Re: obedience school

In Reply to: obedience school
Category:   Other
Posted by:  Allison Buford
Posted on:  January 31, 2002 at 18:18:49

: My family has decided on the Jack Russel Terrier for a pet for our home. We have owned one other dog in the past, who had very bad health problems and had to be put down. We have 2 small children and I would like a very well trained dog around them. However, we live in a very small town and there is not an obedience school anywhere close to us. What do you suggest? Might there be a good book that can help us train a puppy? Also, what age of puppy do you think is best to buy?
: Thank you for your help,
: Allison Buford

Response:
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Hi Allison,

Before you go out to purchase that puppy I think you should do a bit more reading and research on the breed. This is not Wishbone, Eddie or Skip. This is a high maintenance hunting/working terrier, not a good choice for a novice dog owner and even the most experienced dog person can find this breed more than a handful.

Please take a look at the links I am providing to you. This is a breed not recommended for small children. These terriers are not very forgiving when it comes to children's mishandling.

This is also a breed that you think everything will be okay while its a puppy but they don't really start to test you until they hit about 1½ - 2 years of age.

Here are the links:

Children FAQ, Jack Russell Profiler, Bad Dog Talk, History of the Jack Russell, Buying a Puppy, JRTCA Breed Standard

After you have read all this material and still think this is the breed for your family (remember it's a 15 year commitment) then come back and we'll try to recommend some books but I do have to say this is not a breed that can really be trained from a book.