|
|
||
|
|
||
|
Working Ability.! This is what the Jack Russell has been about for almost 250 years. Above all else, they must have the ability to perform the task for which they were bred. It might be hard to imagine that this cute little thing actually faces tough adversaries below ground - fox, raccoon, groundhog. But they do. And that's why they don't always make the perfect "pet" for everyone. They are still hunting dogs with very strong instincts and a certain natural aggression that oftentimes is misunderstood and mismanaged. Which is why temperament must be the most important consideration when breeding Jack Russells. At Sow's Ear, puppies are working rats usually by about 8 or 9 weeks old; at about 3 months of age, they begin to tag along with the older dogs on walks into the woods, where they learn to hunt squirrels and chipmunks in the stone fences. This first "working situation" gives them the opportunity to "enter" a small opening in the stone walls, develop their noses, and at the same time learn how to work in the pack as a team. Once they have their full adult dentition, they are brought along on hunting trips, where they begin to observe real hunting, and if the situation is right, perhaps some schooling. Some dogs are ready earlier then others to enter and work real quarry, and great care must be taken not to put off or ruin a young dog completely by pushing them too soon. There is always a certain element of risk involved, no matter how careful you may be. But to see these dogs work, to see how much they love every minute of what they are doing; its something that you cannot deny them. This is the true measure of a Jack Russell - In The Field.
|
|
|
[Home]
[History] [News] [Hunting] [Fun] [Girls] [Boys] [Puppies]
[Available]
[The Ones We Lost]
[The Old Dogs...]
|
||