Jack Russell

LittleMissMoneySaver1986

Forgot to add, Jack Russells shed their hair all year round so be prepared for a lot of sweeping and hoovering !

coljacks

We have got a Jack Russell and I love them, we have had others in the past. IMO they are brilliant dogs- I have never had one which has shown any signs of agression, nor been snappy. We chose Lucy because my DD wanted a Dalmation, a no no in a 3 bed terrace, so we went to look arround and my DD spotted her straight away as she is white with black spots.

A word of warning though they are sooo full of energy, Lucy has more energy than all 3 of my kids put together. But we love going for long walks at the weekend with Lucy and the kids. My youngest is coming up for 2 and Lucy is fine with him, he pulls her about, kicks and basically does anything to her, and she will sit there and take it.

With the training I also used puppy training pads, we bought a pack of 30- which we also used if we were going out during the day, by the time they were finished she was fully toilet trained. She does has a crate that she goes in at night when we go to bed. And as soon as we get up at 7 she goes straight out.

foreign_correspondent

LittleMissMoneySaver1986 wrote: »

The concern I would have with getting a rescue dog would be that you would need to be careful having it around children (you mention you are a scout leader). I have a Jack Russell puppy (well he's 9 months old now) and through walking him on nearby fields I have met quite a number of other dogs and their owners with a large number of them being rescue dogs. These dogs ALWAYS seem to have a problem with other dogs or people apart from their owners. I know people will say that you can re-train the dog etc but with a dog that you do not really know its history you may not know how it will react to a given situation regardless of what you try to teach it.

I am sorry, but what a load of tosh! I work with children so am very aware of this issue. My dog is a rescue, as was my last dog, as was the dog I had as a child, as is my mums new dog - all of them have been fantastic with kids and very trustworthy, although it goes without without saying that you should never leave dogs and children alone.

However, the only dog I know that really worries me around children is a friends pedigree yellow lab (which you would expect to be super, going by breed standards!) - she is a nice dog but nervous and growls at everyone who enters the house, and I would be very wary of letting her be near kids. My uncle also has a pedigree westie who has snapped at a child. Both these dogs have been owned since they were tiny.

In many ways a rescue dog is ideal, many of them have lived with children in the past, and so their temprement is known. So many dogs end up in rescues through changing work patterns, family breakdown, financial reasons, and landlords that will not allow dogs - not the fault of the dog at all. A dog that has been a good dog with kids elsewhere is 'tried and tested' and probably a far safer bet than a pup which may grow up not liking kids too much - not all dogs do!

foreign_correspondent

tim_n wrote: »

It'll just be down to whether the dog I adopt will be happy enough to be dragged round on long hikes... do rescue centers allow you to take them out and about to see if you get on?

almost any terrier will be happy to hike, if it is fit and healthy. Many resc\ue centres will let you take the dogs for a walk, although often it is around the centre - where abouts do you live?

lesley1960

We have a Jack Russell , well really he's my daughters dog , we looked after him when she had her first bay 2 years ago , hes still here lol , mainly because we didnt like the way he acted around the baby , he was never aggressive but there was a look in his eye we didnt like . He is however the friendliest dog ever , very affectionate and no problem around my grandchildren ,but seems a bit hyper with other children .

He loves to walk but then he also loves to sleep , follows us everywhere and comes to work with us

He was a nightmare to housetrain though

xxlaurissaxx

I have a westie who is 11! and is more than happy to go on walks for hours at a time. We had her when my nephew was born and at first she knew she wasnt getting the attention but she has never snapped at him. My aunty has a rottweiler and my cousin used to hit her, pull her coat and she never once bit, growled, anything at him. It just dependes on the nature of the dog and the training you give them.

The thing about rescue dogs maybe not being good with children is utter nonsense. A pedigree could be terrible just as bad as a mongrel but as i said before its about the love and affection you give your dog. It you spoil it then yes it will get jealous but mine never ever bit, growled at my nephew and i will admit i treated her and still do like a child.

If you get a rescue dog who is scared or aggressive towards other dogs or people they will lower there head (scared) or raise their head and tail and hold it high (they think they are the leader and controller and can be aggressive) you need to sort this out straight away, but as you said you have a neighbour who has a dog - ask your neighbour if you can use there dog to go on walks etc everyday a few times a day to get the new dog used to others as they are more likely to attack, growl another dog than a person. At first you should hold your dog in the air (if its a small one) with there bum down (or if its a big one hold them on a tight lead and if needed a muzzle but praise them as you put it on so its not seen as a bad thing but a good thing.) so your neighbours dog can sniff (theyre way of saying hello) and vice-versa then after a while take them a walk together and get them to walk side-by-side not 1 infront of the other.
Once your dogs is used to and friendly with other dogs your dog is hugely less likely to be aggressive towards people as it will be more friendlier and happier.

If you get a puppy take it to puppy classes as it will be able to interact with other pups so it will become a friendlier dog.

If i were you i would take 2 weeks off to train and get your new dog used to its surroundings and neighbours! and when you go back to work ask you neighbour if he would let your dog out as hopefully by this point your dog will have a friend and the neighbour can let them out together.

Good Luck and let us know what you get. xx

tim_n

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

almost any terrier will be happy to hike, if it is fit and healthy. Many resc\ue centres will let you take the dogs for a walk, although often it is around the centre - where abouts do you live?

Rochford, Essex - whilst it isn't the best area in the world it does have playing fields (with plenty of dog poo bins) and my house backs onto my allotment and farmer fields.

foreign_correspondent

tim_n wrote: »

Rochford, Essex - whilst it isn't the best area in the world it does have playing fields (with plenty of dog poo bins) and my house backs onto my allotment and farmer fields.

ok, just wondering in case you were local and I could recommend a rescue, but I dont know any in that area. If I were you I would be prepared to visit a few rescues and see what they have in, and let them know what sort of dog you are looking for (good with kids, can be left ok, enjoys long walks) and see if they have any in that meet that profile.

Be prepared to have to make your garden dog proof (decent fences high enough to stop the dog hurdling them!) and to answer questions about what you will do about the dog needing a wee break and a stretch when you are at work.

There are also some online forums where people can post their requirements or rescue dogs wanted - dogpages springs to mind, but I think there are others. Also, be prepapred to spend time with and train any dog, young or old - they are not mind readers and we need to show them what we want from them. Many rescues provide free back up and advice from a trainer/behaviouralist incase you come accross any problems. - it is always worth asking about.

Dogs are super, but they are a creature with needs, and are a big responsibility - so go into it with your eyes open, and be prepared to make some sacrifices!

Good luck

orlao

tim_n wrote: »

Rochford, Essex - whilst it isn't the best area in the world it does have playing fields (with plenty of dog poo bins) and my house backs onto my allotment and farmer fields.

You're only up the road from me:D

Are you sure you want a Jack Russell????
Fantastic little dogs, I've got 2 but they are bred to work so like to be busy, can be noisy if left and they shed their coats like you wouldn't believe:eek: so not good for allergy sufferers......

IMO, working and a flat, even with a good neighbour isn't a great situation for a pup, also if you have a baby in the timescale you mention you would still have a young possibly demanding dog to deal with.

Your problem with getting a rescue is that most of the respectable rescues around here won't even consider you if you work or have a young child so I think you would struggle to "adopt" but as someone else said there are forums where you can rescue privately but please be very careful in those circs as people often aren't truthful IYSWIM and you have to read between the lines so to speak;)

BTW, the dogs that are advertised in the Echo and Standard are not usually the ones you want......backyard breeders and worse:eek:

Paparika

orlao wrote: »

You're only up the road from me:D

Are you sure you want a Jack Russell????
Fantastic little dogs, I've got 2 but they are bred to work so like to be busy, can be noisy if left and they shed their coats like you wouldn't believe:eek: so not good for allergy sufferers......

IMO, working and a flat, even with a good neighbour isn't a great situation for a pup, also if you have a baby in the timescale you mention you would still have a young possibly demanding dog to deal with.

Your problem with getting a rescue is that most of the respectable rescues around here won't even consider you if you work or have a young child so I think you would struggle to "adopt" but as someone else said there are forums where you can rescue privately but please be very careful in those circs as people often aren't truthful IYSWIM and you have to read between the lines so to speak;)

BTW, the dogs that are advertised in the Echo and Standard are not usually the ones you want......backyard breeders and worse:eek:

mine is just 6 1/2 months and moulting for england atm, he's not a noisy dog, but loves attention.

I live in a flat which doesn't have proper access to a garden i am on the first floor, but toilet training wasn't a problem as i crate trained him. he goes out several times a day during the school holidays as my son will happily take him out.
I work 4 hours a day but often sneak home to take him out.

So having a dog in a flat isn't a major OMG you can't do that, i learnt to adapt to my dogs needs.

I may live in a flat but love my lil JRT, annoys me when people say you shouldn't have a dog in flats, what about people that have dogs with gardens yet leave them chained up all day, with no love or attention, now that is cruel. (not aimed at you Orlao)