HelloCould you tell me...

Question
Hello

Could you tell me about the jack russle terriers temper?

Do they only come in smooth coated or is there a wire coated too?

Do they enjoy being walked?

Do they bark when someones at the door?

Do they like to be close to people and be petted?

Do they get along with other dogs?

How big is an avrage eight week old puppy? (so I can make sure any holes in the fence can be fixed before hand)

How tall do females get?

Do they enjoy playing?

Are they a overly active dog?

Are they prone to jumping up?

Do they tend to bark?

Are they easily house-broke?

Are they a smart dog thats easy to train?

Will one do ok with a meduim yard and a walk everyday?  

Answer
Dogs vary in personality within a breed, even within a litter.  Even if your puppy doesn't grow up like you expected, how you raise it helps make it what you need.  The first 12 weeks of a dog's life greatly affect its adult personality.  Expose it to your lifestyle, and it will be comfortable with you.

One of the best sources for dogs with a predictable personality is the rescue
dogs.  These are dogs that lost their home, but were taken into a foster home
to be retrained as necessary and placed in the right home for them.   You may
find a rescue near you starting at http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm.  The AKC site also has a description of the personality of a typical Jack Russell written by somebody more familiar with them than I am.  Again, you can not count on a puppy growing up to be like its breed description.  

I have copied your questions and will give specific answers where I am confident of them.

 
> Could you tell me about the jack russle terriers temper?
>  
> Do they only come in smooth coated or is there a wire coated too?
>  
> Do they enjoy being walked? All dogs enjoy having you with them, even ones that are allowed to run loose much of the time.  
>  
> Do they bark when someones at the door?  Most terriers do so even more than other breeds.  
>  
> Do they like to be close to people and be petted?  This is where early socilization is important. Take a puppy home at 7 weeks old and cuddle it and pet it, and chances are it will grow to love it.  I think males tend to like affection more than females.  
>  
> Do they get along with other dogs?
>  
> How big is an avrage eight week old puppy? (so I can make sure any holes in the fence can be fixed before hand)  Make sure there are no holes over 3'' in diameter, maybe even less.
>  
> How tall do females get?
>  
> Do they enjoy playing?
>  
> Are they a overly active dog?  Many of them are quite active.
>  
> Are they prone to jumping up?  Most dogs are, it takes consistent effor to train it out of them.
>  
> Do they tend to bark?  Another common terrier trait.
>  
> Are they easily house-broke?  Housebreaking is mostly about your alertness.  Write back before you get it, and I can help.  
>  
> Are they a smart dog thats easy to train?  I am afraid they may fall into the dogs that are smart enough to know exactly what you want, however smart enough to get what they want without doing what you want.  Read several books from the library.  The dogs see all the
people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in
the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members
outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by
reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class
or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with
a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/.
>  
> Will one do ok with a meduim yard and a walk everyday?  With proper leadership and pleanty of time, yes.