This past April, we ventured to get a Jack Russell, even with all of the VERY mixed reviews we had heard. We had a problem with mice living in our pool waterfalls and we preferred not to get a cat. Mostly because we already had a dog, Trapper, which meant that we had pretty much everything we needed for another dog. At worst, Trapper would have a new playmate. So my Dad started researching about dog breeds that were good mouse wranglers and where we could get one. Then one day he comes into our playroom and tells everyone to get ready because, “We’re gonna go and get a puppy!” It was one of the oddest and best spontaneous things that we’ve ever done. We drove about an hour to a farm which only had one puppy left. The litter was born around February 8th, so he was about two months old when we got him. On the way home, we decided that my little sister was the one who was going to name him. Thirty minutes later, she had decided to name him JR for Jack Russell. We’ve had JR for over 9 months and here are five of the reasons why I’m now a converted Jack Russell fan.
Reason 1: That Little Tail
Okay, maybe this isn’t the most amazing reason to love a Jack Russell, but it is one of my favorite qualities of JR. In addition to those floppy ears and puppy eyes is JR’s little bobbed tail. It was so adorable when he was a puppy, so short and squatty. Every time he sees us either through the window or in the morning when he wakes up, his little tail starts wagging so hard that it looks like it’s gonna fall off! It brightens up my day every time I see it. It’s adorable and one of my favorite qualities that JR has.
Reason 2: Surprisingly Calm
Jack Russells are normally known for being pretty rough and rowdy little dogs. But I’ve been surprised at how calm JR is. When he was a puppy, he was very bouncy and playful. We kept him inside for the first month. The cutest thing he did was that he would play hard for about an hour. He would then start to get cranky and would just pass out on the couch or in someone’s lap.
When he was about six months old, we had to neuter him because it’s the law in our city. After that he’s still very playful, more playful than Trapper, but it’s toned down a bit. He’s calm enough that we aren’t so worried that he’s going to go running like a little tornado through the house and break something.
Reason 3: VERY Trainable and Attentive
JR is a sweet and playful little puppy, but VERY attentive. I was surprised at how easy it was to train JR. He’s attentive and a people pleaser. Even when he was a little puppy, he would keep an eye on you while you were talking to see if you were telling him to do something. He watches you to see what he should do next. JR is well trained and honestly, we didn’t try hard to train him. His favorite trick is to sit, in fact, he’ll often sit just to get attention or to hear, “Good boy,” from one of us. Again, JR is a people pleaser!
Reason 4: JR is a LAP DOG?!
I know this might sound crazy but JR is somewhat of a lap dog. JR lives outside most of the time, except in the winter when it gets below 50ºF. So we have to go OUTSIDE to pet and play with him. We have a little step up to the pool and I like to sit there to pet JR. As soon as I sit down, JR is trying to sit in my lap or at least sit RIGHT next to me. JR is a very loving and attached puppy, which surprised me a little bit that he REALLY wants to be RIGHT next to you. Also, JR has just a little bit of separation anxiety, which again surprised me.
Reason 5: Trapper’s Best Bud
One of the best things about getting JR was how he affected TRAPPER. He has become Trapper’s best friend and JR has even rubbed off on him a little bit. Trapper is much more active and spunky since we got JR. He is more willing to play longer and harder than he used to. When they play, it looks rough but really they are being pretty sweet to one another, especially when JR was a puppy. When JR was a puppy, Trapper would PLAY DOWN to JR, letting him pull him down by his ears and get on top of him. Now that JR is bigger than Trapper they play more competitively, but still friendly. What’s the best thing about them playing hard? They SLEEP THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE NIGHT. Before we got JR, Trapper would sometimes wake up in the wee hours of the morning and start yipping because he was fully rested. But now they BOTH sleep through the whole night and rarely make a sound.
There are many reasons why I love JR and these were just a few of them. I hope that these will ease your fears of a Jack Russell if you are considering one. Honestly, at the beginning I was wary of Daddy’s decision to get a Jack Russell. But now that I have one, I am TOTALLY a converted fan of Jack Russells.
As you can see, I love my doggies! That’s a huge reason that I started creating cute pet products! I can create your pet in caricature or pop art style and put it on a wide variety of products so you too can share your best buddy with all those around you. Check out our Got A Cute Pet? collection of products and designs.
Thanks for reading!
Rinne
P.S. No more mice! JR has killed two mice (that we saw) and even a garden snake. Speaking of snakes–I forgot to mention–JR’s parents owner said that JR’s grandfather had once protected her from a rattlesnake while she was working in the garden!