Are Jack Russell Terriers Good With Toddlers? Yes, But Read This First

Jack Russell Terrier is a nice choice for your family. But, those who have toddlers frequently ask us; are Jack Russell good with toddlers? It is important to know about this well before raising this amazing Terrier breed.

Therefore, I have discussed all the things you should know about the relationship between JRTs and toddlers in this article.

So, are Jack Russells good with toddlers? Yes, properly trained and socialized Jack Russells are good with toddlers. Continuous and constant training is highly recommended if you plan to raise a JRT with your young kids. JRTs can be safely kept with the kids by training, socializing, and introducing them at their young age.

As Jack Russells are originally hunting dogs, they tend to be more energetic and sometimes aggressive. So, you may feel that it is a risk to keep a little child with them. But, do not worry; you can do it by training with the use of toys, a good schedule, setting rules, etc. then it will maintain a good and strong relationship with your kid. 

Accordingly, in this article, I have covered; who Jack Russell is, are they good with toddlers, and how to introduce them to the kids.

Finally, I have provided you with some tips to train them to be good around the toddlers for your child. Let’s get started!

Introduction to the Jack Russell Terriers 

Before concerning, are Jack Russell good with toddlers; you should have a clear idea about this terrier. Therefore, first of all, let’s see about these dogs in detail. 

This is a small, athletic, and hunting dog that originated around mid- 1800 in Southern England. They were bred initially for hunting foxes.

You may experience how energetic and cheeky they are when you raise one. They love to be engaged and move around. The wonder is that they maintain their activeness until the end of their lives.

Jacks should be provided with better exercises to release the due amount of energy. If not, it will create many health issues. 

JRTs are fearless in nature and love to be with their owners always by playing and hanging around them. They easily fulfill their needs and do not give up the targets without reaching them.

So, they will be good guardians to you although they are a little bit small. Digging is a common habit of this breed that practices the art of escaping well. The courage also adds color to them by attracting many people’s hearts. 

Accordingly, JRT is a good family pet especially, if there are small children for you at the age of 3-4 years.

If you are an adventurer, the best pet for you will be Jack Russell. As they get bored easily, it is better to always keep them active. It can be done through exercises, games, and good companionship. 

And, this terrier is lucky to have few health and genetic issues. As they are likely to be extremely hardy, most injuries are considered self-inflicted.

Some of the common health problems are; skin allergies, Perthes disease, Luxating Patella, etc. So, it is better to be alert on their health, and regular checkups will be helpful to recognize them. 

Also, you do not have to spend much energy and time on the grooming of JRTs as they are found as a canine with relatively low maintenance.

But, keep an eye on their fur as they tend to shed regardless of the coat type. You can brush them weekly or as needed.

Do not worry about the regular baths as they try to keep themselves clean unless playing in muddy water. They also need to brush their teeth for their hygiene. 

Are Jack Russell Terriers good with toddlers? 

Now, you know about the JRTs well. So, before selecting them as the family pet, your next question is, are Jack Russell good with toddlers. Therefore, here I will discuss this with clear information. 

As this is a hunting dog, you may think they are unsafe to keep with your little children. But, it is not true because it varies from one dog to another, depending on their socialization and training.

However, generally, they are good family pets. But, do not leave the pet with your kid until you confirm that it is safe to keep them together. 

So, here it is better to raise the pet with your children. That means; if you want the JRT to have a good relationship with your little kid, you have to introduce him at their early stages.

Then, they have enough time to understand each other well. Also, they will play and enjoy it when they have enough time to be together. So, we can’t directly say that the Jack Russells can’t be kept safely with the toddlers. 

You may see that they will become good to each other with better socialization and introduction at the earliest stages of bringing the pet to your home. 

How to introduce your Jack Russell to toddlers? 

As you are aware of the answer to the question; are Jack Russell good with toddlers, now you may think of the means to introduce the pet to your child. So, here let’s see how it can be done. 

It is better to do this at the very first moment that you bring the pet dog to your home. Then, they will have enough time to understand each other.

There, you can take both of them for walks together where they can sniff and become familiar with each other. 

This also goes hand in hand with socializing and tries it by making them obedient to the commands like; sitting, coming, staying together, etc. The bond also can be created by playing, exercising, and retrieving.

As JRTs are very active, they will love to play games like; fetch and catch, playing with the balls, hide and seek, etc. This is also a highly intelligent breed that learns anything quickly.

And, here, do not forget to be concerned about the pet’s age and make sure to wait to introduce it even until it becomes around 18 months old.

Unlike old children, little kids can’t safely play with the canines. So, it is very important to be alert to the pet and the kid when introducing them to each other.

Then, they will not get too excited when the child accidentally causes pain in the dog by knocking him and stepping on their paws. 

How to train your Jack Russell to be good around the toddlers? 

If you have little kids, it is important to create a strong relationship between your JRT and them.

Therefore, as you know the answer for; are Jack Russell good with toddlers, you may be concerned about how to train him to be around the little children.

So, I thought of coming out with some ideas to train your furry friend to create a strong bond with your kids. 

1. Toys 

You know that the JRTs are very active and playful dogs. And, on the other hand, toddlers also like to play and be always engaged.

Therefore, toys can do much about this. You may bring the toys that both the kid and the pet love. Then, they will feel that you are affectionate and care for them while close to each other.  

2. Schedule 

As JRTs need to spend more energy per day and as they are very active, it is important to provide regular exercises under a schedule to keep them satisfied.

There, you may take them out for regular walks, throw the balls around, etc. When it engages with your kid, they get enough time to be together by creating a good relationship. 

3. Making friends 

Here, you can introduce new friends to your pet by making it attend a puppy training class.

That means you also can introduce the toddlers there. So, they will learn the basic commands, including the way to act around the little kids. 

4. Keeping them safe 

This is very important because safety should always come first place.

Here, you have to avoid accidents where you should not leave the toddlers alone, especially if the dog is young because; the toddlers can easily hurt them, and the risk is that the JRT may hurt in return.

To avoid this, you can put them in a playpen in the living area. But, it should be large enough for the pet to move easily and safely. 

5. Setting rules 

If you have little kids, make sure to impose some basic rules for him to be around the JRT.

It should include avoiding hugging the dog, patting them, causing them discomfort, etc. Gentle petting should be taught at the earliest age for the kids. 

Final thoughts about whether Jack Russells are good with toddlers or not

We have discussed; are Jack Russell is good with toddlers with more details. I think this article will work out for all the JRT lovers as I have covered some important areas related to them like; who is Jack Russell, are Jack Russell good with toddlers, how to introduce them to the kids.

Finally, I have provided you with some tips to train them to be good around the toddlers for your child.   

A dog can become a good guardian to your family while being your pet. Jack Russell is one of the best choices among them. But, as they are hunting dogs, those who have toddlers tend to be reluctant to raise them because they think that they are not safe to be kept with their little children.

However, they can be good with kids with better training, socialization, etc. There, you have to introduce them to each other at the very beginning to have enough time to understand and adapt to each other.

Accordingly, it is better to set rules, use toys, and schedules to make them closer. Then, you can keep your kid with your pet without any fear.

Thank you for reading this post. Stay tuned with Jack Russell Owner for more interesting posts about your favorite dog breed.