Re: Thinking about getting a JR

In Reply to: Re: Thinking about getting a JR
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Posted by:  Linda Cranford
Posted on:  June 30, 2002 at 14:15:11

: : My wife and I are considering a JR. We have no children, a fenced back yard in addition to living on 400 acres. We are planning on having the dog fixed and obedience trained. The breeder is a friend of ours and we love the mother of the pups, so we have a good idea of the disposition of the family. Our concerns have been housebreaking, we have been told females are more difficult to housebreak. Also we have two large (100 lbs) adult mixed breed female dogs and are concerned about the JR getting along with them. I thought we were prepared for everything, but after reading this forum JR are striking me as having way to many issues.

:
Response:

: Hi Skimmer,
: First of all if you decide to get a puppy, get a male, and if your females aren't spayed then have them spayed. Most problems come from hormones and having your puppy neutered is a good idea also. I would NOT bring another female into your household, you run the chance of same sex aggression with getting a female and much less of a chance of it working out. Same sex aggression is well documented in Jack Russells and it doesn't matter if they are two Jacks or one Jack Russell and another breed.

: I see no difference in housebreaking the two sexes, it just depends on how hard the owner is willing to work at the chore of housebreaking and not the sex of the dog.

: All of this being said, if you follow the FAQ's and the advice in them you won't have any problem or shouldn't have any problems. My dogs are nothing like I read about on this forum and with proper socialization and the three should be able to coexist happily. Of course there are never any guarantees but there is a better chance.

: Getting a 2nd Dog FAQ, Housebreaking FAQ

: Reagrds
: Linda

Response:

Dear Skimmer,

JRTs do not have "issues" -- their owners do. What you read on this Forum is mostly the result of folks getting a breed they know little, if anything, about. A TV show, a movie, a friend's JRT -- this is not the reality of owning a Jack Russell Terrier.

Like Linda, our terriers are nothing like those you read about on this Forum. We've raised our JRTs based upon their nature and NOT from our previous experiences with other breeds. Understanding that this is a hunting breed -- and all that this implies -- is the key to safely, happily and successfully live with a Jack Russell Terrier.

Leslie