Your Jack Russell Is Confident, Are You A Confident Owner?

Puppy Training Tips

Your Jack Russell Is Confident, Are You A Confident Owner?

Jack Russell Terriers

A Jack Russell Terrier is always on the move, hunting and exploring his surroundings. He is usually confident in his actions. It is important that his owner also be confident in his direction towards his Jack Russell Terrier.

The first thing that any successful Russell trainer must do is win the confidence and respect of his animal.  This important piece of advice definitely applies to the training of Jack Russells.  It is imporant that you gain their trust, respect and are able to control them at  all times. Jack Russell Terriers have very strong hunting instincts, and will get in trouble with their noses if allowed too.

Be the Leader of The Pack

As social pack animals, puppies as well as older dogs have a natural need to follow a strong leader.  Setting yourself up as this leadership figure is the basis of any successful Jack Russell training program.

Until your puppy has learned to trust and respect you, it will be difficult for any training program to be successful.  Trust and respect are not things that can be forced, they must be earned through positive interaction with your four legged companion.  After your puppy has learned to trust and respect you, you may be amazed at how quickly the training sessions progress.

Many new Jack puppy owners mistake love and affection for trust and respect.  While it is of course good to shower your new puppy or puppy with love and affection, it is also important to gain its confidence and respect. It is also important to not allow the puppy or puppy to get away with everything it wants to.  It is easy to let a puppy take advantage of you, particularly when it is so cute and adorable.  It is important, however, to set boundaries, and to establish acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.

A happy puppy will be easier to train, and more willing to please

Jack Russell Puppies Want Boundaries

Like children, puppies actually appreciate these types of boundaries, since they are similar to the rules that the pack leader establishes in nature.  Every puppy in the pack knows what is expected of it, and knows its place in the pecking order.  This kind of structured hierarchy allows the pack to function, hunt and survive as a single entity.  Your puppy is actually seeking this type of leadership.  If he or she does not get leadership from you, he or she may be frightened or confused.

In addition, failure to gain the respect of the puppy is very important to the well being of both the human and the puppy.  A puppy that lacks respect for its human owner can be dangerous as well as hard to live with.  It is important to establish firm boundaries of good and bad behavior, and to consistently, effectively enforce those boundaries.

When dealing with your Jack Russell puppy, it is important to start gaining his respect and trust as soon as possible.  Establishing an early bond is the best way to move the training and socialization process forward.

Keep Your Training Sessions Short For Your Puppy

It is also important to make the initial training sessions short.  Puppies have a notoriously short attention span, and even older untrained puppies may be unable to focus for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time.  It is best to make the lesson short and positive than to stretch it out and create a negative experience.

It is also a good idea to start and end each session with a period of play.  Starting and ending the training sessions on a high note is important.  Puppies make quick associations, and creating a positive association with obedience training will help to create a happy, healthy and well adjusted puppy.  A happy puppy will be easier to train, and more willing to please.

It is also important to keep the puppy from becoming bored during the training sessions.  Many puppy owners make the mistake of drilling the puppy on things like basic obedience skills, heeling, sitting, etc.  While these obedience skills are important, and it is true that they will form the basis of more advanced skills, it is important to mix things up and make things fun for both yourself and your puppy.  The more variety you provide the better your Jack Russell puppy, and you, will enjoy the training sessions.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://britishgrit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/photo-6.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]We want to be your Jack Russell Terrier Reference.[/author_info] [/author]

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