Teaching our Jack Russell terrier street sense?
February 12, 2012 2:54 PM Subscribe
Teaching our Jack Russell terrier street sense---not to chase UPS trucks and skateboarders?
Our JRT/Queensland Heeler mix, Tully, age 18 months, is a very bright little scamp-- but he is completely heedless about the street and traffic. He will try to dart into the street to chase a cat, the UPS truck, or skateboarders.
We've succeeded in training him basics like "sit," "quiet," and even "stay", but "stay" doesn't seem to work when there are cats, trucks, cyclists or skateboarders around.
I realize that JRTs were bred to be the hunting dogs of the English landed gentry, and Aussie cattledogs were trained to herd in the outback, but we don't live on a huge estate or at an Australian sheep station.
We do make sure that he gets plenty of daily exercise and we have a fairly good-sized fenced yard.
Hive minders, in your experience what is the best way to train him NOT to do this? Any and all advice is welcomed!
Our JRT/Queensland Heeler mix, Tully, age 18 months, is a very bright little scamp-- but he is completely heedless about the street and traffic. He will try to dart into the street to chase a cat, the UPS truck, or skateboarders.
We've succeeded in training him basics like "sit," "quiet," and even "stay", but "stay" doesn't seem to work when there are cats, trucks, cyclists or skateboarders around.
I realize that JRTs were bred to be the hunting dogs of the English landed gentry, and Aussie cattledogs were trained to herd in the outback, but we don't live on a huge estate or at an Australian sheep station.
We do make sure that he gets plenty of daily exercise and we have a fairly good-sized fenced yard.
Hive minders, in your experience what is the best way to train him NOT to do this? Any and all advice is welcomed!
but we don't live on a huge estate or at an Australian sheep station.
Right. So he herds trucks and skateboarders instead. I would harness the dog and under no circumstances allow him off lead anywhere unfenced. He will do what he has been bred to do.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:33 PM on February 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Right. So he herds trucks and skateboarders instead. I would harness the dog and under no circumstances allow him off lead anywhere unfenced. He will do what he has been bred to do.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:33 PM on February 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
I have a few friends with street-sense-smart JRTs, and they happily walk them off-leash with no trouble. This boggles my mind, as my JRT will never understand the difference between the street and the sidewalk, and would rush into the street to chase a blowing leaf, let alone something more interesting like a cat. From what I've observed, it's more a matter of personality than training. Some dogs, like mine - and, it seems, yours - just can't be off-leash.
posted by judith at 3:35 PM on February 12, 2012
posted by judith at 3:35 PM on February 12, 2012
Sorry, that didn't come out great after editing: The best solution is to get a shorter leash (if needed; the retractable ones are not great) and keep him on it all the time.
Asking self-control from a 1.5 year JRT/herder mix is asking a lot, but a professional trainer might be able to help?
posted by supercres at 3:37 PM on February 12, 2012
Asking self-control from a 1.5 year JRT/herder mix is asking a lot, but a professional trainer might be able to help?
posted by supercres at 3:37 PM on February 12, 2012
There's a saying: "You can't train the terrier out of a terrier." They tend to have very strong chase and prey instincts that are hard to override with training alone (though it's true, as judith says, that a certain degree of personality comes into it; of the three Scotties I've had, one was somewhat less chase-y by disposition than the other two, and so she was slightly less of a handful when it came to the KILL SQUIRREL NOW impulse). The number one thing we've always done for our terriers is to keep the fences and gates extremely secure, and to never, ever, ever let them off leash in an unconfined space. (I second not using a retractable leash, either.)
Professional training might certainly help you be able to identify the ways in which you can improve some of this with your pooch, but realistically it may not be the kind of dog where you'll ever be able to rely on him fully being "street smart."
posted by scody at 3:46 PM on February 12, 2012
Professional training might certainly help you be able to identify the ways in which you can improve some of this with your pooch, but realistically it may not be the kind of dog where you'll ever be able to rely on him fully being "street smart."
posted by scody at 3:46 PM on February 12, 2012
There is no dog on earth who doesn't have something it will break training for. No matter how well-trained it is. You need to just keep your dog on a leash when you are near a road, end of story. (and I say this as a dog trainer, whose usual answer to any dog problem is "more training" - you cannot train a dog to be 100% reliable when in prey drive, therefore your dog's life is in danger when he is off leash around roads)
posted by biscotti at 3:48 PM on February 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by biscotti at 3:48 PM on February 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
In 30 years, I have NEVER met a JRT that wasn't a living Superball...A story related to me by a friend swears his can run UP walls...
That being said, 1.) Kudos for the strong work training the basic commands 2.) I have seen several "mellow" as they get older. 18 months is still a young'n; sounds like he has a very strong play drive.
Keep on a lead, enforce the basic commands, and ALWAYS be safe with the animals welfare...
GOOD LUCK!!
posted by BeastMan78 at 5:23 PM on February 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
That being said, 1.) Kudos for the strong work training the basic commands 2.) I have seen several "mellow" as they get older. 18 months is still a young'n; sounds like he has a very strong play drive.
Keep on a lead, enforce the basic commands, and ALWAYS be safe with the animals welfare...
GOOD LUCK!!
posted by BeastMan78 at 5:23 PM on February 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
get a shorter leash (the retractable ones are not great
Anecdata basis for my horror of retractable leashes: I was driving home, and across the narrow 2-lane street on the sidewalk a woman came toward me, with a dachschund ambling slowly ahead of her on a retractable leash. We'd almost passed each other when the dachshund pivoted 90 degrees and dashed for my side of the road. I was driving slowly from a 4-way stop, the only reason I was able to stop in time. Slowly enough I could lock gazes with the woman as we realized at the same time that the leash length was just enough to reach into my lane, she wouldn't be able to yank the yards of line back quickly enough, and we were going to be meeting each other's eyes as I killed her dog. Only not, miraculously enough.
Use a retractable leash for the situations it's intended for--like running around a large, open, hazard-free field. Not for ordinary walks, so the dog can coast way ahead of you. If I knew my dog were a habitual sudden dasher, I wouldn't use a retractable leash at all.
posted by nicebookrack at 5:25 PM on February 12, 2012
Anecdata basis for my horror of retractable leashes: I was driving home, and across the narrow 2-lane street on the sidewalk a woman came toward me, with a dachschund ambling slowly ahead of her on a retractable leash. We'd almost passed each other when the dachshund pivoted 90 degrees and dashed for my side of the road. I was driving slowly from a 4-way stop, the only reason I was able to stop in time. Slowly enough I could lock gazes with the woman as we realized at the same time that the leash length was just enough to reach into my lane, she wouldn't be able to yank the yards of line back quickly enough, and we were going to be meeting each other's eyes as I killed her dog. Only not, miraculously enough.
Use a retractable leash for the situations it's intended for--like running around a large, open, hazard-free field. Not for ordinary walks, so the dog can coast way ahead of you. If I knew my dog were a habitual sudden dasher, I wouldn't use a retractable leash at all.
posted by nicebookrack at 5:25 PM on February 12, 2012
Response by poster: Our across-the-street neighbor told us that he had several times seen Tully jumping over our four feet fence to chase the UPS truck---and then jumping back INTO the yard, so we hadn't known he got out. We have set up fencing atop the fencing. Tully is only about 15" tall so that was quite a feat. I've since learned that Jack Russells can have a straight vertical leap of 5 feet!
Here you go, Judith, thanks for asking!
posted by ragtimepiano at 5:35 PM on February 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Here you go, Judith, thanks for asking!
posted by ragtimepiano at 5:35 PM on February 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: http://files.dogster.com/pix/dogs/20/1182320/1182320_1301253163.jpg
posted by ragtimepiano at 5:36 PM on February 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by ragtimepiano at 5:36 PM on February 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Seconding the "no retractable leash" rule (those things should be outlawed). The palm of my pal's hand was lacerated when she was untangling a retractable leash and her dog unexpectedly darted in the opposite direction. Much blood, lots of stitches, long-term repercussions.
posted by thinkpiece at 5:52 PM on February 12, 2012
posted by thinkpiece at 5:52 PM on February 12, 2012
Love the picture -- he's looking for trouble!
posted by thinkpiece at 5:53 PM on February 12, 2012
posted by thinkpiece at 5:53 PM on February 12, 2012
We taught our half-JRT, half-weinerdog to sit whenever she hears a car. (We live in a very rural area.) It's been wholly effective, to the point where it can sometimes be inconvenient when we're trying to take a walk. The catch is that we didn't teach her to get out of the road first, so if somebody's coming up the driveway, she'll just park her butt right in the middle of the driveway as the car drives right up to her. So...uh...don't do that. :)
My wife used to run a non-profit service dog training organization, so she did the training of our dog. That said, it's tough with JRTs, since they're not motivated by food, but instead by their powerful, flighty instincts.
posted by waldo at 5:54 PM on February 12, 2012
My wife used to run a non-profit service dog training organization, so she did the training of our dog. That said, it's tough with JRTs, since they're not motivated by food, but instead by their powerful, flighty instincts.
posted by waldo at 5:54 PM on February 12, 2012
Best answer: I think it will take quite a while. Remember that tired dogs are easier to train, esp. terriers, if they're tired you can get their attention. maybe.
While on-leash, throw a ball into the street, and keep the dog from entering the street, saying "No Street" and giving praise, and the occasional treat. The reward is that the other one of you retrieves the ball and gives it to the adorable dog. Teach the dog that the street is a big No.
posted by theora55 at 3:23 PM on February 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
While on-leash, throw a ball into the street, and keep the dog from entering the street, saying "No Street" and giving praise, and the occasional treat. The reward is that the other one of you retrieves the ball and gives it to the adorable dog. Teach the dog that the street is a big No.
posted by theora55 at 3:23 PM on February 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
The best solution is either get a shorter leash (the retractable ones are not great) or keeping him on it all the time.
posted by supercres at 3:30 PM on February 12, 2012