The Jack Russell Terrier is high energy and a smart little dog. They were bred to hunt rats and vermin and these natural instincts dictate what they like to do.
Jack Russells require plenty of daily exercise and mental stimulation. Failure to burn off all this pent up energy and challenge their minds can result in them acting out. This can lead to behavior issues such as destructive behavior, nuisance barking, digging, and even escaping to look for adventure. For a guide to exercise for a Jack Russell see here.
What activities do Jack Russell Terrier love
Jack Russells love to chase
Being a ratting bred and have a high prey instinct. Chasing small furry animals is pure bliss to a Jack Russell. This can be a problem if they are chasing the neighbor’s cat down the street. It is important with any natural instinctive behavior to provide an outlet for it. There are many ways to cater to and redirect this chase drive. Some suggestions are;
Flirt Pole
A Flirt pole is like a giant cat tickler for dogs. It has a long handle with a bungy type rope with a lure or toy attached to the end. You simply move the lure along the ground around in circles or in different directions as your dog chases it. It works directly with their natural prey instinct. Be sure they have a good leave it command and do not allow them to destroy the toy. This game is excellent for burning up that pent-up energy in a short amount of time. For a full guide to flirt pole exercise for dogs see here.
View Flirt Poles on Amazon
Varram Pet Robot
The Varram Pet Fitness Robot is the newest of the automatic chase toys for dogs and cats. This device is super smart and ideal to keep your dog active when home alone. Using an app on your iPhone or Android you can schedule when to activate or have it in sleep mode. It also can sense when your pet is near wanting to play. It also has an obstacle avoidance ability and can learn where obstacles are.
The Varram Pet Robot has a few more functions than the other smart chase toys, and as a result, is a little more expensive. For other moving chase toys for dogs see here.
It has a built-in treat dispenser to reward your dog for playing. It also provides all the stats and reports on the smartphone app such as monitoring your dog’s activity and how many treats were dispensed.
View the Varram Pet Robot on Amazon
Jack Russells love tug of war
Jack Russells love a good game of tug of war. It is great fun for them to grip hard on the toy and give it a good shake. Tug of war is a good strength exercise, especially for the rear end.
An alternative to playing tug of war with your Jack Russell is a spring pole. A spring pole consists of a bungee cord attached to a tree branch or beam with a lure at the end. This way they can play tug of war with themselves and even hang off it like terriers like to do.
View spring poles on Amazon.
Jack Russell love chewing
Give a Jack Russell a chew toy and it will keep them occupied for hours. Chewing a natural behavior for dogs and has many benefits. Chewing a natural stress release for a dog. When a dog chews they release endorphins to their brain giving them a pleasant and relaxed feeling.
Jack Russells have a pretty powerful jaw. When selecting a chew toy for a Jack Russell chose toys that are robust.
For the best dog chew toys for powerful chewers see here.
Jack Russells love to dig
Part of being a vermin hunting dog requires burrowing and digging to reach prey underground. Digging comes naturally to Jack Russell. This becomes a problem when they are digging up your yard or garden bed. Worse still is when they are digging up your carpet or furniture.
Like all instinctive behaviors, you can’t train it out of a dog. However, you can redirect or cater to the behavior in a more productive way. Provide your Jack Russell with their own digging area or a sandpit.
An alternative is the iDig. This is the first dog toy that has been specially designed to cater to your dog’s natural digging instinct. You simply hide their favorite toy or treats in the flaps and let them dig away to uncover the hidden treasure. Not only will the action of digging help burn off pent-up energy, but the mental challenge of working out how to get to the goodies will help to tire them also.
Check out the video to see how this works or view the iDig Go on Amazon.
For more toy ideas for dogs that dig see here.
Jack Russells love to solve puzzles
Jack Russells are highly intelligent and very skilled at solving problems. For more on how smart Jack Russells are see here. Like a true terrier, they are persistent and will try different approaches until they succeed.
Failing to challenge the mind of a Jack Russell and providing enrichment will lead to boredom. Boredom is the major cause of behavior issues with a dog.
Puzzle toys are one of the best ways to test and challenge a Jack Russells problem-solving skills. When selecting puzzle toys for your Jack Russell select toys that are a little more difficult or have different levels of difficulty.
For the top puzzle toys for dogs see here.
Jack Russells love your company
Jack Russells are affectionate and very loyal to their owners and family. Learn more about Jack Russells as family dogs here. There is nothing your Jack Russell enjoys more is to spend time with you. Whether that is going on walks, playing, or curling up on your lap.
Let us know in the comments what your Jack Russell likes to do for fun.
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