Starting out with Jack Russell
puppy training can be a difficult experience
as a new owner. You bring home this little bundle of fluff
and cuteness, only to find after a few weeks that she starts
to develop that little devil personality which is common to
Jack Russells. Using the right training techniques in the
early puppy phase can go a long way toward helping you avoid
problem behaviors from developing further down the track, so
it's important that you get a good idea of how you should be
training your pup from the beginning.
Use Positive Methods
It's important to keep your
training positive with a JR pup. This early stage is the
time when you will begin building a bond with your dog, and
this sets the foundation for all behavior and training in
the future. If you shout at your pup or use harsh
punishments, you damage that bond and ultimately make
training harder for both you and your puppy.
On top of this, punishment
doesn't really work to change a puppy's behavior. Often the
puppy doesn't even know why it's being punished, especially
if there's a time gap between what it did wrong and the
punishment. Remember, the puppy doesn't know the difference
between right and wrong in the human world. It's up to you
to show her through training how to behave as part of a
human family.
Be Consistent and Form
Routines
It's important to start
creating routines for your new puppy as soon as possible.
Dogs thrive on having a regular routine. You should decide
on meal times, bed times and exercise times - and stick to
them.
It's also important to be
consistent with training itself. Use the same word every
time when you give your puppy a command. Use the same voice
tone and body language each time - your puppy will respond
to these just as much as the actual words you use.
Start Early
It's okay to start teaching
one or two basic commands from the day you bring your puppy
home. At this stage, don't try to make training too formal -
it should be a part of play time. A good way to introduce
training is to use the "Come" command to call the puppy in
for feeding times.
Don't simply let your puppy
run wild and say, "I'll fix it later." Bad habits formed in
puppyhood can last a lifetime. Get things right at the
beginning and you will save yourself a lot of trouble. It's
much easier to teach something new to a young,
impressionable puppy than an older dog. As Jack Russells
grow up, they become more independent and go through an
"adolescent" phase, just like a human teenager, where they
will become harder to keep under control. The more of a
solid base you build in the first few weeks, the easier the
transition to adulthood will be for you and your dog.
Remember - the most
important part of Jack Russell
puppy training is building a
bond of love, mutual respect and trust with your puppy.
Every other part of training relies on that bond staying
strong, so don't forget to praise your puppy for doing
things right and share plenty of affection.
