Jack Russell - Going to see a pup today, so tell me anything I should or shouldn't know about them

[jofeb04]

Hiya,
Both myself and dh have always had dogs in the house, so we know about the general dog things.

What are Jack Russells like (my SIL had two, and they were great). Are they good with children (may be a bad question, in that no dog is 100% safe iykwim).

Has anyone had one?

Thanks

(BTW, the one we are looking at is white and back, half his face is white, the other black, with two black ears!). He was not jumping around when we saw them all, but he was not sitting away either. We've seen both parents as well.

my mum has had two, both very different.

they are terriers, so can be high maintenance, but can also be very loyal and good company.

first one mum had was calm, loving and very safe with kids, loved other animals in the home.

2nd one was an only dog as loathed other pets, and yet she loved kids.

MY SIL's two dogs were similar, one was very relaxed, calm etc, the other one was the opposite - didn't get on with dogs!

We're only getting the one (even though ds - 4- is begging for two!).

Lovely little dogs but need a firm hand and plenty of training, IME. Socialise him as much as possible as early as possible. Have had a laid back one and a completely mad one, so spend lots of time doing the standard puppy behaviour checks (eg roll him on his back in your hand etc.)

Do not get two, no matter how much DS wants you to - they need to bond with you, not with each other or they could end up being really difficult.

With children I have found them below average in terms of trustworthiness - I think all small dogs can feel threatened and nip more easily than other dogs, but of course that's where supervision comes in.

Very best of luck & enjoy!!!

We had a long-haired Jack Russell when I was a child. I'm sorry to say that he had a bit of a split personality and could be perfectly fine one moment then take a bite the next. Workmen were his favourite!

Thanks for the information.

Bloodandmutts... MN was our last resort to check! After takng to a number of vets/breeders etc, we feel that a Jack Russell is the preferred dog for us.

bella29, the vets mentioned that we will need a strong hand to begin with, and that socialising is also important.

Lol @ favorate workmen!

My mum has a little rescue Jack Russell who is gorgeous and just loves everybody. She hasn't shown a hint of aggression which I realise isn't always the case having known a few less than friendly JRTs in the past! For a youngster she has also been remarkably quick and easy to train.
What I would say is get a dog crate/cage for when you are out or asleep as mum's has that terrier urge to rip things to shreds which didn't make her too popular with my stepdad to start with. He adores her now though .

I have one that mum wants to rehome

I have known 2 - one was really nasty nipped alot, but ours is very un-terrier like! He really is the best, but a complete ball of energy though. On the whole they can be nippy by nature, but it varies. My one is totally white with a black spot over each eye!

Good idea about the crate! Saves my home I suppose!

We're picking her up on Frday morning

They needs LOTS of space to run around and LOTS of excercise. Otherwise will often end up yappy and snappy. I persoanlly think they are better suited to a farm environment than a family home.

We have kept many dogs over the years, but never a Jack Russell until we got a JRT puppy last year. I have to say I am smitten with the breed now. She is full of mischief, loves to play and is a great companion dog. She is fine with our children (but our youngest is 9 so not tiny). She is rather nervous with strangers, however, despite being socialised when young.
However, as others have said, they are very headstrong and need a firm hand from the outset.

I am a total JRT convert - i just love them now! That is because i have a JRT type dog - he is a cross between a patterdale and border terrier (althogh everyone teases me and says its a jack russel, as he looks like a long haired JRT). He is my little star - he is amazing with our DD, she pulls him around something chronic, but he loves it - when he has had enough, he just walks off and leaves her, but nine times out of ten, hes back for more.

I used to work in a vets and my experience of JRTs was very mixed actually, and i would have initially said, definately not with children as i have seen some right little feckers. They can be very dominant and snappy dogs, have absolutely NO fear and tend to think they rule the roost. So, they DO need a firm but gentle hand. I cannot recommend socialisation enough - does your local vet run puppy playgroups? This is a chance to socialise pups after their first injection and this makes such a difference.

With Bob, we didn't really do the whole official training thing, after two classes it became apparent that it was just too much for his tiny little brain so we gave up on that. We just made sure he fitted into what WE wanted from our dog. He went through a stage of growling (totally unacceptable behaviour) when he was about 12 weeks old - we stopped this by scruffing him whenever he did it, putting him down and ignoring him. He is the most loving dog i have had, he actually is a bit of a pain in the arse as he follows me everywhere, and i mean everywhere! I wouldn't be without him for the world and will probably end up with another JRT at some point.

Good luck with your puppy .

we had a fab JRT. Gorgeous dog. Very clever, we trained him to do all sorts of tricks. Needed loads of exercise. He was fine when DS was a baby but we had to get our beloved JRT rehomed when DS started toddling as JRT got very nerous of him and growly. We had him rehomed with a family with older children. It was one of the most difficult things we have had to do, but for the best.

It may be different introducing a dog to a family rahter than the other way around, but we won't be getting another dog until our children are much older.

You need to keep them trained-they are very independant- if you let up with them an inch, they will taker a mile. WOnderful, entertaining dogs, though