Solving terriers' attention distractions through Jack russell terrier training

It has happened countless times that jack russell terrier owners discover to their chagrin and disappointment that the otherwise cute and brainy jack russell has acquired the habit of chasing animals. But the real question turns out to be: where did my dog's recall go??

Obviously, there is also a solution to it. A serious jack russell owner will look into controlling the time the dog spends in the backyard without supervision. Note that the more the dog is allowed to spend time making attempts at the squirrel and robins, the more that it will feel free to go for them during walks and trips to the park.

Another way to deal with this is to find out at what distance the dog starts reacting and getting hyper to the sight of the quarry. Start desensitizing the dog five or ten feet backwards from there. Thus, if the terrier goes loco with a squirrel from fifty feet away, then start desensitizing the dog from sixty feet away.

When the jack russell has reached the point of so much excitement that its pulling without hearing anything, you may want to try a halti or gentle leader to help manage the issue, until the dog is more responsive to you instead of its distractors.

As soon as the dog detects the distractor via smell, sound or sight, it will start its posturing, or its antics to show interest in inspecting the animal. You may want to catch the dog right before it behaves this way, and get its attention with rapid and tested-proven-and-effective reinforcers. Should you prove too late, you may know a Plan B, given your terrier's unique personality. A jack russell terrier training warning, though: you can be sure calling after the dog, or even making commands, may not work since its senses are locked on the animal.

Another option worth trying is to use your body to block the dog's distraction. The next time you and the leashed jack russell are outdoors, try moving into its private comfort zone (which is that “doggie” zone that surrounds the dog), but with the intention of not hitting the dog but only to get its attention. Once you have the dog's attention, quickly reinforce; if necessary, use an interaction style called arcing or circling the dog. This motion can effectively break the obsession and help the dog to focus on the handler, even if the distractor is still in view. Notice how gradually moving into the dog results to it giving you attention.

A few last ideas about our jack russell terrier training tips so far: helping the dog manage its prey drive may take ages, but nevertheless, you can get it to see that your leadership has great benefits. Your leadership should let the dog know that if it pays attention to you, it gets more rewards compared to getting fixated on some animal. This leadership can help improve how you observe your dog's minds. So be on the lookout for calming signals, and remember to use reinforcements when you capture or re-capture the dog's attention.

As you improve in the speed of getting your dog's attention, try edging closer next time to the quarry. This will take time, and it will take more than just a handful of sessions, but the goal is to go faster and faster when it comes to breaking up obsessions and distractions.

To end, remember that management is the key answer to those times that the dog is off-leash. So allow it no unsupervised time in the back yard. Ultimately though, you may want to accept that you will never meet or have the perfect terrier, but that you can still have endless good fun with a JRT that responds when cued.