Is a Jack Russell Right for Your Family?

PetsDogs

  • Author Lea Mullins
  • Published June 20, 2011
  • Word count 627

Everyone who has seen the Mask cartoon and movie has to agree that the cuteness of his dog Milo is just unmatchable. For those who don’t know, Milo is a Jack Russell Terrier breed that has a primarily white furred body and brown patches on his face. Dogs belonging to this breed are considered to be of the working type. In the past, they used to be bred for the specific purpose of hunting for prey and nailing them to the ground. Moreover, they are the burrowing types who love to dig and bark with fury to make the prey come out of the place where it used to be hiding.

As useful as they were to hunters back in the day, a lot of families are reluctant in keeping them as pets much for the same reasons as they were kept by the hunters. Their tendency to dig wildly and barking nonstop when they need something makes them seem annoying to many people. Moreover, they are said to be difficult around other dogs, particularly if they belong to the same gender. For pet owners who also have cats at their place, having a Jack Russell might be even more alarming because they are known to have killed pet cats.

Moreover, these terriers need to exercise intensely as they are quite hyper. They need to spend at least an hour everyday to run, chase other animals, play and dig, while most love to be active for at least three hours. Any family interested in having a Jack Russell as a pet needs to consider if they have as much time to play with them. In case you or any of your family members don’t give take out time to play with your terrier, he will come up with his own way of having exercise. This he can do by tearing down your furniture pieces, digging up your garden and backyard, chewing up just about every clothing item he comes across and playing with everything he considers a pet.

If you still think that getting a Jack Russell for your children is a good idea, consider this. Typically, these dogs do not like younger children too much. Anyone who has knowledge about dog breeds would never keep this dog at a place where there are kids under the age of five. Even the slightest of touch can incite this dog and make him bite the person back. With small kids, it not easy to keep a control and if they end up falling on the dog, they could get a serious backlash. They make known their disapproval for any teasing activity like their hair, tail, feet or ears getting tugged on. They are very different from the Labradors or Golden Retrievers in this regard because they don’t even care if it is a child teasing them. This is why a lot of families end up depositing them at pet homes or dog keepers.

However, dog experts believe that these dogs are not as bad as they are misunderstood by the families who adopt them. There are also a large number of families who own these dogs because they are aware of what the Jack Russell breed is like. By nature, these dogs are said to be quite stubborn and need to be trained. For anyone who wants them as pets, it is highly recommended to hire a professional trainer for them. You might find the hyperactive nature of your Jack Russell amusing at first but ignoring it will lead to your dog getting out of control.

Deciding against these dogs may not be the most pleasant decision to make but with the wide variety of other dog breeds available, you have nothing to worry about.

Lea Mullins, shares her thoughts about which kind of families can keep a Jack Russell. Learn more about Dogs from TrainPetDog.com

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