Jack Russell Terrier

I was talking today to the owner of a Jack Russell Terrier puppy. She was bemoaning the fact that her young dog had done heavy damage to one of her doors and doorframes while trying to get to her. She was upstairs at the time, he was shut in downstairs, and he was desperate to join her. I asked what I thought was a reasonable question.

"Do you have a crate?" I inquired.

We were in the middle of a training class, so she misheard me, "A gate?" she questioned.

"No a crate," I replied, but she still looked puzzled. "You know - a cage."

Her face immediately creased into a look of acute disgust, "Oh, I don't want a cage!" she exclaimed, as if she was proclaiming something as self evident as the statement, "Oh I don't want to have my dog thrown into the lion enclosure at the zoo."

It’s nearly December and to get you in the Christmas mood early, watch the video attached to this post. That dog is so cute! Neither of ours dogs is set off by singing, although Buddy will howl along if a violin, harmonica or recorder is played for too long in his hearing. I’m never sure if that means he enjoys it and wants to participate, or he’s really saying, “Shut up, this is what you sound like!”

If you enjoy the video you can see many more videos that genuinely feature dogs, and are family friendly at www.alldogvideos.com

On the subject of Christmas, do you give your dog a Christmas present? Ours usually get a new toy, and I think they have as much fun ripping the wrapping paper off as they do playing with the toy. They also usually have a treat advent calendar, from which they are given a treat once a day leading up to the twenty-fifth. It doesn’t take many days for them to realise that the calendar contains treats, and they go and sit below it, eyes flicking up to it, clearly asking for more. Well – it’s only once a year, so why not?

Take care,

Julie x