Any Jack Russell owners...

[Nemom]

We are thinking of adopting a JRT puppy.  What I'm reading online makes them sound like they are  a lot of work and can be destructive.

 

Any of JRT owner's willing to share their experiences?  TIA

[unsinkable]

We are thinking of adopting a JRT puppy. What I'm reading online makes them sound like they are a lot of work and can be destructive.

 

Any of JRT owner's willing to share their experiences? TIA

My dog's mom was a JRT.

 

He is super smart, quick to learn, likes to dig holes ( we call them his projects), likes to bark at dogs he hates and the mailman, buries himself under blankets,..

 

The worst part is the barking...he can be distracted a bit from barking at dogs he doesn't hate...but the ones he hates, he goes absolutely ballistic.

[Butter]

We have a Jack Russell Chihuahua mix.  Apparently, it's a very common mix.  Chihuahua daddy and Jack Russell momma.  She does a few things that are more typical Jack than chihuahua like jumping.  She barks a lot and HATES most other dogs with a passion and she hates a lot of people, too.  She's super protective.  I'm not sure if the barking and hating is from one side or the other or both.  Chihuahuas can bark a lot, too.  My dad had a Jack Russell when he was a kid and his family always said he was the best dog ever.

[Pawz4me]

DH's aunt and uncle had one that was relatively laid back, especially after he was about four. But IME he was an anomaly. Most are smart, active dogs who require an owner who's willing to keep their brain and body busy. They were bred to be working terriers and many still retain those characteristics. That makes them energetic dogs with lots of "drive." To live happily together you'll need to find an acceptable way to channel that. A walk around the neighborhood once a day probably won't do it, especially not for the first few years.

[Selkie]

We've had a Jack Russell/dachsund mix, a Jack Russell/rat terrier mix, and a rat terrier. I love terriers!

 

As others have already mentioned, they are super smart, feisty, and very energetic and need to be kept busy with a job. They love to dig and are good ratters/mousers. Ours would bring in mice, rabbits, and other little creatures from the yard, and one of them even caught a turtle once. Be cautious if you have a cat, because terriers sometimes think that cats are prey. They love to burrow under blankets to sleep and are very cozy to snuggle with on a cold winter night.  :) 

 

Oh, and they also have a tendency to put on a lot of weight as they get older, so you have to adjust their diet accordingly and make sure they keep getting plenty of exercise.    

[Tap]

One of the most annoying dogs I have ever met was a JRT.  There is no way I would get that bread. It barked constantly. Was so destructive to the yard with massive holes, that the next owners of the house, had to rota-till the back yard to level it back out. It aggressively barked at visitors until the owners got it calmed down, and then it would jump on them and not leave a visitor alone.  The owners ended up having to lock it in a room whenever anyone was over and then it would bark and dig at the carpet (ruining the door and carpet) trying to get out.  The dog was smart and learned tricks really fast, but had Zero self control.  The owners could get it to heal....it just wouldn't stay there.  The dog mysteriously 'ran away' one day when it was about 5yo and the owners had had enough of the destruction. 

 

It was the most ADHD dog I have ever met.  I have met other JRT and find them all annoying. They all had similar traits but not to his degree. It is one of the breads I would never, ever consider. 

Edited July 3, 2017 by Tap

[nixpix5]

Oh I just love JRTs. They are a ton of fun! So smart and learn tricks well but they can be Hugh energy and without adequate play they have been known to find their own "fun". I had a JRT years ago and he wanted EVERYTHING to be thrown so he could fetch. He didn't care what it was. He would bring me rocks. I would set things on the mantle just to have a break and he would either go get something else or sit, stare and whine at it FOREVER. I loved him though. They really are fun but if you want one that just sits on your lap don't go with a JRT.

[MercyA]

We have a Jack Russell Chihuahua mix.  Apparently, it's a very common mix.  Chihuahua daddy and Jack Russell momma.  She does a few things that are more typical Jack than chihuahua like jumping.  She barks a lot and HATES most other dogs with a passion and she hates a lot of people, too.  She's super protective.  I'm not sure if the barking and hating is from one side or the other or both.  Chihuahuas can bark a lot, too.  My dad had a Jack Russell when he was a kid and his family always said he was the best dog ever.

 

We are pretty sure our last dog was Chi/terrier mix, too, and the bolded describes him to a tee! He was crazy intelligent and knew over 50 words, but, man, was he neurotic. I love all dogs, but I don't think I'll ever knowingly adopt a terrier or terrier mix again. Terriers tend to be stubborn and can be aggressive with kids, too.

 

I personally wouldn't adopt a JRT if you have young children in the house. 

 

ETA: So interesting that two people have mentioned the burrowing under blankets trait. Our dog always wanted to be "tucked in," too. It seems weird to me that my current dog doesn't like it. 

Edited July 3, 2017 by MercyA

[Nemom]

One of the most annoying dogs I have ever met was a JRT.  There is no way I would get that bread. It barked constantly. Was so destructive to the yard with massive holes, that the next owners of the house, had to rota-till the back yard to level it back out. It aggressively barked at visitors until the owners got it calmed down, and then it would jump on them and not leave a visitor alone.  The owners ended up having to lock it in a room whenever anyone was over and then it would bark and dig at the carpet (ruining the door and carpet) trying to get out.  The dog was smart and learned tricks really fast, but had Zero self control.  The owners could get it to heal....it just wouldn't stay there.  The dog mysteriously 'ran away' one day when it was about 5yo and the owners had had enough of the destruction. 

 

It was the most ADHD dog I have ever met.  I have met other JRT and find them all annoying. They all had similar traits but not to his degree. It is one of the breads I would never, ever consider. 

 

LOL!  Appreciate the honesty.  That is what I need before I bring this girl home.  

[unsinkable]

We are pretty sure our last dog was Chi/terrier mix, too, and the bolded describes him to a tee! He was crazy intelligent and knew over 50 words, but, man, was he neurotic. I love all dogs, but I don't think I'll ever knowingly adopt a terrier or terrier mix again. Terriers tend to be stubborn and can be aggressive with kids, too.

 

I personally wouldn't adopt a JRT if you have young children in the house.

 

ETA: So interesting that two people have mentioned the burrowing under blankets trait. Our dog always wanted to be "tucked in," too. It seems weird to me that my current dog doesn't like it.

The HHS (head of homeland security) loves burrowing. I started a thread about it once.

 

He also likes to shove his head between the couch cushions and leave it there for several minutes. :lol:

Edited July 3, 2017 by unsinkable

[Garga]

My parents had two when I was growing up. The first one (Chainsaw) died somewhat young and my father mourned him for weeks. He still sighs and looks sad when he mentions Chainsaw. Esau was the next JRT. (We had a Buzzsaw, too, but he wasn't a JRT).

 

JRTs must run about 2-3 miles a day. I would try to take the JRTs on walks, but they would try to run. Which meant they'd drag me down the sidewalk lunging against their collars/leashes. I was sure they'd choke themselves to death. They would let out gaking, choking sounds as they strained their throats against the leashes. It's honestly a wonder I didn't get a dislocated shoulder.

 

We lived in the city at the time that we had Chainsaw, so we'd go to the graveyard and let him run.

 

He haaaaated other dogs, too, just like everyone else is saying. There was a big golden retriever that used to walk down the alley and taunt Chainsaw. Chainsaw would go ballistic and jump and jump and bark and bark at that dog. He only jumped straight up and down, until one day he figured out how to jump up and over the fence. He chased that retriever down the alley and my dad chased him. By the time my dad got there, the retriever was lying on his back with Chainsaw on his chest growing in his face.

 

The only time Chainsaw showed any fear was when 3 big dogs surrounded him at the graveyard. Chainsaw was facing them off, but you could tell he was afraid. My dad yelled and ran at the dogs and they ran off. Other than that, he was fearless.

 

He would sleep with me under my blankets, but get mad if I moved and disrupted him. My mother would hear my moving in my bed, then she'd hear a growl and a snap and me yelling out, "Chainsaw!" Because he'd nip my toes if I moved.

 

We loved that crazy dog.

 

Esau was no where near as crazy. Except that during the winter olympics, he saw the skiiers going down the hills on the tv screen. He jumped at the dots going down the white hills on the screen. The Russians were skiing and so my dad yelled out, "Bite the commie's butt!" Which just encouraged Esau. My parents thought it was the funniest thing ever. They told him again, "But the commie's butt!"

 

And we never had a peaceful night of watching tv ever again. No matter what we were watching, Esau was there to bite the commie's butt. We had to put him on a leash attached to the leg of the couch or he'd be boinging at the tv nipping at the screen.

 

Chainsaw was crazy protective of us. He would growl and lunge at anyone who visited. My mom would pretend to be attacking me and he'd growl at her--but it was a game. He knew it was practice for if someone ever tried to "get" us. That dog would have 100% died protecting us.

 

My mom could say, "He's gonna growl!" And he'd let out a low growl. He loved that game, too.

 

The love we had for that dog in particular was fierce. Our mutt, Buzzsaw was a good dog, and Esau was energetic and sweet, but Chainsaw would have died for us. It crushed my dad when Chainsaw was gone. He had cancer. The day they took him to the vet to have him put down, he tried to leap out the window of the car at a squirrel which made my dad feel even worse, because he was showing that strong spirit that my dad loved about him.

 

So....they NEED to run. Need. And don't EVER tell them to bite the commie's butt.

Edited July 3, 2017 by Garga

[Liz CA]

We inherited a Jack Russell from MIL and I don't know if it was the training (or lack thereof ahem), but she was a bit paranoid compared to my other dogs.

When there was thunder she insisted on chasing it. I opened the door and she flew out in the direction of the noise...

She was good ratter and mouser. :)

Very conceited and entitled and was not even of the millenial generation...she thought she could eat out of the mastiff's bowl. Even my mellow tempered mastiff was not allowing this and picked up Jack Russell by the neck and put her in a corner away from the food bowl. She was so incensed, she hid under our bed for 2 days.

 

She was also very active, seemed to like people but not other dogs. One of the kittens thought she was its mother and followed her around which the Jack Russell tolerated with a martyr attitude.

 

I suppose I am more of a big dog person...;)

[Liz CA]

So....they NEED to run. Need. And don't EVER tell them to bite the commie's butt.

 

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[The Girls' Mom]

Our JRT is fairly well behaved.  She was the easiest dog to housebreak that we've ever owned.  Her barking is nuts though.  She is VERY territorial with other dogs too.  She is also super smart, and gets her feelings hurt easily.  (After 5 years with zero accidents, she got mad at me over something and POOPED in the middle of my BED!) You also cannot hide treats from her.  She finds them and will harass you endlessly until you give her some.

 

That said, she is also super sweet.  I miss her (my dh and I just separated, and he got the dog since she is his baby).

[unsinkable]

I want to clarify...my guy is a mix, and while he does "hate" some other dogs, it is only when they walk in front of our house. He is fine at the dog park. He mostly ignores them there bc is too busy snuffling about.

[ktgrok]

Oh man, they are crazy! But smart and sweet. They do tend to be dog aggressive. And they like to chase and bite things, including car tires. They were the most likely breed to come in to the clinic for biting Bufo toads (toxic toads in south florida...a type of cane toad). Most would keep doing it over and over. We also had one that chased the UPS truck and got his leg broken when he caught it. 

 

Lots of horse people down in south florida kept JRTs..I think because they had the energy to keep up on trail rides?

 

And yes, terriers love to kill things..my parents had a terrier mix that killed lizards, a few squirrels, a snake, and finally an opossum bigger than her, at which point they started locking her inside at night. 

[Sarah CB]

The worst dog we ever had was a Jack Russel. It was very jealous of the kids. I think it would have been fine if it had been an only child. It particularly disliked ds who was 15 months at the time. When ds was just learning how to walk, the dog, Spot, would run through the yard and then purposely side-bump ds so he would fall. Spot would also grab the back of ds' clothing and pull him over. I can't tell you how many times Spot peed in my outdoor shoes. Many, many times. One time, I was cooking bacon and Spot was begging for some. I ignored Spot and then I stepped in something wet. Spot had left a vindictive wet puddle in the middle of my kitchen and then taken off somewhere. He really was not a nice dog at all. 

[The Girls' Mom]

Oh man, they are crazy! But smart and sweet. They do tend to be dog aggressive. And they like to chase and bite things, including car tires. They were the most likely breed to come in to the clinic for biting Bufo toads (toxic toads in south florida...a type of cane toad). Most would keep doing it over and over. We also had one that chased the UPS truck and got his leg broken when he caught it. 

 

Lots of horse people down in south florida kept JRTs..I think because they had the energy to keep up on trail rides?

 

And yes, terriers love to kill things..my parents had a terrier mix that killed lizards, a few squirrels, a snake, and finally an opossum bigger than her, at which point they started locking her inside at night. 

Oh yeah.  Our JRT pretty much permanently smells like skunk now because she won't STOP chasing them.  And she kills lizards and rabbits.

[Butter]

Clearly, many of Lola's traits are from her Jack Russell side.  She loves to play fetch.  She plays with toys.  She loves to burrow under covers.  And she is so incredibly smart.  We've taught her to nod to indicate she understands what we've told her to do.  It's so funny.  We'll ask her if she understands, she nods, and then she goes and does what we told her to do.  She loves to run.  Walks are not a thing she wants to do, though she will if we make it clear we are not running with her.  We always know when there are lots of lizards out because she stops eating her food and her coat gets so shiny and her breath a little fishy.  She loves eating lizards.  I would pick her, or a dog just like her, again in a heartbeat.  Her positive traits far outweigh the negatives.

[MercyA]

The HHS (head of homeland security) loves burrowing. I started a thread about it once.

 

He also likes to shove his head between the couch cushions and leave it there for several minutes. :lol:

 

So cute!!! I love it! 

[unsinkable]

So cute!!! I love it!

It is cute. And he makes the cutest snorty, snuffly noises when he does it.

[Selkie]

We must have lucked out because all three of our terriers were good with kids and other dogs. 

 

Our rat terrier was the alpha and undisputed king of our dogs, even though he was the smallest by 100 pounds or so. He bossed the bigger dogs and did a great job keeping them in line. :laugh:  

[MercyA]

Yep, my Chi-terrier mix absolutely loved toys and loved to play even when he was a very old man. 

 

And even though he was a terror he was the dog of my heart.  

[MercyA]

That said, she is also super sweet.  I miss her (my dh and I just separated, and he got the dog since she is his baby).

 

I am so sorry.  :grouphug:

[Mothersweets]

Oh I just love JRTs. They are a ton of fun! So smart and learn tricks well but they can be Hugh energy and without adequate play they have been known to find their own "fun". I had a JRT years ago and he wanted EVERYTHING to be thrown so he could fetch. He didn't care what it was. He would bring me rocks. I would set things on the mantle just to have a break and he would either go get something else or sit, stare and whine at it FOREVER. I loved him though. They really are fun but if you want one that just sits on your lap don't go with a JRT.

 

Yep, this! 

 

My daughters have a JRT that is now 7 years old and he still can go and go and go and go - like the Energizer Bunny of dogs, haha. He has been well-trained but still has a few neurotic tendencies like what nixpix said above - he will bring his ball (or whatever toy and yes, a rock will do just fine thank you very much) and stare at you until you throw it for him. Over and over and over. 

 

Did you ever watch the show Frasier? Remember the dad's dog, Eddie? and how he would stare at Frasier and make him uncomfortable? Their dog will do that until someone tells him to go into his "room"-his crate. 

 

He really is a fun dog but needs a lot of activity in order to bring down the nuttiness. 

[unsinkable]

Our JRT is fairly well behaved. She was the easiest dog to housebreak that we've ever owned. Her barking is nuts though. She is VERY territorial with other dogs too. She is also super smart, and gets her feelings hurt easily. (After 5 years with zero accidents, she got mad at me over something and POOPED in the middle of my BED!) You also cannot hide treats from her. She finds them and will harass you endlessly until you give her some.

 

That said, she is also super sweet. I miss her (my dh and I just separated, and he got the dog since she is his baby).

I'm sorry hear this. :grouphug:

[kitten18]

My BIL had a rescue JR. She was most definitely a piece of work.

When she was about a year old, she jumped out of his car window (to chase a bike) while he was turning a corner and he ran her over. She broke her hip, had some surgery and she was fine except it made her lazy and eventually very, very fat (well, I also believe BIL overfeeds his dogs).

 

She was sooooo mean to other dogs. She had to be in charge all the time, always bossing everyone (people and dogs) around.

Edited July 3, 2017 by kitten18

[MelAR05]

Our first dog, Wrigley, was a JRTCA Jack Russell. While he hunted just about anything that moved, he was by far the best dog we ever had. I get emotional just thinking about him. As a puppy, he made everyone at Dog Obedience School laugh because he was so high energy. And while he would obey, he would shake and whine the whole time doing it. :) He really was the most fun, smart, sweet and loyal dog. He survived Dcon mouse poisoning(left outside by previous homeowner), attacking snakes, dog fight, and being hit by a car(stayed at the vet for a month). We had him for 16 wonderful years.

[Liz CA]

Oh man, they are crazy! But smart and sweet. They do tend to be dog aggressive. And they like to chase and bite things, including car tires. They were the most likely breed to come in to the clinic for biting Bufo toads (toxic toads in south florida...a type of cane toad). Most would keep doing it over and over. We also had one that chased the UPS truck and got his leg broken when he caught it. 

 

 

This made me laugh. Must be nothing worse than a Jack Russell hyped up on an excitatory substance that raises heart and blood pressure. Not sure if they have done studies if dogs feel the same effects as people when ingesting bufotenine. Bufotenine also has arguably similar effects as DMT - a hallucinogen.

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:  A Jack Russell on drugs...maybe this explains why they did it repeatedly. :laugh:

[ktgrok]

This made me laugh. Must be nothing worse than a Jack Russell hyped up on an excitatory substance that raises heart and blood pressure. Not sure if they have done studies if dogs feel the same effects as people when ingesting bufotenine. Bufotenine also has arguably similar effects as DMT - a hallucinogen.

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:  A Jack Russell on drugs...maybe this explains why they did it repeatedly. :laugh:

 

That was our theory! That he liked the high :)

 

Of course, could just be they can't resist attacking anything that moved. 

 

We loved those crazy dogs, but they WERE crazy. 

 

(and for the record, if your dog gets a cane toad/bufo toad in their mouth do NOT try to rinse the mouth with the hose. Please. Use a wet washcloth and wipe it out. I've seen numerous dogs that were just fine in regards to the toad, but ended up with pneumonia from inhaling water as the owner shoved the hose in their mouth. Wipe the mouth and then get to the vet. There are medications that work pretty well to stop the effects.)

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[christusg01]

My beloved JRT passed away a few years ago at the age of 14. We'd had him since he was 9 weeks old. I can honestly say he was the best dog I've ever had or seen anywhere. He was so, so smart. I worked with him some, but he'd pick up on things and just learn them himself. I could let him wander the unfenced yard and he wouldn't even attempt to leave. He absolutely was not like the JRT's that people sometimes describe. His only high energy times were when guests first arrived at the house. He was so ecstatic to see them that he'd run circles around the living room for the first few minutes. After those few minutes, he was fine. Totally calm. He was not a barker, unless someone rang the doorbell. He wasn't destructive past the first 6 months, which is the typical puppy chewing age. Actually, I could throw his stuffed animal in with a bunch of my kids stuffed animals and he'd go and choose his and only chew on that one. I didn't teach him that. When I sat on the couch, he became a cuddler. He loved to lounge around with me. He loved to fetch and swim. When I'd say "dog park", he knew he was going to play at the park and went nuts with excitement. He got along great with all animals. One of his favorite friends was my sisters cat. He loved our rodent, a degu. He'd play with it and never attempted to hurt it. Our Chase was quite a dog! His only issue was the shedding!

[StaceyinLA]

We had one, and I doubt I'd ever own another. It was just too high strung for me, although I'm sure with good breeding you could get a somewhat better temperament (though it hasn't been my experience with others I've been around). My sister-in-law has one and it's a bit crazy; it can jump from standing still on the ground higher than any dog I've ever seen.

 

My cousin has 2 and she adores them. I haven't been around them much because she lives in another state, but we were there recently for a family get together and she raved about them, but she's always had terriers and been really into dogs, so she may have really worked with them to get them to behave well. I do know one barked in his kennel pretty much the entire time we were there (which was about 5 hours).

[StaceyinLA]

Sorry - double post

Edited July 3, 2017 by StaceyinLA

[ktgrok]

Obviously no one told him he was a JRT! Good with a rodent?! 

My beloved JRT passed away a few years ago at the age of 14. We'd had him since he was 9 weeks old. I can honestly say he was the best dog I've ever had or seen anywhere. He was so, so smart. I worked with him some, but he'd pick up on things and just learn them himself. I could let him wander the unfenced yard and he wouldn't even attempt to leave. He absolutely was not like the JRT's that people sometimes describe. His only high energy times were when guests first arrived at the house. He was so ecstatic to see them that he'd run circles around the living room for the first few minutes. After those few minutes, he was fine. Totally calm. He was not a barker, unless someone rang the doorbell. He wasn't destructive past the first 6 months, which is the typical puppy chewing age. Actually, I could throw his stuffed animal in with a bunch of my kids stuffed animals and he'd go and choose his and only chew on that one. I didn't teach him that. When I sat on the couch, he became a cuddler. He loved to lounge around with me. He loved to fetch and swim. When I'd say "dog park", he knew he was going to play at the park and went nuts with excitement. He got along great with all animals. One of his favorite friends was my sisters cat. He loved our rodent, a degu. He'd play with it and never attempted to hurt it. Our Chase was quite a dog! His only issue was the shedding!

 

[Nemom]

Thanks for all the comments and stories.  Dog people are amazing!!  

 

We have no small children in the home but do in the neighborhood; we do have an older cat and a Shorky (whom I adore); and live in town with a fenced yard so no "prey" to really hunt.  

 

I love this little puppy and feel like this should be her forever home but I just do not think I want a dog that has the potential to need so much work and training at this point.  My dd15 says she will train her to do agility tricks and I believe she will for awhile but I can see the newness wearing off and it becoming to much work.  At that point, we all know who will be responsible for the dog and I just do not want something else added to my plate at this point in my life.  Plus the barking and digging are real turn offs for me.  

 

So I think I will just keep looking.  Thanks!!  Happy 4th!

[Laura Corin]

A friend's Jack Russell is an uncontrollable rabbit chaser.  He just takes off when he sees one and no amount of training has made any difference.  They had to use a digger to extract him after he went into a warren and got lost for ten hours.

[Liz CA]

A friend's Jack Russell is an uncontrollable rabbit chaser.  He just takes off when he sees one and no amount of training has made any difference.  They had to use a digger to extract him after he went into a warren and got lost for ten hours.

 

Oh my goodness. Rabbit warrens are that extensive or the dog was that persistent... :)  Is totally in line from what I have experienced with ours. She spend an entire afternoon circling an old appliance in an outbuilding with a mouse inside. Got the thing in the end of course.

 

Edited July 3, 2017 by Liz CA

[ktgrok]

Oh my goodness. Rabbit warrens are that extensive or the dog was that persistent... :)  Is totally in line from what I have experienced with ours. She spend an entire afternoon circling an old appliance in an outbuilding with a mouse inside. Got the thing in the end of course.

 

 

That's actually why terriers are such barkers! They were bred to bark often and loudly so when they were underground chasing prey the farmer could find them to dig them up.

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