Jack Russell’s, although popular as pets, are fundamentally hunting terriers. They live to chase any thing they can. This can be squirrels or a vacuum cleaner or the UPS truck. They play hard and get extremely excited. The laughter and high voices of children add to the excitement level in that they seem to resemble the sounds made by the small animals that terriers are bred to hunt. Bundles of energy at all times, Jack Russell’s easily get over enthusiastic in play and chase situations.
Because they are prone to over excitement and have a chip on their shoulder with regard to other dogs, they have generated a reputation for snappiness and nipping that does have some foundation of truth. Assuming your Jack is operating within his naturally dominate personality there are two main situations that may provoke him into biting.
During play it's all too easy for a dog to become overexcited and competitive. He may just get carried away and forget who he's playing with, treating you as he would another dog.
If you accidentally hurt him your Jack may bite in retaliation. For this reason he's not a good choice for small children as he isn't likely to put up with things like tugs on his fur or ears or stepping on his paws. Even a warning bite can hurt. When you play with your dog don't engage in the sort of activities that encourage him to try to dominate you. No tug-of-war kind of games that he'll want to “win.” That's inviting a nip. Instead go for non-competitive things like fetch. A tennis ball thrower will give him a good workout and take the edge off his energy level. Because Jacks can jump over five feet into the air they make great Frisbee dogs and love to play. Use a soft Frisbee that won't hurt his mouth. Fetch isn't just a good game. It helps build bonds and provides an opportunity to reinforce training.
The second circumstance that may encourage a Jack Russell to bite is the chase. These scrappy little dogs will chase anything they can, size isn't and issue. They have been bred to catch and kill their prey. They may not have much chance of killing a motorcyclist or the neighbor's German Shepherd but that doesn't stop them from chasing. The fact that many times he can see and even chase, (at least for the length of his enclosure fence,) various people, bicycles, and cars all day without ever catching any of them keeps the biting mentality at the forefront of his mind most of the time. This can be frustrating and lead to nipping at inappropriate subjects and times.
To cut down on this problem you can alleviate some of his frustration by making sure he can't see out of the fence. If you have chain link check out adding the various materials available to make it a solid wall visually. If he can see out he is constantly frustrated in his attempts to catch what he can see moving. In addition the chasing behavior is reinforced by the way the “prey” disappears after he has barked and given chase. This tells him that his actions are positive in that he's rid his property of the intruders. It is kinder to your dog if you can cut down on his frustration and excitement levels by providing a solid fence. The chasing activity won't stop as he can still hear the passersby. That's not all bad as it does give him exercise and takes the edge of his crazy energy levels. Of course, it goes without saying that if you don't have a fenced yard that is the first to-do on your list as the owner of a Jack Russell.
These have been a few guidelines on living with a Jack Russell. If you still have problems with biting or nipping you should consult a professional trainer. He or she can take a good look at the dynamics of your relationship with your dog and then retrain the two of you to correct the situation. Follow the teachings and stop your Jack Russell Biting.
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any thing they can. This can be squirrels or a vacuum cleaner or the UPS truck. They play hard and get extremely excited. The laughter and high voices of children add to the excitement level in that they seem to resemble the sounds made by the small animals that terriers are bred to hunt. Bundles of energy at all times, Jack Russell’s easily get over enthusiastic in play and chase situations.
