How does one train a JRT?

[bumper]

I have a 2 1/2 yr old JRT. I had a JRT cross once when I was a small child (crossed with a Westie), so I know terrier behaviour.
She has fab recall and leave (my first principles with a dog), sits on command..but we cannot to "down", or "stay". I'm finding it tricky. I have two other dogs, x breed..collie/lab/mastiff, and they are fine with any command. Tips please!!!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Guide her into a down with food from the sit (try typing 'training the down' or something into YouTube)

For stay I use moveable markers (floor tiles etc) and every time the dog moves they get put back in the place. At the beginning the time is very short and you return often and reward (I use food) and eventually widen the time they spend in the stay.

My young dog is a real wriggler and I back-tie him or get someone to handle the line so if he breaks the down, he gets a pop on the neck. Not everyone's cup of tea though.

Train when the dog is hungry, make them work for their food.

 

[bumper]

Thanks. I'll try that with stay. Much easier to teach my lab/collie/mastiffs..SO easy. She's a kettle of fish. I've tried that re the down..she just runs backwards!
This is the her in question:

 

[AngieandBen]

Aww she is very cute

Must admit, its been hard work with my JR too, just getting the hang of him now he's nearly 11 , he's very good most of the time, unless he spots something moving on the field! Food only worked with him if it was proper meat, those little cocktail sausages worked very well.

My little 9 month old Cairn Polly is easy peasy, likes her grub

 

[hayinamanger]

You don't, they train you.

 

[Copperpot]

Mine does sit, beg and stay but isn't keen on down. My big dogs do down but he's so little I haven't bothered. He has a fab recall unless he sees something small and furry. Long as they have the basics that's enough for me. I like them to have a bit of spirit

 

[Hedwards]

Oh she is beautiful!!

with my JRT we still havent fully mastered 'down' however we are very nearly there, i tried food, asking her to go under my leg close to the floor, tonnes of stuff. However the breakthrough came when i realised she always liked to lie down on me... so as soon as she jumped on my lap i would ask her to 'lie down' when she did, lots of fuss and 'well done's' and built it up from there. I can now get her to lie down most of the time in and around the house... still not mastered in the great outdoors though!

Stay was one i built up very slowly (although i had her from a pup so was in her very early training) and would initially work very close to her moving only 2 inches at a time asking her to stay, if she moved towards me she was just moved back to where she was, if she stayed i would call her towards me treat and fuss, gradually building up the distance between us - until she was in one room and i was in another!!

Have fun with her, she looks so cute! has a very similar face to mine!

 

[Dry Rot]

It can be done and here's the proof!

[youtube]rTN5kTkdvME[/youtube]

 

[Spudlet]

If you're struggling with the down, try using your leg. Kneel on the floor with the dog in front of you and your leg stuck out to the side, with a gap underneath. Then use food from behind your leg to lure to dog under, rewarding when she lies down. Also, whenever the dog lies down naturally, tell her 'good down' and praise her, so you are building an association between the word down, and the action of lying down.

With the stay - one thing you can try is to start standing next to the dog, and take half a step away, so you leave one leg next to the dog. Then build up to taking one step back, then returning immediately, then build the time and distance up gradually. If the dog moves, put her back without fuss, so that the dog learns that moving is pointless, but staying put earns a reward.

ETA one thing I would personally advise with the stay, is always return to the dog and reward her while she is still sitting or lying down, don't call her to you, especially not when you are teaching this. The reason for this is that you want 'stay' to mean 'stay until I come back', rather than the dog anticipating a recall and coming to you before you are ready. Also, you don't want to dog to think that her reward is for coming back and forget about the stay bit which happened before this. We especially emphasise this in teaching sit stays, as eventually we use this as the basis for the stop whistle, and you don't want a dog that decides to get up when you have used the stop for safety reasons.

 

[dingle12]

All I've learnt is to be patient but firm and repeat everything.

 

[Alec Swan]

Re: How does one train a JRT?

Generally with some difficulty, I've found!

Alec.

 

[blackcob]

ETA one thing I would personally advise with the stay, is always return to the dog and reward her while she is still sitting or lying down, don't call her to you, especially not when you are teaching this. The reason for this is that you want 'stay' to mean 'stay until I come back', rather than the dog anticipating a recall and coming to you before you are ready.

Quoted for truth! I made this mistake and have subsequently spent a lot of time marching around a field trying to correct it. Always ending the stay with a recall leads to a dog vibrating on the spot ready to hoon over to you the second you drop your shoulders/scratch your nose/breathe.

Also, JRTs train you.

 

[Spudlet]

Also, JRTs train you.

This seems to be something small dogs are extremely good at. Big dogs will have a go at it now and then, but for top people training skills, you need a small, preferably EXTREMELY stubborn, little so and so

 

[Hedwards]

ETA one thing I would personally advise with the stay, is always return to the dog and reward her while she is still sitting or lying down, don't call her to you, especially not when you are teaching this.

Quoted for truth! I made this mistake and have subsequently spent a lot of time marching around a field trying to correct it. Always ending the stay with a recall leads to a dog vibrating on the spot ready to hoon over to you the second you drop your shoulders/scratch your nose/breathe.

Also, JRTs train you.

See now I would disagree with the go back to them, for my Millie, the recall was the reward at the end of the stay. I just found that you had to let them know Stay means stay, so whereever I'm going, walking away, towards, round and round, she stays until I call her to me...

but totally 100% agree that JRT's train you!!

 

[RutlandH2O]

With vast amounts of patience!!

 

[brighteyes]

Mine's so quick at learning stuff it's untrue. She is very bright and works stuff out for herself. How many other dogs do you know will wait till you drop your reins and pat your horse at the end of a ridden session THEN come into the arena, unbidden, run up a jump block and wait for you to pull alongside so they can jump on in front of you? I didn't even train her for that!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Back her into a wall or fence if she reverses in the down. So she has nowhere to go but down.

 

[bumper]

Re: How does one train a JRT?

Generally with some difficulty, I've found!

Alec.

Yup!!!
To all that replied, thanks! She is a very lovely but extraordinary little beast. After the JRT x Westie, I was brought up with collies, so.

Spudlet.. thanks...that's quite brilliant...I am going to try that.

There are so many useful and funny replies, I don't know how to begin to say thanks and comment on all of them, thank you xxxx

 

[bumper]

It can be done and here's the proof!

[youtube]rTN5kTkdvME[/youtube]

Love it!!!

 

[PucciNPoni]

In my experience, you don't train them - they train you

 

[Dry Rot]

I have a 2 1/2 yr old JRT. I had a JRT cross once when I was a small child (crossed with a Westie), so I know terrier behaviour.
She has fab recall and leave (my first principles with a dog), sits on command..but we cannot to "down", or "stay". I'm finding it tricky. I have two other dogs, x breed..collie/lab/mastiff, and they are fine with any command. Tips please!!!

The flat down is easy as it is a natural reaction of an insecure dog when confronted with an alpha. At first, you may need to be strong and patient! (No, I do not mean rough!).

Try to physically put the dog down in the correct position. She will no doubt struggle and think you are playing. Persist and when she's down scratch her ears. If she tries to get up, stop scratching. You might have to intimidate her a bit -- as if you were the dominant dog --and have a serious attitude.

If she tries to get up, push her down quite hard and resume the scratching. All the time she's down, give the command (I say "Sit") repeatedly. In human terms that is illogical but you want to associate the word with the action, not reason with her! The idea is, correct position = scratching which most dogs will die for. If she tries to get up, roughly put her down again with a growl. Eventually, she'll get the message.

The problem is to achieve the flat down from a distance and you can do this with a light cord (check cord). I use baler twine. Once she is going down, the next step is the stay. I use the same comand "down" or "sit" as it's the same action. Tether her with about four feet of slack. That way she will punish herself if she moves. Rather than move away, I'd hide close by and watch. If she moves, quickly reveal yourself with a sharp command and hand signal and a threatening attitude.

If you get the timing right, the down is very easy to teach BUT it is all about timing. The best age to teach this is when the pup would naturally be joining the pack (3 months?) as they are keen to display submissiveness to adult dogs.

There's about 40 dogs in this shot, most out of frame.

 

[princestar]

Having a lot of experience with dogs (I'm a dog groomer) I can honestly say they are the most stuborn dogs haha. They do what you ask just once, you think you've gotten somewhere and then they get up, walk away and never do it again.

My little Jack Russell Cross is a darling, she does anything you say; yet my pure Parson Russell Terrier really does have a mind of his own.... He has to stay on the lead as he hates other dogs, chases cars, cats, bikes, etc.... But when our neighbour's 9 year old comes round, he could win 1st place in Dog Obedience. I don't know how she does it! He sits, stays, comes to call, even does high 5 and plays dead!


As we say...

'You Never Train Your Dog, Just Train Them To Think It Was Their Idea'