My Jack Russell

He'll be a year old this month...his previous owners had to get rid of him, and if they couldn't find anyone to take him, they were going to put him to sleep. Ever since I got Bo in February, he's been terribly destructive...I punish him but nothing seems to work...I reward him with good behavior and I see no difference. It's gotten BEYOND frustrating.

NOW, he's starting to kill birds and bring them up to the house...leaving them out on the porch...two days ago he brought one up...today he brought two.

I don't know what to do with this dog. I love him, but I'm not sure if I can handle him much longer at this rate!

Any suggestions?

 

I don't have a Jack Russell, but I've read about them, and I know folks who have them, and they are energetic beyone compare! What I've heard and read (sorry, this isn't personal experience!) is that they need LOTS of exercise...long walks with their people, time to run in a confined space, etc. It can be hard to wear them out, apparently, and if they don't get the exercise they need, they can "act out". You might want to take doggie to a trainer, or ask your vet some questions. There are lots of books on various kinds of dogs also that may give you some info. Good luck!

 

yeah chester used to snap the necks of baby possums .....i had to keep disciplining him....as time went on he stop

what toys do you have for bo to play with and do you give him rawhide chews and soup bones to chew on? .....

 

Oh, trust me this dog is spoiled with toys and play things and treats...

 

ah the noble jack russle .... hunting dog from hell ... laugh

they are bred huniting dogs, suited for fox hunting. they have strong pack insticts , strong chase instincts, and love to burrow.
russles really really need a lot of attention. they need strict training, and a trainer who really understands pack dominance rules. Go out and buy some dog training books, hire an expert if you have to. A russle will alwasy be a handfull, but he can be trained and controlled

As a starter stop spoiling him, he may think hes your pack leader. If you want your dog to do somthing you can use some force on him, as its reinforcing dominance. But NEVER punish a dog, no dog understands the concept of punishment. instead reward its good behaviors.

one trick is to only feed your dog after you and all your human family members have fiished. lowest ranking pack members feed last among dogs.

 

I agree that "punishment" is not the answcer. Esp any sort of hitting or yelling. (firm voices are not what I mean by yelling)Instead of teaching the dog to behave all it will do is make him fearful of the next "punishment". Positive reinforcement only. Bo is still fairly new to your family and he may be having a hard time adjusting to the change (even though it sounds like you treat him wonderfully). Perhaps with his previous owner he was able to do whatever he wanted and that may be why he doesn't want to respond to some behavior changes. It could be something that fixes itself over time. Dogs like Jack Russells need alot of patience and consistency. And ALOT of room to run around and get excersize. They are extremely high energy dogs and need the space to excersize that energy. Perhaps a trainer could help you along with him if things don't soon improve. Good luck.

 

teriers were bred to kill rats woodchucks ect n scare foxes n weseles away .....shelties collies n stuff can protect chickens n ducks but theese dogs must either go [best result ] to a place where they can rome n kill varmints ....or be nurotic attencion whore house pets ....a rat or jack or manchester terrier is a challenge , not a labbie that will sleep in the driveway waitin fer ya . but someone you must be with and who must contribute to things ...they are smart and social and loyal unto death .....u gotta handfull .

 

Yes, makno, I certainly do. Luckily, Bo and I have similar energy levels...although, yes he wears me out. And yes I live on farmland, so he has plenty of exercise and room to run. I guess killing birds is purely instinct for him, but it does NOT make me happy...I dont' like picking up dead birds off my porch and burying them in my back yard...makes me sad!

Money is tight right now, so a trainer is out of the question...

 

I LOVE my JRT. His name is Trouble! Hahhahaha, but he really is not. Yes, he is energetic, but we taught him BALL and that is an activity he will do for hours. It doesn't necessarily take alot of energy on our part, he will play any ball, you can just roll it with your foot and play indoors or you can go outside and really throw it. Also, we taught him to RUN and he will go around and around the yard or house and just flat out go - that helps wear him out if he's really wound up. He does that when he is wet, too.

But, they are so intelligent and eager to please, he will get it. Trouble still has potty accidents on occasion as he doesn't have clear signals for when he wants out, like our other dog.

Trouble waiting for the ball: hahahahhaha



EDI: about the birds, put a bell on him, we have tags which jingle and serve the same purpose.

 

Yeah I've had tags on him that jingle...they wake me up if I'm sleeping..that way he won't have accidents on my floor in the middle of the night. I, too, had problems being able to tell when he needed to go out...so I just started to take him out WHENEVER he was by the door...even if I had taken him out just a half hour before then...I guess this taught him that door = outside...

The birds obviously don't "get" the jingling sound here...LOL

 

Maybe he needs a new hobby. How about darts?


But seriously, even though he may have the natural "killer instinct", you could probably channel it into something less bloody. Like with Tarabelle's pooch, a tennis ball can take the place of a bird just fine. Also, maybe a bigger bell will help!

 

Maybe just an elastic collar with some loud bells that you can just slip on and off. I'm having the same trouble with my Oso kitty. No locust this year so she's gone on to bigger things. My ex boss had a JRT too. The damn thing ate a huge whole in the kitchen flooring overnight, also her husband's dentures *giggles* They have to close doors and keep her confined to a degree in the house. She is still young enough to be in that puppie "everything is a chew toy" stage. Some books may have some new ideas you havent tried. I always browse them for what I'm looking for right in the store before/if I buy them.

 

Not that this will really help with the bird problem, but what I do for my dog is I hide treats outside in the grass and bushes....when she gets to run around free outside she likes to spend time "hunting" the treats.......and when she finds one she gets uber excited and does her little happy dance It keeps her out of trouble for atleast a little while and gives her something fun to do. Maybe something like that would take your dog's mind off of the birdies for atleast a little while.

 

I have a Jack Russell Terrorist...I mean,terrier
He's caused so much damage and not to mention the mental anguish lol. He has more toys and accessories than the average child has..so it's not a lack of things to occupy him. I have another dog and they have plenty of room to play..so it's not lack of exercise. No kind of discipline or training has worked for mine. I just have to keep him confined to certain areas or watch him constantly if he's in a place where he can tear up stuff.

It's so sad that he kills the birds. I don't know of any solution if the bells on his collar don't work

 

Elle, thats a great idea. When you said that it reminded me of things that the zoos do to keep animals from getting too bored too. They change around small things and give them food that they have to find. Keeps away the laziness and the boredom. Maybe even hiding the doggie toys too so he has to look for them as well. They are smart lil dogs and would probably love the challenge once they learned whats up.

 

I have two Jack Russells. I also live on some farmland so that keeps em busy (digging holes and such). I pretty much give them access outdoors the whole day. they're only destructive when they've been locked in their kennel all day. where do you keep yours while you're gone? if you keep him in the house while you're gone he is more likely to eat your stuff I guess.

 

The first thing I would do is change his name -- if he's having discipline problems, the last thing he needs is the name that rhymes with "no."


The best thing you can do for a destructive dog is crate-train! Whenever you go out, put him in a crate. Not only can he not do any damage, but the crate will act as a "den," keeping him safe and secure. It may take a while to get him used to it if he already hates crates, but most dogs get the hang of it and learn to love their crate. It is also a great housebreaking tool. A dog will not pee in his "den (unless it's too big)." If you don't have the patience to crate train because he already hates crates too much, you can always keep him in the bathroom or a room where he can't do much damage. No matter where you leave him, always leave him with something that will keep him occupied. Kongs are absolute life-savers. Get one andfill it up with peanut butter, cream cheese, dog biscuits, cracker crumbs, carrots, etc. Or take a sterilized bone and do the same thing. It takes them a while to get the stuff out. Or you could use a dispensing treat ball.

JRTs are true terriers --- they dig, bark, kill things, and they are stubborn as heck. They need TONS of mental and physical stimulation if you want to live without all of that. Chances are, he's being destructive because he's bored. He should be getting atleast an hour of running exersise a day, if not more. Take him to a fenced field or dog park and just let him loose to have some fun with a frisbee or ball, or to play with other dogs. Let him get out all of that excess energy. And for 15 minutes each day, have a training session. He needs to use his head -- it keeps him busy, stimulated, and it bonds you.

As for birds, try hanging old CDs on your trees or to your house. Or get a fake owl. Those tend to keep the birds away.

 

We kept ours in our little laundry room for probably a little over a year. He has the run of the house when we are gone now and never chews anything up. We do that stuff the bone thing, too, sometimes. Stuff Pupperoni up in there till it's packed. They love that!

But yall are making them out to be such high maintenance dogs. Ours is 4+ years old and though he's energetic, he's not a hard dog to have around. He's smart beyond belief, he's loving, he's protective, he's funny and just a GOOD dog. Kids love him to death - he'll teach them his ball trick and they love it.

 

I agree... that could cause alot of problems

 

The whole Bo thing...I had a problem with too when I first got him...that was his name and i didn't want to change it because that's always been his name.

He is crate trained...and he does get plenty of exercise...I live on a farm so he's got tons of room to run and play.

Sometimes I get to the point where I just can't take it anymore. We could play ball for hours and he still is destructive afterward and he still has excess energy.