INTERVIEW WITH A FOURTH GRADER

The following is an internet interview from a fourth grader for his school report.  His mother Kathy sought me out thru the Internet and asked if I could help him out. I’ve never met them, but since then, Kathy has become a good MySpace friend.

Kathy wrote:  HELLO--MY SON IS DOING A REPORT ON JACK RUSSELLS FOR HIS 4TH GRADE CLASS AND HAS TO INTERVIEW AN EXPERT ON THEM.  HE WROTE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS FOR AN ON-LINE INTERVIEW IN HOPES OF GETTING A RESPONSE OR TWO, BUT OUR COMPUTER AT HOME IS NOT WORKING, SO I TOLD HIM I'D SEND SOME OUT FROM WORK.  IF YOU HAVE TIME TO ANSWER SOME OR ALL OF THE QUESTIONS IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
THANK YOU, KATHY BOLEK

1.    What should you do if a Jack Russell is ill or injured?
Jack Russells are sturdy dogs and rarely get sick. Most likely they'll get injured due to getting into "trouble". Such as running after a cat and running into the street and getting run over by a car. Or, picking a fight with a big dog, not realizing they could get hurt because they are fearless.  Or, eating a poisonous snake, frog or lizard here in Florida.  Jacks have a strong hunting instinct and could get into trouble chasing or killing or picking a fight with an animal they should not mess with.  So the best thing to do is make sure your dog is well trained not to get into trouble or those situations to begin with.  Watch your dog closely if your dog is not act as happy go lucky as usual, or not eating, or gets hurt.  Take it to your veterinarian if he needs medical help. 

2.    If there are any problems with a Jack Russell swimming, what are they?
Jack Russells love to hunt, run, swim and do whatever their companion/master does with them.  Most Jacks love to swim and play in the water, as long as they have a way out of the pool they are fine.  The danger lies when a jack gets in the pool and find no way out and swims himself to exhaustion an perishes that way.

3.    Why can’t they eat chocolate?
Chocolate is toxic (poisonous) to all small animals. ( you can get more info on  how it is toxic to them  from looking it up on the internet)

4.    What are some problems from eating human foods?
Dogs should eat a good quality dog food.  I feed my Jacks Iams, Eukanuba or BilJac for small breed dogs.  These good quality dog foods offer a balanced nutrition specifically to the needs of the dog’s size and needs, such as a proper balance of protein/calcium/fat and other nutrients. This should be the main source of nutrition for a Jack.  Cheap Dog food such as Ol' Roy and grocery store brands, I do not recommended.   

Human foods can be used as treats, as long as the dog is doing a trick and working for the treat.  Offering food from the table at dinnertime is a very bad habit and hard to break.  I put my dogs out of the room, so they wont beg. Feeding dogs human food does not meet their nutritional needs.

5.    How should you train your Jack Russell?
Take your Jack to obedience class as soon as he is 12 weeks of age (Young).  They will teach you the basics of obedience and that should be a good foundation in the bonding relationship you will have with your dog.  Discipline and consistency is most important to having a well-trained dog.  As your dog learns obedience, you will be able to incorporate some tricks, which the instructor can coach you with.

6.    Why are they good at dog shows?
What kind of dog show are you talking about?  the American Kennel Club has lots of activities and shows you can participate your dog in.   I happen to show my dogs in Conformation. Thats like a beauty show. As a breeder , I want to show my dogs to get a Championship title on them, to prove that they are good quality and they look the way that Jacks are supposed to look.  By the way the AKC calls the Jack Russell a Parson Russell .  Its the same breed and look , just a different name. Thats the kind I breed. 
Jacks are very quick dogs and fast learners.  They love to participate in Agility shows and Earth dog trials ( refer to the AKC site for further info on these shows  www.akc.org )

7.    Where do they mostly live?
Jacks can live anywhere in the world that humans live.  Jacks originally came from England.  In my opinion they are more popular in English speaking countries, such as England, United States, Australia and Canada.  However they are getting popular in other countries too.

8.    What are some characteristics?
A Parson Russell is a small to medium dog from the Terrier group.  It about 12 – 14 inches tall and weighs about the same as it’s inches tall.  They were bred to hunt.  Originally it was to assist in fox hunting and later some strains were developed to hut and kill rats and vermin in barns.  It is mostly white with some tan or black or both markings. It has three kinds of coats.  Smooth, Rough (shaggy) or Broken (a mix of both). 

The Jack Russell Terrier Club of  America site says of the Jack Russells:
The terrier must present a lively, active and alert appearance. It should impress with its fearless and happy disposition. http://www.terrier.com/jrtca/standard.php3

9.    What is a Jack Russell’s behavior like?
The AKC website says that the Parson Russell Terriers is:
Bold and friendly. Athletic and clever. At work he is a game hunter, tenacious, courageous, and single minded. At home he is playful, exuberant and overwhelmingly affectionate. He is an independent and energetic terrier and requires his due portion of attention. http://www.akc.org/breeds/parson_russell_terrier/index.cfm

10.    Why are Jack Russell’s not as fearless as other dogs?
Oh no!!!!  A jack Russell should  not afraid of anything! Noise, other animals, booms, bangs are all they were bred for in the hunt.  As I mentioned previously, they think they can run with the “big dogs” (which they can) but sometimes they will pick a fight and not realize they can get pulverized by a bigger dog. 

11.    What are some foods they can eat that human’s do?
Jacks love hot dogs , any meat and cheese.  They can eat cooked bones, but not cooked chicken bones because they get brittle and can cut the dogs stomach.  You can give them just about anything except , chocolate, avocados, and onions.  When you give them human food, it should be a treat they should work for,  like I previously mentioned , and not a source of nutrition for the dog.

12.    What are some land hazards for Jack Russell’s?
Because Jacks were bred to hunt and still have that strong instinct, they were bred to borough into small holes to flush out the fox or vermin.  But this can also be dangerous for the dog unless they are with a trained hunter.  Otherwise they can find a hole with a poisonous snake or get caved in by dirt in the tunnel.  Also, because they are hunters they will tend to wander off on a scent of an animal. In the city , this might be dangerous because they could get run over by a car and in the country depending on the weather, whether dessert, hot or very cold like in the snow, they could get lost and succumb to the elements.  I’m always concerned that my dogs if they get loose they’ll get hot and not be able to find water, because we live in Florida.  Most importantly; don’t let you dog get loose, and have him microchiped or collar I.D’d  in case he gets lost. 

13.    How do fleas make Jack Russell’s itch?
Fleas make any one itch!! Lol  They bite!  Some dogs are more sensitive than others, just like some humans can handle a mosquito bite or bee bite and others cannot.  The best way to prevent fleas is to keep your environment flea free.  Your dog can get Advantix from his vet if he gets them or goes to the dog park and picks them up elsewhere.  Fleas are a pain, I hate them and the best way to get rid of them is to kill them and prevent them from coming back.

14.    What are Jack Russell’s good at?
Jack Russells are great companions.  They are loyal to their master and are tough dogs that will do what ever you want them to do, just to please you.  They are very smart and learn tricks very quickly.  They are small , tough and compact which make it easy to travel with.  Jacks are good at being your friend.

15.    How should you care for them?

With lots of love and attention just like you would as a member of your family.  They are happiest when they  are part of what you are doing. Sleep with you.  Lay by your side when you do your homework or sleep with you in bed, and play with you too.  They always need fresh water available to them and fed a good quality food.  They should see their vet once a year for a check up and shots and get a heartworm prevention once a month (this clears them of most parasites).