Bit of a Sad Story

[Canis erectus]

I spoke with a client today who'd told me her Jack Russell Terrier had been killed a couple days ago. Apparantly the dog had squeezed through a fence in the neighbor's yard and promptly attacked by a pair of Pit Bulls. The woman's other Jack Russell then rushed into the yard to help his mate but she was killed before the neigbor could come out and retrieve his two dogs. The second Jack Russell had come out of the fray untouched, but the owner of the two Pits had both of his dogs euthanized (at his own discretion) that next day.

So sad that three out of four dogs should lose their lives in this incident, and I feel so sorry for the woman I talked to. Well, I feel bad for both dog owners really, but I never got the Pit Bull owner's take on the situation. I definately give the woman credit for realizing that her dog was 'in the wrong', especially when so many other people would start talking law suit if their dog was killed while trespassing into another dog's enclosed area.

I've heard similar stories many times before and it all sounds about the same, 'Jack Russell Terrier bombs over to the neighbor's yard and picks a fight with a bigger dog or dogs'. I think most Jack Russell owners see their dogs as cute, hyper little bundles of joy (which they are for the most part), but sometimes some of these folks forget just how tough these little dogs think they are.

Anyway, just a bit of news in my life, thought I'd share.

[MajiesMom]

That sucks. You shouldn't leave your pet(s) outside unsupervised, yes there are reasons for this idiots! That's weird the Pit Bulls owner had them PTS actually no it's not weird, irresponsible dog owners seem to be the norm these days. Pisses me off!
[quote]I think most Jack Russell owners see their dogs as cute, hyper little bundles of joy (which they are for the most part), but sometimes some of these folks forget just how tough these little dogs think they are. [/quote]
I don't agree with that but I do think a lot of people get JRTs thinking they'll be like Eddie on Fraser. Its like the misconception of Collies being like Lassie, the pretrained super intelligent breed, wouldn't that be nice.
The JRT owners I know admit that the Jack Russell Terror is very deceiving, small and cute but like a...um...um…. they’re out of this world, they’re wild and crazy. What’s cute is the JRTs wearing prong collars, I never see dogs under 85lbs wearing a prong collar but the JRTs do! LOL

[Carolk9s]

[quote name='MajiesMom']That sucks. You shouldn't leave your pet(s) outside unsupervised, yes there are reasons for this idiots! [/quote]
I'm not sure I understand the full meaning of this statement and I certainly do not agree. My dogs are able to be outside unsupervised daily. My yard is double fenced and I routinely walk the line to check for potential escape routes but I sure as heck do not go outside with my dogs each time they fly through the doggie door. They have access to the backyard every day while I am away from home at work. It is a sad fact that I must work for a living and cannot come home during the day to let them out. I could not and would not force them to stay indoors for the 10 hours or so that I am away earning money to buy them more stuff.

It is sad about 3 dogs losing their lives in the above situation. I don't understand why the owner of the two dogs that attacked the JRT had his dogs put down, perhaps he had reasons beyond this incident.
Many years ago at a show, a JRT went wild at the sight of Jesse who was standing calmly beside me. The JRT, who was wearing a harness, was snapping and snarling as if he wanted to rip Jesse limb from limb. The lady holding the leash said to her dog, 'You are such a fool, that dog could hold you down with one paw and torment you for days'. She apologized for her dogs bad manners and dragged him away. Jesse merely looked amused by the dogs antics.

[BuddysMom]

Oh that was very sad, thanks for sharing though. That's why I posted the article about the girl mauled in Denver ... not passing judgement, not asking for judgement ... but just saying Wow this happened and it sucks that it happened, just thought you'd all want to know.

[imported_Kat]

Thats sad but its an incident that could have been prevented. The JRT owner was to blame for the loss of 3 dogs from what I can see.

[Canis erectus]

I talked to the woman again today, she has started to really feel guilty about the whole situation. She installed a runner in her backyard (which is also fenced) for her remaining dog whenever he goes outside to play, even though she doesn't have any immediate neighbors with dogs she doesn't want to take any more chances.

I haven't really been able to reason as to why the Pit Bull owner put his dogs down. Maybe he just felt really bad and perhaps partly responsible for the the neighbor dog being killed. Then again I also live in a relatively afluent city where there aren't very many Pit Bulls, also I'm in Mich where there is alot of anti-Pit legislature (Detroit mostly). Matbe he felt like he had to be rid of the dogs before some righteous anti-dog people leveled their sights at him, who knows?

As far as Jack Russels go, I'm now thinking that aside from the all the Pits killed in illegal dog-fights, Jack Russells must be the number one breed of dog to be killed by other dogs. I've known Jack Russels that have been killed or seriously injured by starting fights with dogs such as Pit Bills, German Shepherds, Borzoi, Huskies, Wolf Hybrids. All of these are somewhat aggresive dog breeds in their own rights, but in all these cases the Jack Russels have started the assault. And here's the real kicker, I don't know that this is true, but I've been told about an instance where a Newfie had mauled an attacking Jack Russel. Don't know any of the details, but I have a hard time imagining a proper Newfie ever attacking another dog, even out of self defense.

[MajiesMom]

[quote name='Carolk9s'][quote name='MajiesMom']That sucks. You shouldn't leave your pet(s) outside unsupervised, yes there are reasons for this idiots! [/quote]
I'm not sure I understand the full meaning of this statement and I certainly do not agree.[/quote]

I mean that: I believe it is irresponsible to leave your dog outside unsupervised.
I think that there are a few people that can safely keep their dog(s) outside alone but in almost all cases dogs should not be left outdoors unsupervised. But to each their own. I just have this idea that leaving your dog outside unsupervised can result in hundreds of problems just waiting to happen that are only reinforced day-after-day by events like this. The dog would not have gotten out to get killed if someone was there watching him, I know sometimes life calls and it is not possible but at least make it safe.

[Cairn6]

It seems odd to me they would kill their dogs because of this one incident. My guess would be they have had other problems with the dogs and this just made up their mind to put them to sleep. Pit bulls are inclined to be aggressive towards other dogs as are JRTs and it's got to be difficult to have to deal with that all the time. In the case of the dogs killing a dog that got through the fence that would not be unusual for any dog to protect their property so that is why I wonder if perhaps they have had other problems that made them make that decision.

I love JRTs they are just so happy, active, intelligent dogs. There was one in Toto's training class that was the cutest little clown and kept us all so entertained. I love their spirit. But they need someone that can handle the exercise and training needs of these little hunters. I don't think they should ever be left alone because they are always on the go. And being so active it's hard to keep them occupied long enough to get rid of all that energy. I don't have that kind of time and energy or I would have one. My cairn terrier takes a ton of time and energy as it is to keep him and upstanding canine citizen(well most the time)so adding another highly intelligent active dog would not be fair to them. The solution here is research most people don't reasearch before they get the dog and don't know what it requires to care for them.

[courtnek]

[quote name='K']I feel very sorry for both the owners...this is a sad day all round..

[quote]Its like the misconception of Collies being like Lassie, [/quote]

I may of mentioned this before but when I was small a girl at my school was missing for a while and it turned out that she had more than half her ear bitten off by the "lassie" dog at her house... :([/quote]

same with Labs, and Goldens and other dogs known to be "good with children"....a dog is only as good as it's training. Most people dont realize that the actors in "Lassie" never handled the dog, there was a trainer offset
that issued all of Lassies commands. Same with the Dalmatian's....

this was a bad situation for everyone. I too think there must have been other issues with the Pit, but who knows? Maybe the JRT's just aggravated
him enough to set him off, maybe fence running and such. The two Chi's next door aggravate the hell out of Free, Laurel couldnt care less, but they entice Free to chase and bark through the fence all the time. I am glad she has the other dog on a runner.

poor things....all of them.

[imported_Debbie]

What is this the I hate JRT post ??? :evil:
Have any of you actually had a JRT ? I'm hearing "I heard" an awful lot......... Boy, people pick up in arms when someones bashing a Pit Bull or some large breed but ...... :roll:
This just really sucks.
I'm actually shaking......I did a lot of research before I chose this breed thank you, and they are not hyper.
Sassy went through Beginners and Advanced Obedience with flying colors, actually the "STAR" of her class. And in her class there were dogs that had to be muzzled because of dog aggressive behavior and she wasn't one of them.
And neither of mine wear prong collars, I know alot of other people with JRT's and I don't know any that wear them...... :roll:

I get just as sick of hearing stereotypical crap about my breed, just the same as Pit Bull owners !!!!! :-?

Let me add that a few of you did say nice things, but please let's stick to facts not sterotypes. :wink:

[courtnek]

Debbie, I dont think that was meant at all. Jack Russells are terriers, terriers are known to be more outgoing and in need of exercise, more so than some other dogs. Yours are well trained, as all dogs should be. I would guess hers were not. this was a multi-deplorable incident. The fence should have been kept in good repair, and fence running should have been strongly discouraged. I got so sick of the fence running here that
I put "blinders" in the fence area where the two Chi's are. Fences, unfortunately, often cause more aggression between dogs. JRT's can be aggressive, if not trained properly. Same as any dog. They are spitfire little dogs, with a lot of heart and soul in a small body. Some people think because they're small, they're harmless. We all know differently. But did this woman who owned them? probably not...

:fadein:

[Lucky Chaos]

[quote]What is this the I hate JRT post ???
Have any of you actually had a JRT ? I'm hearing "I heard" an awful lot......... Boy, people pick up in arms when someones bashing a Pit Bull or some large breed but ......
This just really sucks.
I'm actually shaking......I did a lot of research before I chose this breed thank you, and they are not hyper.
Sassy went through Beginners and Advanced Obedience with flying colors, actually the "STAR" of her class. And in her class there were dogs that had to be muzzled because of dog aggressive behavior and she wasn't one of them.
And neither of mine wear prong collars, I know alot of other people with JRT's and I don't know any that wear them......

I get just as sick of hearing stereotypical crap about my breed, just the same as Pit Bull owners !!!!!

Let me add that a few of you did say nice things, but please let's stick to facts not sterotypes. [/quote]


Wow. It really didn't seem like anyone here was bashing or saying they hated JRT's! I happen to love them, I think they're the only little dog I'd ever own. We dog sat one for a little while who was far from what I'd call hyper (the pug we looked after was much more hyper actually). I really think you got the wrong impression.

[imported_Debbie]

O.K, maybe I did over-react some but I sure know how it feels to hear the same old stereotypes about my chosen breed.....and grrrr it really pisses me off.

I do think I read "wild and crazy", "owners that see them as cute hyper bundles of joy", "small and cute but very deceiving"........

C'mon now !!! There are good and bad in all breeds just as there are in all races of people. I just don't want my dogs to be stereotyped anymore, I can certainly sympathize with all the Bully owners and the crap they have to put up with on a daily basis. :wink:

Thanks, for calming me down and supporting me !!!
It's like someone being mean to your kids, the lioness just comes out in ya......sorry. :oops:

[courtnek]

[quote]I do think I read "wild and crazy", "owners that see them as cute hyper bundles of joy", "small and cute but very deceiving"........

[/quote]

you summed it up perfectly yourself. They are all of these things, but in a big dog that would be unacceptable. Small dogs get away with a lot more, because they're small. In a Pit it would be catastrophic. I think the point being made was that small dogs need just as much training as big ones.

How do we convince the owners of this fact?

:wink:

Personally, I think JRT's are wonderful, in the right hands. little bundles of joy, if trained properly.

[MajiesMom]

Yikes Debbie you took that the wrong way. I am sorry if I upsetted you about your breed. I didn't mean to make anyone feel offended. I love JRTs, I work with animals I love all dog breeds. To me the JRT is a little wild and crazy - that's a characteristic I see in the breed. My dog is wild and crazy there is nothing wrong with that, that's just her that's why I love her.

[MajiesMom]

[quote name='Debbie']
It's like someone being mean to your kids, the lioness just comes out in ya......sorry. :oops:[/quote]

I know all about it. People say the meanest things about my GSD like "get that thing away from me I don't trust the bastards." It really hurts like someone calling your kid ugly.

[Canis erectus]

Sorry Debbie, I don't think it was anyone's intent to 'bash' on Jack Russels. I was trying to get across that Jack Russels are a 'game' terrier and that they can get quite aggresive when they have an owner that doesn't actually understand the breed.

Now don't get me wrong, I rather like the little hooligans, but I feel that they often end up with the wrong owners. Espescially where I'm from, Jack Russels probably give mixed breeds an close run for their money when it comes to being the most common small dogs. It's just that it seems alot of folks think they're getting a clever, playfull little lap dog (which they are), but it becomes a problem when they don't realize that they're also getting a hunting terrier with high exercise requirements.

[imported_Debbie]

Thanks guys for all the positive feedback !!! :wink:
Sorry I went so over the top !! :oops:

court, I didn't say those things you put in your quote box, someone else did, I was saying those things are false :wink: .
I know in the wrong hands these things are probably true, but I know a lot of Jack owners whose Jacks are really nice dogs. NOT hyper at all.
I think a dog that is constantly bouncing off the walls is a product of some bad breeding and/or bad training/lack of exercise :wink: .
My 2 do the JRT Turbo through the house maybe twice a day and it's a real hoot !!! I laugh my buns off watching them :roflt: !!
I have a good sized yard and exercise them frequently through the day, they also play with each other and their Lab/Rott sister Gretchen in the house.

Other fallacies about the breed is that 2 of the same sex can't live together.....
They're cat killers......
They aren't good with children.
They're snipey and aggressive
I could name a whole lot more and say why they aren't true, but I think we all know here how breeds can get bad raps by stories going around.

I also agree with the person that wrote people thought they were little entertainers by seeing them on "Frasier" and in the "My Dog Skip" movie...I think that added to the JRT explosion and caused alot of them to be sent to the pounds and rescues....people just don't do enough research, they buy simply on impulse.

K~ I remember you telling me the JRT baby-sitting story before !!! HaHa :lol:
That's how I feel about the kids I watch during the day !!! Can't wait for their Moms to come get them !!!!! :lol:

I tell ya if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd have a house out in the country with acres and acres and I'd have at least 3 more Jacks !!! Oh, and my Neapolitan Mastiff......... :wink:
Thanks everyone !!! :angel: