Thinking about adopting a Jack Russell Terrier?
Of course, you are; otherwise, you likely wouldn’t be interested in knowing if Jack Russell’s are hyper dogs.
The good news is that I’ve owned a Jack Russell for some time and plan on shedding as much light on this topic as possible in this post.
First, let’s get the primary question answered in the most direct fashion possible.
Are Jack Russell’s hyper? Yes, Jack Russell’s are high energy level dogs. Jack Russell’s need to exercise daily and strive to impress and please their owners. Jack Russell’s can be trained to be more relaxed, but boredom with Jack Russell’s can lead to destruction and undesirable behavior.
Out of that answer, hopefully, a few things piqued your interest to learn more.
First, the fact that Jack Russell’s can be trained not to be so hyper is priority number 1 to discuss.
Secondly, you need to understand what borderline neglect, or a slow-paced household or work-demanding schedule could potentially lead to before you adopt a Jack Russell.
In this post, I plan to attempt to explain this topic in-depth in the fastest fashion possible.
I’ve also created easy to navigate links directly below that will outline what I plan to cover and allow you to skip to any specific section of this post that you desire or need to learn more about.
Here’s the lesson plan for today’s post:
- Are Jack Russell’s Hyper and The Reasoning Behind It
- Precautions to Take After Adopting Jack Russell’s
- Other Tips and Tricks to Combat High Energy Jack Russell’s
- Going with The Flow and Accommodating the Personality
- Final Thoughts
The links referenced above will let you skip straight to the section that you need to brush up on.
If, however, you have about 3-minutes to spare, I recommend just reading the entire post.
Battling a hyper Jack Russell and being unprepared can be frustrating.
The rest of this post should have you ready to deal with this like a pro.
Here’s what you need to know.
Are Jack Russell’s Hyper and The Reasoning Behind It
Sorry friends, for the most part, the majority of Jack Russell’s, will come packing some energy.
This is by no means their fault or a reason not to adopt a JR.
This has been the case for Jack Russell’s since the beginning of their existence.
Initially, they were bred to aid with fox hunting back in the 1800s.
This required the Jack Russell’s to be fearless, full of energy, and ready to dig and enter any hole in a matter of seconds.
The Jack Russell would get underground and scare the fox out of the holes to allow the hunters to capture and kill their prey effectively.
Jack Russell’s aim to please their owners and do go grow close bonds with their owners.
Boredom and no exercise are usually when you see the not so desired side of a Jack Russell with the most frequency.
Having enough space to run and interact is also critical for Jack Russell’s.
Most owners who have had their JR’s for some time likely have grown to love this personality trait.
The higher energy levels by no means needs to translate into negativity.
Let’s touch on some necessary precautions you can take to help improve your JR’s mindset and have you more prepared to accommodate and raise your new Jack Russell ethically.
Precautions to Take After Adopting Jack Russell’s
The first thing you can do to prepare for your new puppy is to simply be educated and be ready for the fact that your new puppy will, in fact, have some energy that they need to burn off.
Knowing this ahead of time and accommodating is the best and most straightforward method for enjoying your new dog and making your Jack Russell happy.
Something as simple as 30-60 minutes of mental or physical stimulation per day can do the trick.
Do they have more energy or more hype in them than that?
Sure. You bet.
However, I’ve noticed with my JR that just a long walk, activity in the back yard or even good games of tug of war in the living room can go a long way to burn off some of her steam and help her sleep more through the night.
This is especially important when your Jack Russell is a puppy.
Teaching your new dog at a young age to burn off energy in positive ways instead of destructive methods such as chewing are habits that can last a lifetime.
Trust me.
It’s much better to take the time during the day than to have furniture or some other belongings chewed up or destroyed.
Also, don’t get me wrong.
It’s entirely possible your Jack Russell is relatively calm and won’t cause issues for you if you don’t have this time to spare.
However, chances are high that your Jack will find a favorite shoe or a curtain to eat without proper stimulation and a chance to act wild each day for at least a few minutes.
That’s what I’ve noticed at least.
Other Tips and Tricks to Combat High Energy Jack Russell’s
Keeping up with the energy levels of your new Jack Russell doesn’t have to be 100% on you.
I have a few recommendations you can implement to help keep your Jack Russell occupied and reduce that hyperactivity as much as possible.
First, be sure to load up the home with toys that you want your Jack Russell chewing.
I prefer to use the rope balls and rope tugs.
This is much better than your new puppy finding a pair of your shoes lying around ready to tear apart.
You will want to be reasonably alert to some of these behaviors starting at the puppy age.
The faster you can begin replacing the negative behaviors, the faster your JR will learn the difference between right and wrong.
I’d also highly recommend crate training your puppy in the first few weeks/months.
In the beginning, these runts are fast and so small that when they do feel the need to be hyper, they can almost get away with undesirable actions due to their sneakiness.
They are smarter than they look.
I noticed in the first few days of owning my JR that I initially thought that she had made no accidents in the house but would later find a small puddle of urine.
They simply just get excited, hyper and run around in some situations in a fashion that’s tough to monitor.
Especially when they are puppies.
Your best bet is when you can’t actively watch them at young ages, to keep them in a crate large enough to sleep but small enough to prevent them from pooping or urinating inside of the cage.
Going with The Flow and Accommodating the Personality
Relax and go with the flow.
Enjoy having a dog that wants to please you.
Enjoy having a hyper and energetic dog.
If you know for a fact that you don’t desire a dog with these personality traits, simply don’t adopt one.
Take your pup for walks.
Play fetch or tug of war.
It’s nothing crazy required to care for a Jack Russell and nothing out of the ordinary compared to owning any other high energy dog.
Final Thoughts
Let’s recap the main point of this post briefly.
Are Jack Russell’s hyper? Yes, Jack Russell’s are a hyper breed.
If you follow some of the steps laid out for in this post, you won’t have anything to worry about.
As time passes, they will adapt to their new home and environment, and eventually yes, they will calm down.
Best of luck with your upcoming adoption.
Chime in Your Stories and Thoughts on This Topic
As always, Luna and I want to hear from you.
What’s your opinion on this topic?
Is your Jack Russell high energy and hyper? Do you have any other recommendations for the readers that I’ve left out?
Be sure to share your stories and thoughts by dropping a comment below.
Luna and I appreciate you and will catch you next time.