Originally posted by Shelteez2
So she's not coming in the house, huh? LOL
Wow she is cute!!!
Oh, shutup.

Actually, I HAD to let her in the house, as she was obsessively jumping against the gate of the kennel for HOURS on end, and had all of her feet bleeding. Tonight she is having a sleep over with Grandpa, so I, my dogs and my little critters can get some rest!


I still can't believe you even have small animals in your 'House of Terriers'. We can't have anything, cause Chester obsesses for HOURS trying to kill them.
My dogs are ok with them. They would certainly kill the hamsters and the birds if left alone with them, but they are not allowed in those rooms without me. If I'm there, they don't pay any attention to them. However, EVERY Jack/Parson Russell I've rescued/fostered has been completely obsessed with killing them.



Cute stuff...and high strung those little terriers can be! I got an email about a JR today in Long Island NY that's slated for PTS. Needs obedience schooling, and has not been altered etc. I deleted the post but may be able to pull it out again. I hear this guy's been biting etc. Any thoughts anyone?
Jack/Parson Russells were never really meant to be pets, honestly. They are working dogs, bred for hundreds upon hundreds of years to do a job ... find, hunt down and kill small animals, and do it all independently of any human assistance, intervention or commands. Therefore, they are fast, high energy, high prey drive, stubborn and often times aggressive. This is not their fault at all - that is how people bred them to acheive the desired results ... fewer vermin. My son calls Jack/Parson Russells "dogs on crack" ... and I think he hit the nail right on the head. They MUST have training and an owner with a stronger will than they have. SOMEONE is going to be the boss in a terrier's pack, so if it's not going to be you, it WILL be them.

The behavior you descibe is not what I would call unusual whatsoever for this breed. Sounds to me like a JRT that has been allowed to get away with what he wants to, until it became too much for his owners to handle. That is exactly how I got Basil ... he growled and snapped at his timid owners, and he got his way. He scared them, and he ended up at the pound. He doesn't scare me, and we have reached an agreement ... I'm the boss. Period. You MUST be more stubborn and more dominant than the dog, or it will walk on you with all four feet.

They are SMART dogs, smart in the extreme. They need a job to do, and lots of exercise. They are often not good with other dogs. They are HORRIBLE with cats, rabbits, rodents, etc. But they are also sweet and funny and lovable.

Terriers are not for the faint of heart, but if you have the will and the intelligence to own them responsibly, they are the best of pets.