience, especially the burrowing thing! We used to chain Bingo outside so he could run around and whatnot, and we would come to find our lawn filled with one foot deep holes. And every time we would buy him a bed to lay on, we would find it completely shredded within days.
And he would definitely love laying in people's laps. He would just lay there for hours, and sometimes even fall asleep. I'm not much of a dog trainer, so we didn't really teach him anything special, but you could tell he is a very intelligent dog - unless you play the treat under the dish towel trick. Ha, he even figures that out, eventually, though.
However, now, in his older years, he is much more docile, does not run and bark a lot, and tends to sleep much. Even still, you can hardly tell he is fifteen. Why, I believe I have a picture in my profile that isn't a year old.
Oh, and he is never violent. He has more bark than his bite, should we say. I've yet to see him bite anyone, the most he would do is put his mouth around your hand, which I suppose would be tantamount to a "warning shot."
He must be good with children, because I grew up with him, and I've only come to enjoy his company.
Now, I'm not saying that all this is gospel, just wanted to share my experiences with my dog whom I love very much.
Thanks for this Zeni. I'm in the thinking process still. I haven't made up my mind yet. I grew up with Dachshunds so I must have a lap dog and a dog that likes to get under the covers with me. But I need a breed that is better with kids. Dachshunds aren't that breed. My brother and I were taught to respect our dogs of course but I just can't take the chance with my little demons that they will be as respectful as my Brother and I were.
I'm almost positive that if we do get a dog, a JRT will be the one for us.
Thanks again and if I come up with anymore questions, I'll be sure to email you.
:)
Get a Bichon. I am on my third....one as a kid, one hit by a car last year...
Once you house-break them (they can be a bit stubborn with that), they are perfect!
Great with Children, easy to train (again, house breaking them is the hardets part, took us about 7-8 months to completely do it), not too hyper, not too lazy, just perfect, IMHO.
Lisser wrote: so I must have a lap dog and a dog that likes to get under the covers with me.
Not a problem there at all. In fact, one of my dogs now cuddles with my daughter at night instead of me. He got tired of the competition in the big bed.
And, strangely enough, that makes me sound like a prostitute.