Jacks are highly intelligent and not likely to
give themselves up for abuse. Jack's often know when they've done
wrong and will expect scolding, even exhibiting submission
behavior before you know what they've done. Using physical
punishment will mean that you can kiss any sense of remorse in
your Jack Russell goodbye. They'll be gone before you can get
anywhere near them. They're fast too. They were bred to chase fox,
which is a very swift animal. Stop chasing them; you're not going
to catch them. The best way to train a Jack is to vocally scold
them for bad behavior, and possibly include a short time out in a
restricted area. Many people advise against using the crate as a
time-out zone because it may make the dog unwilling to go into the
crate, which you want him to feel safe and comfortable in, not
punished.The best results come from
reinforcing good behavior with a combination of treats and clicker
training. Jack Russell's do have a good memory and will remember
what they like and don't like. You usually can't fool them with
the same trick more than twice, and it doesn't take long for them
to figure out how to get what they want and avoid what they don't.
One famous story tells of a man whose Jack Russell would wake up
promptly at 1:30 am and begin to bark incessantly for no apparent
reason. The man finally came up with a plan. He devised a system
of ropes and pulleys tied to a bucket placed over the dog's kennel
that filled from a garden hose. The end of the rope was tied to
the man's nightstand next to his bed. That night when the dog
began barking, the man pulled the rope, causing the bucket to tip
and douse the dog with water. The man did this every time the dog
would begin barking unnecessarily. After two nights of this the
dog quit barking in the middle of the night and never did it
again. While this story may have been embellished over time, and
seem a little extreme for most owners, it does illustrate the
characteristics of the Jack Russell to "learn from its mistakes".
