Some of the typical Jack Russell problems owners find themselves dealing with on a daily basis are digging, chasing, barking, aggression, jumping, separation anxiety and whining.

Common questions asked are, “What do I do when my terrier doesn’t come when I call?” “How do I stop my Jack Russell digging holes in the garden?” “Will I ever be able to stop my Jack Russell chasing our cat?”

Have you experienced at least one or two of these problems with your Jack Russell? It helps to realize that these are common issues with this breed and that they can, with the right training, be remedied. The following is an example of one problem I had with my Jack Russell Terrier.

My Jack Russell Terrier (Jack) had been taught to come when I called him but sometimes he totally ignored me.  He would look me dead in the face, turn, then walk or run off in the opposite direction.  It’s like he actually thought about what was in it for him if he came over and whether or not it was worth his time and effort?

Sometimes he just simply sat there looking at me, ignoring my command “Jack come!” When I walked towards him he would turn and run, looking back excitedly to see if I was chasing him. It was a great game! For him. However, it was quite a serious problem.

Fortunately I found several ways to deal with it. Many accidents can happen from your Jack Russell ignoring your command to come.  With the right training he will come to you every time. Here’s one of my personal anecdotes.



The Fox That Wanted Jack For Dinner

One day on a walk  Jack spotted a fox. The fox looked like it might be dangerous, and it was bigger than Jack.  Of course, Jack doesn’t notice or refuses to acknowledge when he’s up against a Bull Mastiff, a Great Dane, a Rottweiler, or in this case, a dangerous fox.  See, Jack, like many small dogs, simply sees himself as Hercules.

Jack bolted after the fox like lightning, but just as quickly the fox stopped dead in its tracks and turned towards Jack. It was at that moment, I panicked and shouted, “Jack, come!” I prayed so hard that he wouldn’t ignore me, my prayers were answered.

Jack came bounding towards me (with the fox not too far behind).  I scooped him up, and praised him heartily.  Thank goodness Jack listened to me, otherwise the fox would have had a tasty dinner that night, Jacques a La Carte.

Jack’s Transformation

As I said my Jack had been trained to “come” on command, or so I thought. He did sometimes, but more often than not he ignored me. That was all about to change.

What Was I Doing Wrong?

When I took the time to think about it I realized that my problem with Jack stemmed from giving him mixed and inconsistent signals.  I had been using the command “Jack, come”.

Sometimes I would, for example, give him a bath after using this command, sometimes his dinner. He didnt know whether the command, “Jack, come” meant he was about to have something done to him that he disliked, like having a bath, or if it was for something pleasant, like dinner, a walk or praise.

The Solution

First, distinguish commands. Make a difference between the command for when you want your dog to come to you for something he doesnt like, and for the command you give him when you want him to come to you for something he will like.

For instance, my Jack hates baths.  But he loves to go out for walks with me.  I used to use the same command for both, which left him unsure if he came, whether he was going to be treated to something nice, or be forced to do something he hated.

So now when I want him to take a bath I say, “Bath time.”  When I want him to go outside with me, I say, “Jack, outside.”  I taught him to know that when I added his name to a command that there was something good about to happen.

Come Up With New Commands

If your dog is not listening to you, it’s could be because you are giving him mixed messages.  Only use your dog’s name when you’re associating something good with it.  Otherwise, a simple, “No” or “Stop” or “Down” will suffice.

When he does something good or when you are giving him a treat or doing things he enjoys, use his name and say things like, “Good boy Jack” or “Jack, go outside”, or “Jack, play ball.”

For expert advice about this, or any other Jack Russell problems you might be having I highly recommend you take a look at Ray Colero’s online dog training guide, Dog Training Secrets.