As dogs originally bred for hunting, Russells are known for being fearless, active and intelligent dogs. Since they often have a lot of pent-up energy, it’s best for them to engage in a variety of activities to avoid potentially aggressive or destructive behavior. Common activities for the Russells include playing Frisbee or flyball.
Jack Russell training can present a challenge to many, as most Jacks are unabashedly strong-willed. However, with patience, the right attitude and the right technique, Russell’s training shouldn’t be difficult at all. As with any method, make sure you understand the true meaning of being a pack leader. A typical Jack Russell will instinctively try to mistreat his owner, but as long as you establish from the start that YOU are the leader of the pack, your Jack Russell will learn to be happy to obey his command. Like any other dog, Jack enjoys being able to please his owners.
When it comes to Jack Russell training with a Frisbee, you must first introduce the Frisbee as a toy to your dog. It would be helpful to associate the Frisbee with a treat to get your dog excited about the activity he is about to present. Once your Jack Russell is comfortable with the Frisbee, he begins to play tug of war with your Jack using the Frisbee. This encourages the dog to have the Frisbee in his possession whenever possible. Eventually, every time you throw that Frisbee, your Russell will learn to be more than eager to get it back for you.
The next part of this little dog training bit is teaching your dog to drop that Frisbee after retrieving it. You may have noticed how most dogs often retrieve objects and end up just running away with them. For this activity, you want your dog to bring you that Frisbee. Once he retrieves the Frisbee, take it out of his mouth and give him a treat. Don’t reward your Russell for simply chasing the Frisbee; give him a treat only when he returns the Frisbee to you.
Flyball is a dog sport in which your dog competes against other dogs along a course that includes a line of obstacles that leads to a box that throws a ball or Frisbee. Your Jack Russel’s goal is to retrieve and return that ball or Frisbee to you as quickly as possible. The same Jack Russell training method is used in this activity, except some trainers choose to do it sequentially backwards. That is, his concern should be to get his dog to retrieve the ball or Frisbee first and then get it back while he goes through the obstacles. Later on, it will be almost second nature to his Russell to go through all those obstacles to get to the ball or the Frisbee.