Jack Russell Terriers

You've changed my mind! I know I know, but I've always thought of JRT's as hyper hyper hyper little yappy dogs. Bad on my part.

So, what is the normal JRT temperment? I mean are they has hyper has everyone says? Are they as "strong willed" as most say? Do they make good dogs for a first time owner, but does have experence with dogs? When looking for a breeder, would you recommend looking for Comformation titles or Hunting/Agility/Ob titles?

I'd really like some info on these little dogs. They may be a possibilty for my brother

NOT first time dog owner type dogs for the most part. That said rescues often have older more settled dogs that make great pets, for dog savvy owners. The normal JRT temperment IMO should be alert, brave, tenacious. They do tend to be dog aggressive especially with same sex dogs. They should be able to settle when nothing is going on. They are very much a 'whats in it for me' sort of dogs. I have put a CD on 2 JRTs with 2 HITs and Dekka went in one trial and picked up 2 legs towards her CD shortly after her first b day with scores of 194 and 193. So it can be done. But most people interested in obed DON'T buy JRTs . (unless you like the feeling of brick hitting you in the face ) Kaiden my stud dog is one leg away from his CDX but as I am back in school I have only been able to focus on one sport, and agiltiy is it. There are many JRTs in agility.

As for what to look for in a breeder. The same as any other breed of dog. Do they breed the kind of dog you want to own? Are they health checked, come with a guarantee, etc. Titles and working ability are great, I would look for well rounded dogs. Ones that can sleep on your bed, get the critters, lay down a nice agility run, and do basic obed.

I'll be honest, I like JRT's a lot better when the belong to someone else! I love to watch them go in agility or similar dog sports. Our shelter is getting ready to send one to be a drug detection dot. However, they are just a little too much dog for me.
They do seem to be one of those love 'em or hate 'em breeds. Almost everyoen I meet at work has a strong opinion one way or the other.

Oh absolutely they are Lov'm or Hate'm kind of dogs lol!!!!!!!!!! They can be awesome dogs in the right hands but anyone that has any sense and true knowledge of them knows they are not for everyone. As to what they are like in general, well that often depends on the dog and the people. But for the most part they bold, too smart, courage in spades, loving and loyal and a certain level of aggression which can come out in dog aggression and especially with same sex aggression. Some are easy to train others not so easy lol and some are require a Phd to train them lol. They absolutely require dedication and educated owner on all levels especailly in training.

One thing you have to have when owning a jrt (or many of them :lol-sign: ) is a wicked sense of humor. They do things that you HAVE to think is funny or you would lose your mind. My dogs make me laugh and smile EVERY day,
they have also made me smile on my worst day (the day my Dad died) and you never saw a group of dogs work so hard to make me smile and comfort me as on that day.
As for breeders of Jrts, it depends on what you are looking for. Finding an excellent breeder is always a challenge and it isn't any different with Jrts/Prts.
One good sourse is www.jrtcabreeders.com
or pm me. I know many breeders across N.A
But REMEMBER...............they are first and foremost HUNTING dogs, bred to this date for a certain amount of aggression to do the job that they were meant to do. They are in my opinion a very high risk breed on many different levels and they tend to be not for the fant of heart lol.

Take care
Lynn

My experiences with JRTs in general is fairly limited, although I know two JRTs very well.

I grew up with a friend whose family was very active (they never, ever ever have a stay at home day, much less a whole stay at home weekend) and owned two JRTs. I was over at her house a lot, and her dogs were both rescues (they were cousins) from the same rescue. They picked their second girl up on an impulse because she was related.

I learned how GO-GO-GO they are, and how sweet and loving. However--these were two well-socialized dogs, one was well-bred, and they got LOTS of exercise and stimulation. I love the look and intelligence of JRTs, but the constant energy would drive me up a wall. Their girls would do zoomies around the house and started drooling at the sight of a tennis ball or leash.

The only nutcase-JRTs I have ever seen have been on another side of a fence from me, so I'm not as unlucky as those of you ( ((((Scooter)))) ) who have had the bad experiences with them.

I think JRTs are absolutely adorable, but as a potential first time dog owner, they are so not on my list. They actually were at first, to a lay person they seem like a great companion for a little boy. And then there was Frasier, which was actually cited on another site for portraying a false image that JRTs are perfectly happy living in a tiny apartment.

I will say that I have met a grand total of TWO JRT's that I didn't want to drop kick across the room. Just awesome dogs all around. Ready to play when asked, able to settle down and snooze when required. The other eight bazillion are just insane and make my life a lot harder when they are in daycare. Dog aggression does run a fairly wide streak, especially in the BYB's/petstore dogs, which make up 99.8% of what I deal with.

I don't know why but every time I meet a Jack Russel it is really badly behaved. My cousin owns the o nly one I know who is well behaved. I've actually considered getting one of the little beasts before. Even the poorly behaved ones seem like they would make wonderful dogs so long as you coul work out the quirks they have from lack of training. I like them but then again I like all dogs until they give me a reason not to and I have never met a dog that has given me any reason not to love it.

To be honest i'm not a terrier person at all, so it's nothing against JRTs. I'm just not wild about dogs with a genetic predisposition to dog-aggression, or dogs with such an overabundant ego that they can barely fit through the door. I have one of those already.

As far as terriers go, Jacks are one of my favorites. I love their work ethic and keen attitude. Would I own one? Probably not. But they sure are fun to play with.

Just wanted to add here that JRT's should never be hyper. In my books, hyper is a temperment issue, and I don't like it when people describe a breeds general personality that way (no offence to anyone here). JRT's are high energy, and very active, but if properly bred and trained with no temperment issues, should never be hyper.

Now, it is possible for JRT's to live in an apartment (My Kona is a JRT mix, and she is fine!), you just have to know how to deal with, train, and exercise them properly. When they aren't physically and mentally stimulated ALL THE TIME, it can lead to disaster.

As for the hyper comment...

They are indeed hyper. High energy, active dogs (also known as hyper dogs) are just that! It isn't a temperament issue, it's simply the JRT's lifestyle.

Just to point out, some of the byb types are calmer and less aggressive, sometimes to the point of passivity (and thus less JRT) because all the hunt has been bred out. There are puppy mills that brag about how their JRTs are soo calm and laid back. If you don't want a high energy drivey quirky dog DON'T get a JRT! Even some of the very best bred ones can be dog aggressive/reactive.

The most important thing to remember is this is a dog that is bred to squeeze down a tight dark tunnel alone and come face to face with a fox/groundhog/raccoon/badger in its own den. There is a certain amount of aggression required. The other thing with JRTs is the tendency to escalate with pain. This is why shock collars and punishment training can seriously backfire. In a fight they often do damage, and seldom back down. There are many stories of JRTs fighting with things (coyotes, quarry other dogs) to fight to the death. Many people get these dogs without knowing the tendencies of the breed, and many end up in rescue for attacking the cat, biting the child, attacking another dog. JRTRO is the only rescue I know that doesn't bat an eye at accepting a dog that has bitten. 99% of JRTs in an inappropriate situation will bite.

Lynn is right, you have to have a sense of humour (and it helps if its a bit warped) living with these dogs.

I totally agree there!

Question... do all JRT's have a high tennis ball drive?

Kona LOVES her tennis balls, and will do anything to get hers. I thought about putting her into flyball in a year or two

The WORKING JRTS ive met on Farms are GREAT.
Many of my clients with LGDS use them believe or not to HERD teh horses back in.

MOST NOT all the pet show folk ive met have horrible temperament.

I did show some rare breed years ago in MASS/CT and the dogs were great.
But i remember they are working lines.
I won because the Pet Expo has a Rabbit exhibit 2 rows down and I used that to my advantage . I baited the dog in the same direction as those rabbits and he was ON.

Mine are all ball-aholics. But I can't let dekka have a tennis ball or she hides with it, and slowly pulls all the fuzz off, all the while with her eyes 1/2 closed in an expression of doggie bliss. But I have met many JRTs that are not interested in balls.

I use road hockey balls or a wubba (so my non tugging dogs might tug a bit)

Right at the moment... Kona is sleeping next to me.

With 8... let me say that again. 8 tennis balls, and two torn in half tennis dumb bells.

living with a JRT, you need quite a few things:

PATIENCE, and lots of it.
a sense of humor (and yes, warped does help)
a lot of energy
most patience. patience to outsmart them before they outsmart you, patience to make sure they still THINK they're outsmarting you, patience to say "no" thirty six times in a half hour, patience to get off your ass and find something for them to do when they're bored and climbing up the walls, patience to understand when he tried to rip the cats head off, he thinks he's doing the right thing, patience to take the time to make sure he understands ripping the cats head off is NOT the right thing...etc.

living with a JRT is like living with a mute two year old with a violent streak that never quite makes it to three.

I couldn't agree more!

I do NOT agree. There is a no comparison between a high energy, active dog and one that is Hyper. How many JRTS (not a half bred) have you lived with, trained, rescued and bred??? How many do you know, directly?
At this point I have known a few thousand directly. I have certainly rescued or known hyper Jrts, some were the product of their genetics (breeding) and some were the product of 'no job and somebodies idea of NOT getting off their *** to train the dog or interact with other than throwing a ball. Hyper according to Webster means Excessively.
Good grief if they were so hyper no one could stand to be a trial with them!!!
Try going to the JRTCA Nationals in Maryland in Oct. There is usually about 1800 + Jrts on the grounds on any given day. It's quiet. The ONLY time you will see the dogs being loud and hyper is on the day they hold the Racing.
Even in the line ups (which btw are very long) for Go-To-Ground, you *may* see some dogs over the top.
I have lived with as many as 17 Jrts at ONCE, I don't have kennels although I do have yards for the dogs. But I sure didn't have enough kennels for all those dogs, therefore many of them were in the house until they had their turn out. ALL the dogs slept in the house at night. Most of those dogs were rescues. I've had hyper jrts come in as rescues, but it is amazing how they quickly settle in and calm down.
Btw, I also have neighbors and I have NEVER had a complaint about barking dogs.............

Lynn

I had several replies to this statement, but I have decided not to. When I know that I am replying to very limited knowledge and experience.

Lynn