Training My New Jack Russell

[thetitan99]

Here's a picture of my new Jack Russell. His name is Spock and he's 7 weeks old. How old should he be before I start real training with him and what should I be doing with him now? He's got an 80% rate of success with paper training and he really likes to bite things/people. I had a Jack Russell in the states and I made some mistakes with him which were hard to correct and I'd like to get a lot better with this one. Thanks!!

[Cuban]

....before I start real training with him and what should I be doing with him now?

Young beings, humans and animals, are learning machines. If you remember this and can repeat the same response the dog will learn to behave or react the same way in the same situation in the future. Toilet training will be high on the list in the early days, so have a repeatable process that is followed by everyone that takes care of the dog each time there is an incident.

He's got an 80% rate of success with paper training...

If this is what you want the dog to do when he is an adult then fine. The sooner you treat/teach the dog as an adult - it will behave as such.

....and he really likes to bite things/people.

The lack of an opposable thumb makes it very hard for the average dog to pick up and inspect new things with their paws in it's exciting doggie world. What the dog is doing is called 'mouthing', when finding something of interest it will be looked at (is it a threat?), sniffed (is it food or otherwise 'interesting') then, what does it feel like when I pick it up?

Shoes smell interesting and are often soft enough to practice chewing on, dogs like shoes.

If something is left within reach of a dog it should be considered to be a gift for the dog to do with as it pleases, this lesson can only be fully learnt if you have paid a sum of money to replace or repair doggie damage: I discovered my dogs liked eating motorbike parts!

Distraction is a good method to deter a dog from 'biting' new people. And in the training mode a small tasty snack (cut down lump of dry chew stick etc.) can be used to re-enforce a wanted action in place of something the dogs does that you don't want.

Favored doggie toys here include rags (second hand clothes have an 'interesting' smell), short knotted lengths of rope, pizza boxes taped shut with approved dog treat inside - mine can now tear a box apart in a few moments.

My big dogs are taught (reminded) at every oppotunity that when meeting new people if they sit and offer a paw they will get rewarded and praise (stroked made a fuss of etc.). When family members arrive (last weekend for example) they are stunned that my dogs appear so well behaved, not really as they are just aware that people arriving while we are cooking normally means food will be available to them soon.

I know that some people consider the 'shake paws' more human than dog-like behavior, but a small comment I picked up on some time ago made good sense to me. It's like raising a child to have good manners, in later life good manners will be natural for that adult. As with my dogs if through some accident or other act they are separated from me I hope that a dog that is seated with paw raised will result in them being treated as a lost pet rather than stray dog.

Training is happening all the time the dog is awake. Don't spend too long trying to teach 'fetch the ball', make a game out of other things you want to teach the dog. The best thing I did with my young dogs was go through, almost play acting, a trip to the vets. Broken down they learnt these concepts:

Getting in the car means: going to the beach, going to visit family, going to the vet, going on a long trip. As a result the car is not some thing to be feared, open the tail gate they jump in - pleased to go somewhere nice.

'Paws & legs & tails' - this is spoken command that they submit to and lay down without fuss while I check their paws, legs, tail, flank & ears for ticks and wounds etc. Do this on a table if possible and do it frequently, why? Because when you take your pet to the vet it is in this situation that the dog will be inspected, on a table. If it's the first time the dog gets to be inspected on a table, when it's frightened or in pain of course it will be stressed and struggle to escape. If it's just the same process at it's used to every day - it's no great shakes to go to the vet, just the same as at home. Clever owner = good dog.

Dogs in Thailand will suffer ticks or fleas at some point, get your dog and you used to dealing with them. Ears can be difficult to clean in a dog that is either not used to it or been treated badly with ear cleaning in the past, start them young they get used to it. Tip for starters, if using cotton buds (or anything else for that matter) let the dog sniff it first - it wants to know what's happening to it.

I've kept a small bottle of iodine to hand in my doggie first aid kit to treat small scratches and scrapes, keep a box and put things of use in one place, tweezers, the vets contact details and pet records.

With 'mouthing' and exploring small items in mind one of the first words mine learnt was '"give". In a firm voice with open hand (palm up) near the dogs mouth it has one meaning, "Give me what is in your mouth NOW". I taught the command both during playing fetch (that's another command word), after meal times when they are having a large bone and out on walks when they picked up something I don't want them to have. I don't get any hassle from them even when it's a nice safe juicy bone - they surender it at once, I can make a show of checking it or pretend to eat a bit (show them that I am top dog in the pack) and then return the bone. It's something I've taught just in case I need to get them to drop something they shouldn't have, my shoe left in the wrong place or a rotten bone picked up while out on a walk.

I made some mistakes with him which were hard to correct and I'd like to get a lot better with this one.

What are you feeding?

Common in this forum and other informed websites promote the BARF (bones and raw food) diet, while a puppy is the best time to get with the program and avoid a lifetime of teeth and health issues caused by buying human friendly 'pet' food, that is most expensive, IMHO. (Plug for raw fish. )

HTH

[Cuban]

....another thought about young dogs. One of my first problems on owning a dog in Thailand was a rash on the young dog's skin. Traced to a reaction to a strong cleaning fluid that was used on the floor tiles inside and around our house. Young skin need to be protected from strong household chemicals.

[Nienke]

Training, or I rather call it education, starts actually already BEFORE the pup arrives, with the owner:

* deciding on what they absolutely don't want the dog to do (e.g. jumping up, stealing food, mouthing, barking your head of, peeing everywhere, food and/or toy aggression, etc.)

* reading up on (the basics of) dog behavior development, -language and health care, how to guide the pup into good behavior and prevent unwanted behavior and how to socialize and train a pup (and that naturally through positive reinforcement)

As soon as the new-arrival enters the house the education starts with toilet-training, socialization and, through play, teaching the basic commands.

A very natural behavior of pups is exploring their environment with their nose and mouth. They sniff at everything and take many things in their mouth. It's to the owner to keep a good eye on their pup and gently guide it into good behavior. Of course, dangerous stuff such as chemicals and electrical wiring are made out of reach for puppy teeth.

Mouthing is also a natural behavior as puppies playwith their mouthes. They need to be taught that puppy teeth on human flesh is a non-no. Best is to not give them the opportunity to bite in your hands. That is, don't put your hand close to puppy's mouth.

Paper training is one method of toilet-training and by dog-owner's children especially favored: you don't want to do your homework? Just put it on the ground, close to the paper-trained dog.

[Cuban]

Paper training is one method of toilet-training and by dog-owner's children especially favored: you don't want to do your homework?

Point of Information. A Thai road map takes two days of laying in the rain and about three days of drying and ironing, using a fabric softener spray, to almost completely remove the smell.

[bina]

jack russels are notoriously difficult since their terrier instincts overrule almost anything else including food as a motivator.

running away, digging, and belliegerance are their qualities.

since he is a working terrier, the best ways of educating him are obviously using his instincts as plusses. redirect his digging and going to ground by givng him dirt areas he is allowed to dig it and give him stuff to find in the ground. crate training would really fit to work with him (google for crate training, u can use a small area of a room or a crate, as long as it is a small closed in area).

jack russels have a problem with the come command when they have found some interesting pray; remember this when out in the open and there are things to chase.

go to jack russel sites on the web for tips as there are breed specific things in training that would help u. jack russels are NOT golden retrievers or labs, or boxers for that matter.

remember that russels are VERY LARGE ENERGETIC DOGS in a very small compact body; they are not lap dogs.

we have one here on the kibbutz ; a perky little fellow that is a bit of a scraper even though he is neutered. he runs with the big dogs and is not a home body.

have fun )

bina

israel

[thetitan99]

Thanks for the tips. What exactly is this BARF thing? Is it a brand named product or is it something I would be making? I'm also limited to paper training at the moment because he's too small to walk down the stairs to get outside.

[Cuban]

BARF - Bones And Raw Foods, there are many websites dedicated to this subject. One trusted source at random.

http://www.luckydogs.info/pdf/Feeding_your...natural_way.pdf

Some other websites on this topic prvide bad information - I have just read one that promotes giving garlic to dogs - garlic is toxic to dogs as is chocolate and grapes...

Consider your dog in the wild some years before pet food makers found that people will pay big money for presenting you attactive looking 'food' for your animal - what would your dog naturally eat?

(( Cat's eat mice, small birds and goldfish - these options are not offered by the pet food industry as they are selling 'nice looking' food to a human not a pet, a cat's first choice Beef Flavor or Mouse Flavor ? ))

The answer is other animals in their natural raw state, not cooked - not mashed up with cheap rice husks and presented as a biscuit in green, brown and red.

Just visit your nearest shop and look at the contents listed on the side of the tinned dog 'food'.

If the retail price is 50 Baht (an average I see in Tesco-Lotus) and 85% of the content is water (they call it mositure to trick you) that is 42 Baht for 340 grams of water or 123 Baht a litre - expensive water eh?

The remaining 8 Baht's value in that tine will be the protein, fibre fats etc. You are not paying for good quaility food, and remember what you put into your dog - will come out the other end.

50 Baht will buy you between 3-4 chicken carcass' - I'm sure you can provide water more cheaply at home.

My dogs fed on BARF, mostly raw chicken and fish (mackrel) produce a fairly inoffensive stool.

As your pups teeth have to strengthen before being able to bite through pigs leg bones, start on smaller softer bones.

Once clear of mother's milk, dogs should not need milk again, a first meal BARF meal for puppies (raw) minced chicken carcasses, maybe some liver? Chicken cartilage is a good starter for a pup's teeth, lead on to chicken wings - mine know take chicken feet as a snack.

On some animals there are sharp bits that I remove before letting the dogs eat, on fish it's the spines on some fins (dorsal and pectoral) - for chickens it's the tips of the claws, and beaks if they get the whole head, same with duck bills. At Chinese New Year there was a lot of duck heads being given to us locally, the dogs loved that.

The thing to avoid is a cooked bone, it is a lot harder and can leave very sharp splinters if crunched then eaten by a dog, sticking in the throat or within their body, not good.

I'm sure there will be more responses on this popular "modern" pet food option.

HTH

[F1fanatic]

Watch 'The Dog Whisperer' on TV. He is VERY good at explaining how we misunderstand our dogs' behaviour and (unwittingly) encourage 'bad' behaviour that turns into aggression.

Terriers in particular can be aggressive or 'snappy', so you need to understand it from the start to avoid future behavioural problems.

p.s. Your little puppy is absolutely gorgeous!

Edited March 16, 2009 by F1fanatic

[robertthegreat]

I was looking at getting a jack Russell when my present dog stops breathing. What sort of money are you paying for a pup in Thailand. In the UK it would be about 15.000 baht up.

[thetitan99]

Watch 'The Dog Whisperer' on TV. He is VERY good at explaining how we misunderstand our dogs' behaviour and (unwittingly) encourage 'bad' behaviour that turns into aggression.

Terriers in particular can be aggressive or 'snappy', so you need to understand it from the start to avoid future behavioural problems.

p.s. Your little puppy is absolutely gorgeous!

Thanks alot!! I think so too!!

[thetitan99]

I was looking at getting a jack Russell when my present dog stops breathing. What sort of money are you paying for a pup in Thailand. In the UK it would be about 15.000 baht up.

I got this one from a private residence, not a breeder and paid 6000 BHT. I really wanted a smooth coat, short legged male and when I saw the mother and father I was sure that's what I'd get. They still had 2 females left. One tip: I could only find 1 breeder using the internet in english, but when I had one of my staff search in Thai I found a lot more to pick from.

[yumidesign]

people these posts are great, informative and easy to follow....... its a pity that there is no way on TV to say vote on a topic to put it in a special reference section organized by subjects. There was a similar one i read the other day on fish farming which was fascinating and full of information but when i tried to find it again could not.

Yep the doggy is so sweet

[Boksida]

I was looking at getting a jack Russell when my present dog stops breathing. What sort of money are you paying for a pup in Thailand. In the UK it would be about 15.000 baht up.

We got ours from a pet shop for 6,000 baht. I don't know if we were ripped off or not, but she is a great little dog.

[Cuban]

......its a pity that there is no way on TV to say vote on a topic to put it in a special reference section organized by subjects. There was a similar one i read the other day on fish farming which was fascinating and full of information but when i tried to find it again could not.

You can award the thread rating stars with the control just above and to the right hand side of the orignal post at the top of the thread.

You may also be able to 'tag' the thread, this should make it easier in the future to find threads with a particular content or on a particular subject - I have just tagged this thread with the label "New Puppy Tips". Tagging is used to create the short list of 'similar' threads that appears at the bottom of the last post on this page.

( I say may as the tagging feature has been added & removed from those members with a post count below 500, it may have been restored recently. See Forum Support for details. )

You can use tags to search those threads already tagged with this search feature, you will see that it links to other related threads.

HTH.

[F1fanatic]

As I said before, the OP's puppy is sooo cute, but why is anyone so bothered that they must have a 'genuine' Jack Russell?

I could understand more for 'hounds' with their friendly disposition, but terriers??

If you want a 'guard dog' - OK. But will you give the dog the life he deserves? To be a pet as well as a guard dog?

Believe me, I understand, I live in an isolated position and appreciate my dogs barking whenever someone comes near, but that is all it takes.

PLEASE, get over the snobbish need for a breed, give a lovely soi dog a home!

I say this as a whippet lover (they really are completely different from other dogs!), but will always have a soi dog as well.

[bina]

F...

not snobbish, since i am the last one to be so...

BUT, prefer to know the genetic and behavioral backgrounds of my dogs... and am still active in rescuing all the spring batchs of pups getting dumped on the kibbutz grounds as well...

everyone has his or her THING... some its cars, for me a car is just a box with wheels to get from A to B... for others its their motorbikes, others, its the purebred arabian mare that does it....

for me, i had, staffies, poodles, boxers, and now, due to the fact that i rescued a lhasa, have bought an other one (they are rare in israel), as i like pairs...

btw, jack russels have family oriented dispositions but a very strong prey to ground drive... thats all... they are not guard dog material apart from barking.

my goats at the petting zoo always had rescued canaan/mix dogs as zoo guards, all had good lives as working dogs...

bina

israel

[thetitan99]

As I said before, the OP's puppy is sooo cute, but why is anyone so bothered that they must have a 'genuine' Jack Russell?

I could understand more for 'hounds' with their friendly disposition, but terriers??

If you want a 'guard dog' - OK. But will you give the dog the life he deserves? To be a pet as well as a guard dog?

Believe me, I understand, I live in an isolated position and appreciate my dogs barking whenever someone comes near, but that is all it takes.

PLEASE, get over the snobbish need for a breed, give a lovely soi dog a home!

I say this as a whippet lover (they really are completely different from other dogs!), but will always have a soi dog as well.

I won't even dignify this drivel with a response... Jack Russell for a guard dog??