You are not the only one if you are having a hard time preventing your Jack Russell from jumping up on your lounge furniture, your chair, bed, or other pieces of furniture.
This problem affects the majority of dog owners, if not all of them at some point; some of them just give up (don’t care) and allow their pet pup or dog claim possession of any piece of furniture it wants. If you’re a Jack Russell owner that care, keep reading.
Before you start to train your Jack Russell
We will soon discuss how to keep your Jack Russell off of the furniture or, if you prefer, how to educate your dog to look to you for approval before jumping up to settle on the chair that has been designated as theirs.
However, before you begin teaching your Jack Russell to remain off the furniture, you need to establish yourself as the pack leader – if you haven’t already done so. The dog has to know who the boss is in order for you to be successful in training him not to destroy your belongings.
If your Jack Russell believes that he or she is in charge, they will disobey any teaching or discipline that is given to them and continue to jump up on the furniture whenever they like.
Therefore, any attempt to follow the rest of this article will be a waste of time if you have not already established yourself as the pack leader. When your Jack Russell realises that you are the alpha here, they will normally become more subdued and seek to you for direction once they have accepted this fact.
Set the ground rules for the training
Let’s proceed on the assumption that your Jack Russell is aware of his place in the pack.
Your Jack Russell will be confused as to why it is permitted to go up sometimes but not other times. Therefore, it is important to maintain consistency, since the dog will be lot happy if it understands what it can and cannot do. So will you!
Having said that, it is possible to teach your Jack Russell to remain off the sofa while they are permitted on your bed, or vice versa, depending on which you prefer. Simply said, you need to be explicit and consistent with your Jack Russell’s training so that he knows what is appropriate.
And to take this a step further, you may want to teach your Jack Russell that it is acceptable to jump up onto the bed that you sleep in, but that it is not acceptable to jump up onto the bed that the children sleep in.
Chapter 2
Put an end to your Jack Russell jumping on the furniture once and for all
As soon as you have selected ANY ONE of the aforementioned alternatives, you will need to institute it as a policy in your home. A rule of the house that EVERY member of the family, both human and canine, is aware of, understands and abides by.
Every family has at least one “old softie.” This refers to a person who allows or even encourages their dog to climb onto the furniture, despite the fact that they are aware that if it is discovered doing so, it will be punished and confused.
It is important to bear in mind that it will be much simpler to prevent a Jack Russell from jumping up on the furniture if it was never permitted for him/her to do so when it was a puppy.
The same goes for dogs who have been rescued. It is important to create, enforce, and reward compliance with the house rules as soon as possible after bringing a rescued Jack Russell into your home.
A helpful hint for training your Jack Russell is that the fewer the restrictions, the better
For instance, the Jack Russell is not permitted to sit on any of the couch furniture at any time. The rule of EVER is one that is simpler and can be understood by everyone, even your pet.
If, on the other hand, the rule of the home is that he is only allowed on the couch when the family is watching television, then the rule is not clear. Are you getting it now?
Patience, Consistency, and Repetition are Three Keys to Success
When teaching your Jack Russell to remain off the furniture, consistency, repetition, and patience are three traits that are very necessary.
If you want your Jack Russell to remain where you placed them, you should praise them, give them a reward, and say “Good boy/girl.” This works best at the beginning of the training process. Additionally, at the other times that your dog walks over to their location and sits or lays down in it.
On the other hand, if this doesn’t work and your Jack Russell still insists on leaping up on the furniture, it’s time to give them a time-out.
It is not cruel nor damaging to your Jack Russell to, for instance, shut him or her in the bathroom or another room. The guy will learn that there are repercussions for disobeying the home rules when they are placed in time-out and will also lose their independence.
Start with putting them in time-out for 10 minutes, then gradually raise it to thirty minutes each time until they begin to get it, which they will.
Also, keep in mind that you need to maintain your composure no matter how badly they may have damaged the furnishings. Shouting at the Jack Russell will not make the learning process go any faster!
Everyone living in your home should be aware of the rules and act in accordance with them at all times.
Use Positive Reinforcement for your Jack Russell
Positive reinforcement should be used to praise your Jack Russell when he or she begins to learn to refrain from climbing on the furniture.
In the beginning, you should reward your Jack Russell by placing a chew toy or a handmade treat on the floor for them to use. When they do something correctly over time, a pat or stroke on the head and a soothing “Good Boy/Girl” will be enough to satisfy you.
Also, remember to keep your cool so that your Jack Russell can also keep his cool. If they become very enthusiastic, it’s probable that a puppy will immediately jump back onto the lounge chair. Follow all these tips and you’re sure to have a dog that stays off the furniture.
