How to Stop a Jack Russell Terrier from Growling

As we have all heard before, a dog is a man (and woman’s) best friend. When deciding to bring a new dog into the family, there as so many different breeds. It can be extremely hard to choose. One of the breeds that have been gaining in popularity is the Jack Russell Terrier. A fun and active breed that will keep you and your family on its toes. But, what happens if your new Jack Russell Terrier growls a lot? No reason to second guess your choice in a breed. Growling can be corrected. As soon as you locate what the root of the growling stems from, it actually can be corrected rather easily. Here are some suggestion for how to correct the growling, and get back on the right track.

When a dog begins to growl (Jack Russell Terriers included), it is usually to assert his dominance over a certain situation. It is best to assess the situation when he begins growling. Many times he begins to growl because of a unknown person, animal, or object. The dog begins to voice the fact that he is feeling threatened through growling. If this is the case, the dog will usually cease growling once the threat to him is removed. If your Jack Russell Terrier is relatively new to your home, it may take a bit of time to understand his way of communication. This is especially important when children are near. If the dog is growling at the child, the best thing to do is remove the child. Children love animals and want to pet and feel them constantly. If the dog conveys to stay away and the child persists, the dog may begin to bark or even nip. It is important to understand that a dog can feel threatened and it is best to respect their feelings. Once you understand this, you can move on to try and correct the issue.

A Jack Russell Terrier should never be hit, yelled at, or punished for growling. The immediate gratification for the owner is that he will most likely stop growling. The bad thing is that you may cause latent behavior issues. These latent behaviors could include growling, barking and nipping at people without any kind of prior warning. He is basically doing this to now punish you for originally yelling at him. We must not forget that Jack Russell Terriers are highly intelligent animals, and can learn rather quickly. It is best to try and teach him a new behavior, rather than yelling or punishing him at the immediate moment of growling. Best thing to do is let the dog be. If he sees that his growling is not getting anyone’s attention, he will stop usually.

Sometimes dogs growl out of the blue. If your Jack Russell has suddenly began growling and you can’t see any apparent reason for it, take him to the veterinarian. On occasion a dog could growl because he is not really feeling well. You vet can perform various blood test, neurological tests, and anything else he may think is pertinent in this situation. It is much better to be safe than sorry. Also if the tests come out okay, the vet maybe able to help you find the root cause of why the animal has been growling. Vets deal with many different dogs, so he or she may be able to provide valuable insight.

Many dogs, Jack Russell Terrier’s included, can be food and bone possessive. What this refers to is to when a dog growls as someone approaches them at a time when they are eating, have a toy or a bone, or anything that he deems important to him. The dog is interpreting that you are approaching him to take something away from him, and begins growling to warn you to stay away. If this is the case with your dog, there are some easy steps you can take. Have the person who the dog is closest to, feed him. As he is eating, that person should soothe and console the dog telling him that no one is taking anything away from him. Once the animal is comfortable, introduce people to him. Still reassure him at this point. As the dog becomes more familiar and more comfortable with the idea, have the other individual slowly pet him as he is eating. After a bit of time he will begin to see that there is no threat.

Dogs also tend to growl if they feel they are being dominated by an individual or another dog. This can be related to the sheer size of the other party. The best thing to do in this case, is to have the person kneel down to the dogs level. This will make them on an even par and the dog will no longer feel dominated. In the case of a larger dog, it may take a bit more work. Short visits together with the bigger dog are the way to begin. Then over time make the interaction longer an longer. Usually be the third or fourth visit, the Jack Russell will come to understand that the other dog is not attempting to dominate him, but to play with him.

When a dog growls it can be a very frustrating and tense situation for all involved. This is a time to remember your dog’s good points, and to understand that all is not lost. Growling can be corrected. As mentioned earlier, once you find the root of the issue you can repair it. Practice love, patience, and consistency with your Jack Russell Terrier, and soon things will be back to normal.