Tips For Jack Russell Owners
Teaching Your Jack Russell Terrier Puppy Proper Socialization Skills
Teaching a Jack Russell Terrier Puppy or adult Jack Russell dog proper socialization skills is vital to the safety of your dog and other dogs as well as the people with whom he or she comes into contact with. A properly socialized dog is a happy dog, and a joy to be around for both humans and animals. A poorly socialized dog, or one with no socialization at all, is a danger to other animals, other people and even his own family.
Start Socialization Training As Early As Possible
Socialization is best done when the Jack Russell Terrier is as young as possible. Negative habits a young Jack Russell Terrier puppy learns are difficult to undo, and it is important to remember that the socialization skills the Jack Russell Terrier puppy learns will affect his behavior for the rest of his life.
A Russell that is properly socialized will be neither frightened of nor aggressive towards either animals or humans. A properly socialized dog will take each new experience and stimulus in stride, and not become fearful or aggressive. Dogs that are not properly socialized often bite because of fear, and such a dog can become a hazard and a liability to the family who owns it. Improperly socialized dogs are also unable to adapt to new situations. A routine matter like a trip to the vet or to a friend’s house can quickly stress the dog out and lead to all sorts of problems.
Socialization is best done when the Jack Russell Terrier puppy is very young, perhaps around 12 weeks of age. Even after 12 weeks, however, it is important that the Terrier continues its socialization in order to refine the all important social skills. It is possible to socialize an older JRT puppy, but it is very difficult to achieve after the all important 12 week period has passed.
Socialization Do’s & Don’ts
There are some definite do’s and don’t when it comes to properly socializing your Jack Russell puppy. Let’s start with what to do’s. Later in this article we will explore what to avoid.
Socialization Do’s
- Make each event as pleasant and non-threatening for the Jack Russell Terrier puppy as possible. If a puppy’s first experience with any new experience is an unpleasant one, it will be very difficult to undo that in the puppy’s mind. In some cases, an early trauma can morph into a phobia that can last for a lifetime. It is better to take things slow and avoid having the Jack Russell Terrier puppy become frightened or injured.
- Try inviting your friends over to meet the new Jack Russell puppy. It is important to included as many different people as possible in the puppy’s circle of acquaintances, including men, women, children, adults, as well as people of many diverse ethnic backgrounds and ages.
- Also invite friendly and healthy dogs and puppies over to meet your puppy. It is important for the Jack Russell Terrier puppy to meet a wide variety of other animals, including cats, hamsters, rabbits and other animals he is likely to meet. It is of course important to make sure that all animals the Jack Russell Terrier puppy comes into contact with have received all necessary vaccinations.
- Take your Jack Russell Terrier puppy to many different places, including shopping centers, pet stores, parks, school playgrounds and on walks around the neighborhood. Try to expose your Jack Russell Terrier puppy to places where they will be crowds of people and lots of diverse activity going on.
- Take the Jack Russell Terrier puppy for frequent short rides in the car. During these rides, be sure to stop the car once in a while and let your puppy look out the window at the world outside.
- Introduce your Jack puppy to a variety of items that may be unfamiliar. The Jack Russell Terrier puppy should be exposed to common items like bags, boxes, vacuum cleaners, umbrellas, hats, etc. that may be frightening to him. Allow and encourage your puppy to explore these items and see that he or she has nothing to fear from them.
- Get your puppy used to a variety of objects by rearranging familiar ones. Simply placing a chair upside down, or placing a table on its side, creates an object that your Jack Russell Terrier puppy will perceive as totally new.
- Get the Jack Russell Terrier puppy used to common procedures like being brushed, bathed, having the nails clipped, teeth cleaned, ears cleaned, etc. Your groomer and your veterinarian will thank you for this.
- Introduce the Jack Russell Terrier puppy to common things around the house, such as stairs. Also him or her to the collar and leash, so he will be comfortable with these items.
The Don’ts
There are of course some things to avoid when socializing a puppy. These socialization don’ts include:
- Do not place the Jack Russell Terrier puppy on the ground when strange animals are present. An attack, or even a surprise inspection, by an unknown animal could traumatize your Jack Russell Terrier and hurt his socialization.
- Do not inadvertently reward fear based behavior. When the Jack Russell Terrier puppy shows fear, it is normal to try to sooth it, but this could reinforce the fear based behavior and make it worse. Since biting is often a fear based behavior, reinforcing fear can create problems with biting.
- Do not force or rush the socialization process. It is important to allow your Jack Russell Terrier to socialize at his own pace.
- Do not try to do too much too soon. Young puppies have short attention spans, and continuing lessons after that attention span has passed will be a waste of your time and your puppy’s.
- Do not wait too long to begin. There is a short window in which to begin the socialization process. A young Jack Russell Terrier is a blank slate, and it is important to fill that slate with positive socialization skills as early as possible.
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