This friendly, playful, idiosyncratic crossbreed is adored around the world. And it’s not hard to see why. Equally as happy to snuggle up with you on the couch as they are to complete a fun run together, the Jug can pull off the handbag dog lifestyle and be your furry fitness companion with equal aplomb!
But are Jug dogs easy to train? What should you train your Jug to do? What’s easy about training the Jug, and which aspects are more difficult? What should you be careful about when training your Jug? In this article, we answer all these questions and more. So, read on to find out more about the Jug!
Is the Jug obedient?
Yes. The lively, playful Jug loves to impress their favorite people by showing off the tricks they can do. This makes your Jug highly motivated to learn new tricks. Just make sure to give your Jug plenty of praise and figure out their fave food treats to use as rewards, and training them will be a doddle!
Is the Jug intelligent?
Absolutely! The Jug has loads of intelligence. This doesn’t necessarily translate into the breed being easy to train, however. Sure, Jugs are smart, obedient, and love to show off. But their intelligence means that your Jug may try to act as the “alpha of the pack”. This means ignoring your instructions or trying to boss you around.
Thankfully, training your Jug well from an early age goes a long way in preventing this negative behavior. But it’s still important to keep an eye out for it.
Is the Jug energetic?
Being such a small dog, you’d expect the Jug to tire easily and not have much stamina. But how true is this?
Jugs do seem to have surprising near-infinite energy! They get this from their Jack Russell side. You can expect your Jug to happily train with you all day, as long as you provide them with those very necessary frequent water breaks.
What are Jugs good at?
You can train your Jug to do whatever they enjoy. With their friendly and sociable nature, Jugs love to impress people with spins, roll overs, and other Obedience feats. However, Jugs can also excel at skills like weaving in-between bollards, posts, or chair legs. Some Jugs even use see-saws, climb ladders (with care), or jump over obstacles!
Just look at what your Jug likes to do and let that inspire your training. If your Jug particularly enjoys athletic commands like jumping or weaving, why not enrol in a local Agility class together?
What do I need to train my Jug to do?
Certain things can be useful to train your Jug to do, and others are essential.
One such thing is training your Jug to give your their paw. It’s a cute trick, right? This is true. However, training your Jug to give you their paw also comes in very handy when you want to trim their nails, pick out a thorn, or put a harness or coat on them.
Another useful skill for your Jug is getting them to show you their teeth. Again, this skill is handy for those times when you want your Jug to pose for a photo.
However, with their flat jaw, Jugs are also prone to dental issues. This can mean that you have to start brushing your Jug’s teeth. Your vet may also like to examine your Jug’s teeth regularly, too. So, you can see how it pays to get your Jug used to these things ahead of time.
These are just a few of the many cute tricks that also double as useful skills for your Jug.
What should I be careful about when training my Jug?
Okay, sure – so the Jug is a fairly energetic, boisterous, and all-round healthy dog. But there are still a few things you should be careful about when you train them.
One is their flat face or brachycephaly. Though the Jug’s jaw is nowhere near as flat as if they were a full Pug, your Jug may still tire easily during energetic activities.
So, always keep a close eye on how your Jug is doing when training. Be sure to provide constant access to fresh clean water, and give your Jug access to a space to rest and cool down. You could use a gel cooling mat, or create a shaded area on hotter days.
If you train your Jug in active sports like Agility, keep the course small, and give your Jug plenty of rest in between runs.
Though small, the Jug has plenty of stamina for less intense activities. Yes, your Jug may still need to drink plenty of water. However, don’t be surprised if your Jug is happy to sit, lie down and roll over for hours. Your Jug may even enjoy hiking for miles!
How can I socialize my Jug?
Since your Jug is part Jack Russell, there’s a chance your Jug may inherit the Jack Russell Terrier’s “small dog syndrome”. This is where your Jug feels threatened by larger dogs. Your Jug may bark or snap at them. Terrier owners know how important it is to socialize their pooch intensively from an earlier age, and the same is true of your Jug.
To begin socializing your Jug, find a friend willing to bring their dog along to neutral territory, like the park. Keeping both dogs on their leash and feeling secure, move your Jug gradually closer to your friend’s dog. If your Jug shows any signs of discomfort or aggression, take a break until the next day.
Continue doing the same again, day after day, until your Jug is comfortable near the other dog. If socialization goes very well, you could even let the two dogs off their leashes to play together! But even if you don’t quite reach this goal, you’ll still succeed in making your Jug more relaxed around other dogs.
