Jack Russell Terrier info?

[steelergrl]

I am going to look at a Jack Russell Terrier today and I have some questions. This dog is almost 2 years old and completely house trained. She is believed to be part of a puppy mill and was 5 hours away from being euthanized. This will be my first dog, as I was never allowed to have a dog growing up so I am not sure what to do. The dog will be alone during the day for approximately 6 hours and I'm not sure if I should put up a baby gate in the kitchen or buy her a kennel/crate. I live in a condo, so I don't have a fenced yard. Anyone have any advice about this or the JRT in general? A picture of her is attached. Thank you.

[Suki Wingy]

Jacks and Parsons (the longer legged veriety/breed) are both high energy, and a crate is deffinitly reccomended. Get one that's either plastic and so gives her privacy or put a blanket over a metal one.

[Karen]

I think a nice-sized crate would be a good idea. Jack Russells tend to be high-energy dogs, though your girl might not be at first because of where she's come from. Still, crate-training her will give her a nice secure little "den" where she can safely be, with toys and things to occupy her time of course, while you're away from the house. Two dogs I know who have been crate-trained even return to the spot where their crate used to be to nap long after the walls were removed.

Once she's all settled in, you'll have a playmate for sure! She'll let you know what games she prefers, and remember, walks are a good thing for both of you. A tired terrier is (usually) a well-behaved terrier!

Are you planning on attending an obedience class with her? It might be a good idea, especially as she will be your first dog. The class will not only teach you about being a doggie owner and her about doggie dos and don'ts, it will create and strengthen the bond between you.

[steelergrl]

I picked up Stitch (my boyfriend has a dog named Lilo) today and she has been wonderful! She is very calm and just likes to lie in her bed and have her tummy rubbed. We bought a very nice sized carry cage and I am going to leave her in that tomorrow and see how it goes. We are definitely going to go to obedience classes once I have money (I spent a ton at PetSmart). The only problem I can see with Stitch thus far is that she seems to have a bad back leg. When she stands, she puts her back leg up. I heard it is a disorder that is common in small breed dogs. I am taking her to the vet next week to get checked out so I will discuss it with him then. I love my new dog! Here are some pics...

[black and brindle]

We've actually found that a small enclosed room with an open crate in it (and toys of course) was the best solution for us. We used either the kitchen or a bathroom. Once the dog is housetrained there really isn't a need to keep it confined in a crate for 6 hours IMHO. On the other hand you don't want to arrive home to a shredded couch or discover the dog has eaten some electrical wire you forgot to hide and is now injured. It's easier to totally dogproof one room. With our older dogs, we have given them the run of the house since they were about 18 months once we felt comfortable that they weren't going to chew or be destructive. I agree the crate becomes a nice secure place to go and a sort of den, but it's also nice to be able to get up and stretch the legs. We have always had bigger, lower energy dogs so don't know if this would be even more true of a high energy dog like a Jack Russell or if they would be more likely to go bonkers.

And I second, third and fourth what's already been said about GET YOU TO A DOG CLASS - they're a GREAT help!!

[black and brindle]

Just saw your pics. She's adorable!

Expect some settling in time before you really learn what she's like.