How to Live With a Hyper Jack Russell Terrier

Co-authored by Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD

Last Updated: April 16, 2021 References

Jack Russell Terriers are cheerful, devoted, and loving dogs, but they sure do have a lot of energy. With the daily responsibilities of life, it might seem hard to satisfy your dog, find ways to exhaust that hyperactivity, and calm them down. Give your Jack Russell enough exercise, train it well, and help calm it down to ensure happiness for both of you.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Exercising Your Jack Russell

1
Take your dog on longer, more frequent walks. Especially if your Jack Russell Terrier’s main form of exercise is a daily walk, it needs to be long and challenging. Your Jack Russell needs at least 30-45 minutes of vigorous exercise each day, so make sure that you’re walking your dog at least that much.^{[1]
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Research source} If you’re able, walking your dog twice a day or for an hour or longer is even better.
- If you are unable to walk your dog for very long, consider hiring a dog walker or taking your dog to a doggy day care.
2
Play games with your dog. Physically demanding games will satisfy that pent up energy. You can play fetch with a ball or frisbee, or play hide and seek with treats. These games will require fun and stimulating exercise for your Jack Russell.
- Mentally demanding games, such as food puzzle toys, are also good at exhausting your Jack Russell’s energy.^{[2]
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- If you choose to play outdoor games with your pup, make sure that your yard is enclosed or choose a safe site like a dog park. This way the dog is less likely to run off, get lost, or run into a street where cars are passing by.
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3
Take your dog to play dates. Jack Russells would rather be outside running in the grass than trapped inside all day. Even more than this, they like exercise that involves interacting with other dogs. Take your Jack Russell to a dog park or over to a friend’s house who also has dogs and a fenced in yard. Doing this will give your dog the invigorating exercise and interaction that it needs.^{[3]
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- Dog parks are a great option for playmates, but be cautious when you are first introducing the dogs. Make sure that your dog gets along with the other dogs before you let them play together. You should keep the dogs on leashes before you're sure that they have friendly interactions.^{[4]
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- If your dog is having a play date with a friend's dog, choose a neutral location so that neither dog is territorial.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Training Your Jack Russell

1
Assert yourself as the pack leader to eradicate excessive jumping and barking. Your dog probably thinks it’s the pack leader if it excitedly barks and jumps on you and guests when they walk into your home. By taking steps to become a calm and assertive pack leader, you can train your Jack Russell to not exert its energy in destructive ways. Some ways you can do this are:
- Don’t give your dog affection right when you walk in the door.
- Correct the behavior by firmly and clearly moving the dog to the side.
- When guests arrive, get into the habit of commanding your dog to sit patiently as they enter.^{[5]
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Use clicker training. Buy a clicker at a pet store for as little as $5 and use it to train your dog through positive reinforcement and association. If you make eye contact, click the clicker only when you want your Jack Russell to act calmly, and then reward this behavioral correction, your dog will quickly learn that calmness is rewarded.^{[6]
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3
Ignore the behavior. Ignoring your Jack Russell when it’s jumping and barking excessively will communicate that misbehavior won’t get it anywhere. Your dog just wants attention, whether positive or negative. Ignoring your dog keeps it from seeking attention in this negative, hyperactive way.^{[7]
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Introduce your dog to agility training and competitions. You can send your dog to agility training or use clicker training to teach it at home. Most dog obstacle courses include 12-18 obstacles, but you can adjust it to fit your yard. If your dog excels at agility exercises, you could try competitions.^{[8]
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Research source} You could set up the following obstacles in your own backyard:
- Set up weave poles for your dog to run through.
- Create a raised dog-walk using a big piece of plywood and some cinder blocks, or use the board and blocks to create a platform for your dog to jump onto.
- Incorporate a tunnel made for use with dogs.
- Hang a tire from a tree so that your dog can jump through it. Make sure that the tire is low enough for the dog to reach.^{[9]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Calming Your Jack Russell

1
Give your dog a job. Jack Russells specifically are happiest and most fulfilled when they have a job that they’re responsible for. Try to give your dog a job that fits the strengths of the breed. For instance, Jack Russells love to dig and hunt. If you give your dog the task of taking care of rodents in the yard and reward your dog when it does well with this job, then it probably won’t have as much hyper energy to exert.^{[10]
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- If you don’t have a yard for your Jack Russell to dig in, you can give it a cleaning job by commanding it to put away toys or give it a notification job by commanding it to bark when the mail truck or school bus drive by your home. Reward these actions with treats.
2
Remain calm and collected. Your Jack Russell may react to or reflect the energy that you put off. Do your best to have a calm and assertive presence. If you’re stressed about your job or frustrated about an argument you had, your dog will pick up on and be impacted by that nervous energy.^{[11]
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3
Try aromatherapy. Dogs sense the world first and foremost with their noses, so aromatherapy might have a powerful influence over your Jack Russell. Just like it has a calming effect on humans, lavender can relax dogs as well. Ask your veterinarian about other scents that may be specifically effective for calming your Jack Russell as well as safe application and dispersal methods.^{[12]
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- Sometimes essential oils are safe to apply directly to your dog’s skin, but you may want to consider purchasing a dog aromatherapy pre-mixed spray that’s already properly diluted and safe to spray throughout your home.^{[13]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

My puppy is very wild and attacks my 13 year old yorkie. What should I do?

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
Veterinarian
Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998.

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

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The best thing to do is to take the puppy to obedience training to keep your yorkie safe. In the meantime, keep the puppy on a leash and away from the older dog to keep it from injuring the elderly dog.