My JRT

Question
My JRT, Stitch, is not hyper at all. We rescued her when she was a little over a year old and have had her for about 18 months. We were told that she came from a puppy mill, so she was not well cared for. Stitch has only barked a handful of times and cries when she sees other dogs and cats. She lies on the back of the couch constantly. She plays with her ball for about 5 minutes and then she's bored and on the back of the couch she goes. I know this is not normal, so what I can do to bring her out of her shell? Should I just feel lucky that my dog is not running around like a chicken with her head cut off (my boyfriend has a crazy JRT)?

Answer
Hi Wendy,
I wouldn't call her lazy at all, but very content - and that's a GREAT thing. I don't know of a dog yet that would say no to a nice walk, so if you think she's bored, maybe you could take her out for a walk in the neighborhood to see the sights and sounds. Rawhide is another great time-passer and is great for their teeth too. Get her some different flavored rawhides and she'll spend a good hour chomping on one of those.  Lastly, most people are not aware that there are two types of Jack Russells -  The Parsons which is the hyper, "crazy", digger and runner! The other are the Shorties, or sometimes referred to as Russell Terriers. They have a calmer more passive demeanor and are content sitting on your lap (or couch top) for longer periods of time than the Parsons. I own Shorties and love their calm sweet dispositions. So, yes I would definitely consider you lucky, (and she is so lucky to have YOU!) It sounds like you have a great dog there, enjoy her!