How To Train Your Jack Russell To Be More Obedient

 

Because Jack Russells were originally bred as hunters, they are still very active, vocal, big on chasing, and occasionally even show signs of aggression. In other words, the Jack Russell isn't naturally obedient, but can become so through training.

Problems You're Likely To Face

Let's start by looking at the Jack Russell obedience issues you might come across with your new dog. Typical obedience problems may include:

Displaying Aggression When Around Other Dogs

Jack Russells can be incredibly hot-headed and can, at times, show intense and unpredictable aggression towards another dog it sees as a threat.

They Like To Leap And Snap

Jacks are easily excitable and may leap in the air and even snap at you as a form of play.

Will Chase Anything

This breed is known to chase anything smaller than they are, dating back to their days as hunters, making them fairly incompatible with cats.

These are just a few Jack Russell obedience issues that could be apparent in your new dog. Despite being part of the Jack Russell DNA, these traits can still be corrected and adjusted through obedience training.

How Training Can Help

As you've observed, the Jack Russell is naturally very feisty, so obedience training is absolutely necessary. The sooner you can begin training them the better, as Jacks are incredibly responsive to routine and form habits early. Luckily they're also very intelligent and are incredibly quick learners, but they can also suffer from short attention spans. Keep your training sessions frequent and brief and you'll soon yield results.

Be The Leader Of The Pack

Dogs respect hierarchies and will respond to a leader. You need to be that leader. Obedience training depends on leadership, so your dog has to respect you as a leader in order to learn. Assert yourself by leading the way through doors, eating before he does, and by being consistent with your control so that your dog knows his place within the pack, which is under you.

Expose Them To Others

It is very important to socialize your pet early. Aggression toward other dogs will subside if your puppy grows comfortable around other dogs starting at an early age. Take your pet to puppy obedience classes to socialize and train your pet simultaneously: combine this with further training at home and results will begin to show.

Keep In Mind

Learning is a process for all creatures, so don't expect instant results. Expect this process to take time, work, patience, and lots of praise when you dog behaves properly. And even with training, there are some parts of his personality that can still surface, such as aggression, but training will help tame it.

In conclusion, while your Jack Russell may not be naturally obedient, he can pick up the necessary skills surprisingly well. Simply take the time to train your pet with consistent positive reinforcement and early socialization and the two of you can be happy together for years to come.