JRTs.....

[xpaeanx]

Ok, so most of the ones I know are really crazy maniac dogs....

my question is...

Are JRTs for the more "experienced" dog trainer, and that's why the ones I often meet that are "pets" are crazy....

OR are JRTs easy to train, and the ones I often meet as pets just haven't had ANY consistent training, so they're bored and therefore become crazy.

How much daily stimulation do they need? For instance, if you were to feed them using puzzle toys, 10 minutes of daily training, and walk... then more on weekends is that enough?

Or are they the type of dog that needs hours of mental stimulation a day? Which would might also explain all the ones I know being crazy....

[Laurelin]

I'll leave this to the JRT people. But I have to say you should come meet Riata, she's sooo awesome. She personally is really intelligent and very driven but she has a nice off switch too. She is perfectly happy to chill then the next second she can be very intense. I've had to retrieve her from a couple holes in the ground- can't let her around those or she'll dive down them. She's a bit reactive with certain dogs but gets along fine with mine. In fact she's a lot more dog friendly than Summer is, lol. She's sweet but not much of a cuddler at all, though I don't know if that's breed or just her. She loves to play and has crazy play drive. She'd play play play all day long if you let her. She has great manners around people, dogs, and horses and I don't believe I've ever heard her bark even though I'm around her a lot. I know they're known as yappy but she's not at all.

She almost makes me want one. Or at least I'd totally steal her. But yeah, she's a very balanced dog but she's also well bred and was a show/performance dog in her younger days.

That said they're terriers which I think a lot of people that get them as pets don't understand. So high drive, prone to DA, high energy, tenacious, stubborn, etc.

ETA: And she's cute to boot.




She could really change most people's impression of JRTs. But I know a JRT in bad hands is not a pretty picture. I've known several of those and they can be real terrors.

[Dekka]

First off the vast vast majority of JRTs out there are very badly bred. Then they are sold to people who shouldn't own a terrier.

It depends on the JRT. Dekka would be a great pet for most dog experienced people. Kaiden is the most non issue JRT I have met. Snip is a bit special and could have been, shall we say interesting, in the wrong hands.

I find them extremely easy to work with. They are easy to motivate, often they are walking stomachs and are prey/play driven. They will keep working as long as you hold the 'ball'. (unlike whippets who decide when the training time ends no matter what you have) Consistency can be an issue as they are free thinking little monsters. The other issue is they can be so darn smart. Now I know all breed fanciers go on about the intelligence of their breed.. BUT as an obedience trainer I will say they are uber bright dogs. And smart dogs are NOT the easiest to train.

Owning a JRT happily requires a sense of humour, twisted if possible. Patience and ability to think outside the box when needed (as JRTs are so far out of the box sometimes)

My guys don't get that much exercise, or really that much stimulation. BUT the more you give them the more they expect. WHat you described would keep my guys happy.

[Laurelin]

Riata's brother was one of the most easy dogs I've ever known. About on par with Rose, he was so chill.

Riata herself would do well in a pretty basic dog home, I think. She doesn't actually get that much structured exercise, just a lot of 'helping around the ranch' type things. She's not Da, not destructive, she does need exercise but it's no more than I already give my dogs (actually it's probably less).

Yeah, I'd steal her in a heartbeat.

[xpaeanx]

Originally Posted by Dekka

First off the vast vast majority of JRTs out there are very badly bred. Then they are sold to people who shouldn't own a terrier.

I'm going to guess that this describes the dogs I have met than...

If what I described would be fine for them... than I can only imagine the ones I have met were insane to begin with... which would come from being badly bred.

:lesigh: It's very sad what can happen to a breed of dogs because some people just want to make $$$$.

[MafiaPrincess]

All the ones I'd ever met had been maniacs. Pure terror to deal with, excessively hyper. I just assumed you picked a JRT that's what you get to live with.. Then I met Dekka's.. They may be hyper cause you walk in the door, but then most of them go find somewhere to sleep if nothing exciting is going on. Very different from all the ones I'd met before hers.

[xpaeanx]

Originally Posted by MafiaPrincess

All the ones I'd ever met had been maniacs. Pure terror to deal with, excessively hyper. I just assumed you picked a JRT that's what you get to live with.. Then I met Dekka's.. They may be hyper cause you walk in the door, but then most of them go find somewhere to sleep if nothing exciting is going on. Very different from all the ones I'd met before hers.

Yeah, same thing here... except I haven't met Dekka's yet... so to me they're still "pure terror"

[Dekka]

Hey no pure terror lol. Really I find the whippets just as 'hyper' as the JRTs....

(and yes walking through my door can be interesting if lots are loose. They LOVE visitors, and I never trained them not to be enthusiastic in their greeting)

[xpaeanx]

Originally Posted by Dekka

Hey no pure terror lol. Really I find the whippets just as 'hyper' as the JRTs....

(and yes walking through my door can be interesting if lots are loose. They LOVE visitors, and I never trained them not to be enthusiastic in their greeting)

oh I'm sorry... should it read "pure terr[i]or"

We should have that Canada chaz meet up. I'd really like to meet your JRTs... maybe I won't be so scared of jrts afterwards.... or maybe I'll be more scared!

[Dekka]

Well we don't need an official meet up... if you come up in the summer it would be easy to hit up lots of ontario chazzers