Jack Russell

[Lexigirl]

Well..... I have the opportunity to adopt a Jack Russell for free. My question is, would a jack russell and a rott be an ok combo???? I've heard before that I should wait until she's 2 years before we add another dog but I really want another dog. I guess im just open for all your opinions and suggestions.

[Baxter's Mom]

How old is your rottie? I don't put a age limit on "when it's time to get another dog" but I do say, make sure Dog #1 is fully trained, has manners, and been properly socialized with dogs before even considering adding another animal... Two is always twice the work, and you want to make sure Dog #1 is reliable, dependable, and trained when adding a new addition..

I think you will have your hands full with a Jack Russell as these are hyper, more active, bouncing off the wall type dogs.. I would make sure your lifestyle is ready for another dog, you have time to work, walk, feed, etc for 2 and that your rottie is fully trained and ready to handle another dog...

[rottnkidd]

A Jack Russell can be a real handful! Personally, I would prefer to be successful in training my rottweiler to maturity, before even considering bringing another dog into the home. There are those who do this sort of thing all of the time, but it depends on how dog savvy an individual is.
How old is the JRT? Male or female? Intact? Why do you want another dog? What have you accomplished with your rottweiler? There is alot to consider, and I hope you take the time to clearly think this through.
Best wishes-
kathy

[LolaLaRue]

Is a Jack Russell a breed you have always wanted to own or do you just want another dog? I ask because Jacks are A LOT of dog in a small body, they are very different from Rottweilers. I wouldnt rush into anything just because the dog is free, a free dog sometimes ending up costing much much more in the long run. How old is you Rottie now?

[heathh1999]

My wife and I have a Jack Russell Terrier mix, Bandit. He is the most wonderful dog. He is extrememly sharp, has a lot of energy and picks up anything we teach him VERY quickly. Every time we mention, to someone that hasn't met Bandit, that he is a Jack Russell mix they say how much patience we must have to have a Jack Russell. We have never really seen that insanely hyper and out-of-control side of Bandit. He does have a lot energy, but has been well trained and is well-behaved. We don't walk through the door after work everyday to find him bouncing off the walls. He enjoys playing with other dogs and thinks that he weighs about 150 lbs. I can't speak to the "mixing" of the 2 breeds, but only our experience with Bandit. Best of luck and I hope the Jack Russell you are looking at is 1/2 the dog Bandit is.

[VANCOUVERISLANDROT]

Every Jack Russel (pure breed) I've everyone met has been a wired out, uncontrollable ding bat. And every owner of those dogs has been ready to pull their hair out until the dog hits maturity.

[moz205]

I second Vancouver! A neighbor has a Jack Russel, now 5 yo. What a ball of energy that is! This poor man, nearly on a weekly basis is walking the neighborhood looking for him. This has been going on for years. I have met him on his weekly searches and the poor guy is usually breathless and cursing up a storm! He's always threatening to give him away but so far hasn't, think the kids have something to do with this.

[1rohttor]

I would not leave them alone together as a Jack Russel will not back down and will fight to the death. My daughter has two that used to play with my rott fine until there was food or toys envoled then they would attack and my dog would get the worst of it because he is not a fighter. Thor could do great harm to them with one bite, but like I said he does not want to fight any dog. I would try them together a few days if possible

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by Lexigirl

Well..... I have the opportunity to adopt a Jack Russell for free. My question is, would a jack russell and a rott be an ok combo???? I've heard before that I should wait until she's 2 years before we add another dog but I really want another dog. I guess im just open for all your opinions and suggestions.

Just 'cause the dog is "free"...does not mean you should get another dog.
What sex is the Jack? intact? How old? In another thread you mentioned that your female was in heat...are you planning on spaying her?

Have you got your dog in classes now? I could see some problems in the future if you do decide to adopt the Jack. They are not an easy breed to own.

Gina

[Sheenagirl]

My daughter has a Jack Russell female, Jane. Our vets office says Jane is the best JR they have ever had in their clinic. She is six years old and not the super hyper dog that people talk about. Jane is boss when it comes to other dogs. She will not back down from a Pit nor the current "very large" bird dog mix that my daughter rescued about 10 months ago.
Don't know how your mix of JR and Rottie would be like - but I would say the Jack Russell will be the boss!

[Lexigirl]

My dad got one about 6 months ago and I just think its the neatest dog, beside lexi of coarse. I've wanted one ever since I met "Buddy". I used to have a terrier mutt when i was younger too. Yes my Lexi is in heat and yes we do plan to spay her. We wanted to do it before her heat but there was some complications so the vet said to do it after her first heat cycle. Lexi is 10 months old. The reason its free is because the owners didn't know how hyper these dogs are and didn't want to cater to it. also they have small children and they said they dont trust it with them. To me it sounds like they dont know how to handle dogs.

[TamieK]

We get several JRTs in the rescue I volunteer with. Every one of them are dog aggressive (I guess it's the terrier in them). They will not back down from any size dog and are always lunging at other dogs. I guess maybe that's why they end up in shelters. I could never deal daily with a dog like that.

[spidey]

A JRT is NOT the dog for everyone, they are a lot of work as a general rule. I have to echo the question: WHY do you want another dog before you've even finished properly raising the one you have? You already have a young, high-maintenance dog (assuming you're doing things properly with your Rottie and are in regular weekly obedience classes along with daily obedience work), why on earth would you want to take on yet another?

Keep in mind that most dogs end up in rescue for a reason, and with JRT's (which have a VERY high rate of dogs ending up in rescue, because people think they're all like Eddie from "Frasier", when in fact they're very much NOT like that), that's even more true. Do you have any experience with terriers at all? Terriers are not like many other breeds, they can be very quick to bite, they tend to be VERY sparky with other dogs (play with other dogs can turn into a fight in the blink of an eye), they're independent, need a LOT of exercise, and can be very challenging to train. And that's with a normal terrier, not one who may already have established problems.

I urge you to think long and hard about what your motivations are here, and whether or not this is really the right choice for you. I suspect it isn't.

[hhalford]

We found our JRT Bandit under a bus as a baby puppy. We don't know what he's mixed with but he sure does look like a JRT. He is not at all dog aggressive. He acts submissive when with other dogs. He is very easy to train. He's a therapy dog and is very well behaved. We bring home our rottie pup in April and we look forward to them being good friends.

[heathh1999]

I think it is also important to remember that the ultimate goal of everyone here is to be the determining factor in the behavior of their dog. Many here subscribe to the theory that a dog's behavior is a product of its socialization and training. If we all believe that a dog is what its breed dictates, is there a valid argument against BSL?