Jack Russell Puppy Training Tips

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.

Tom McSherry is the author of the premiere ebook on Jack Russell training, written specifically for Jack Russell owners. He recognizes the frustration and anxiety a lot of Jack Russell owners suffer because they just can't find good information that applies to their dogs. That's why he's created an online Jack Russell community and written a complete training guide just for JRT owners. Visit Jack-Russell-Lover.com to get your FREE copy of Tom's Jack Russell Terrier Training special report, The Top Ten Jack Russell Training Mistakes.

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