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8 Tips For Raising A Happy Jack Russell

It’s no secret that you want your dog to be happy. All pet parents want that for their dog, because he is part of the family! Part of keeping your dog happy means that you have to treat him right from the very start. Starting him with a good, healthy lifestyle will make for a happy Jack Russell puppy. Here are some fantastic tips to help you out with that.

1. Start his training and socialization early

Jack Russell’s are incredibly smart and really active which means they get into the trouble pretty quickly, so make sure that you start his training early in his life. Your dog loves learning new things, and having rules and regulations is part of his biology.

You aren’t being cruel by training your dog and setting boundaries, so make sure you teach him the essential tricks early on, and teach him “fun” tricks if you want to keep him learning. Jack Russell’s love to learn, so they make great trick dogs!

2. Give him plenty of praise

Your dog’s primary job in the world is to please you. When he follows a command or acts appropriately in a situation, give him praise and a treat. He wants to know that he’s done right by you, and the best way for him to know that is by giving him a treat, praise, pat or a toy at the right time. If he knows that he’s made you happy, he’ll be happy too.

Most of the time people focus on negative, just correcting their dogs when they misbehave. Rather redirect him to do exactly what you want at each time, praise him for doing it so and it will give him less time to misbehave. That way he’ll know what he is supposed to do and which actions bring them positive results.

3. Make sure he knows his place in the family

A lot of dogs rule their homes, making their owners miserable. This is, actually, a bad thing for dogs. They need rules and to learn their place in the world. Even wild dogs have commands that are given by the leader of the pack, so this is normal behavior. If he knows his rules, he’ll be comfortable with who he is and will be a generally happy dog.

Your dogs wants to be a dog, so let him do that and everyone will have a better quality of life.

4. Stop unwanted behavior

If you notice your dog is being aggressive suddenly, odds are is that something is bothering him. The reason could vary from separation anxiety to poor health, but if he is acting poorly just out of the blue, it’s best to make sure he is okay by watching him and seeing if he’ll respond to his commands.

Aggression is a sign that he is unhappy or confused. Don’t react to aggression with aggression because it will worsen the situation. Keep calm, monitor your dog all the time and see what is causing his anxiety, remove him from it, let him calm down. Learn him to connect his objects of fear or frustration with positive outcome.

Eventually, fear, anxiety or frustration will diminish and he’ll be back to his happy self

5. Minimize separation anxiety

It’s normal for dogs to experience separation anxiety, especially when they are younger. If you notice that your dog gets terribly anxious when you leave, don’t make a big deal out of it, give him a special treat before you head out and try not to leave him alone for too long at a time.

No matter how comfortable your dog is with being alone, even the best ones can only go so long without human interaction. Take that into consideration when considering bringing a dog into your life.

6. Socialize him properly

This is an important rule that many skip. Your dog needs to get used to being around new people and animals in order to be balanced and happy. And don’t just stop with people in general and other dogs.

Think of it more specifically, all age groups and both genders, people wearing hats, long coats, disabled person, extra loud people, postman, vet, people on bikes (and other vehicles), all animal he could encounter (friendly dogs, shy dogs, barking dogs, cats, small animal…) Socialize your dog properly and make sure that he responds to your commands.

Between you and the other people/animals, he’ll be able to learn the proper behavior and this will turn him into an experienced dog with plenty to be happy about.

7. Keep him healthy

Make sure your dog gets regular trips to the vet. If he is in pain or is overweight, he won’t be a happy dog, meaning a poor experience for you and him. Keep him healthy with enough exercise and the right amount of right food so that he can stay fit and keep moving the way he is supposed to. A healthy dog is a happy dog.

8. Make sure he gets plenty of rest

When your dog is young, he’s going to need plenty of rest, but the same thing applies for when he gets older too. Try not to wake him from naps, and make sure that he sleeps through the night (or close to it). A proper amount of sleep will lead him to a better attitude, which means a better and happier life for everyone.

Your dog is your responsibility, so do your best to make sure that you and him are as happy as can be. These eight tips should help you get in the right position to do that!

Do you want to add anything to our list? What do you find helpful? Tell us in the comments below.

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