How to Potty Train a Jack Russell Terrier

How to Potty Train a Jack Russell Terrier
Medium difficulty iconMedium
Time icon1-4 Weeks
General training category iconGeneral

Introduction

You’ve barely had a minute to stop and take a breath since you brought your Jack Russel Terrier home. He’s certainly lived up to their reputation for being energetic, fearless and intelligent. It’s fair to say he loves charging around the house and playing with you all. In fact, he loves it so much he doesn’t even want to leave to go to the toilet. Now you knew toilet training him was going to have to take place, but you didn’t realise quite how many accidents you would have to clean up in the meantime. 

Potty training your Jack Russel Terrier is essential. Firstly, you don’t want to have gingerly take your first few steps into the kitchen each morning in case you’re going to step in an accident. You also don’t want your young children or other pets coming into contact with any harmful bacteria.

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Defining Tasks

Fortunately, potty training your Jack Russel is relatively straightforward, it just takes persistence. The first thing you need to do is get him into a consistent routine. Once you have done that, you just need to reinforce training with incentives. Like most dogs, Jack Russel Terriers have a soft spot for anything they can eat. So food will play an important role in training.

If he’s a puppy he should be a fast learner and eager to please. As a result, you could see progress in just a few days to a week. However, if he’s older and had years of going to the toilet wherever he wants, then you may have your work cut out for you. It could be several weeks until training is complete. Get this training right, however, and you won’t have to worry about taking him to friends' and families' houses again.

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Getting Started

Before you can start training, you will need to collect a few bits. The first thing to do is find a close-by potty spot. You need to be able to get there easily throughout the day.

Then you will need to stock up on tasty treats or break his favorite food into small pieces. A clicker will also be required for one of the methods below.

Once you have all that, just bring patience and some antibacterial spray, then work can begin!

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The Routine Method

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1

Meal times

You need to feed him his meals at the same times each day. This will get his body clock into a regular routine. You can then predict when he is likely to need the toilet and take him out accordingly.

2

Keep his water topped up

It is also important you keep his water bowl topped up. Just like the step above, this will help get him into a regular routine of going for a pee. If he’s dehydrated his toilet habits will be unpredictable.

3

Morning toilet

As soon as he's up in the morning, head outside to the potty location with your Jack Russel. Then, once you have fed him his breakfast, secure him to a leash and take him out again. If he is always outside when he needs to go, he will naturally get into the habit of going to the toilet outside. If he knows he will get to go each morning, he will also find it easier to hold it at night.

4

Lunch time potty visit

When lunch time comes, secure him to a leash and take him back to the potty. If he knows he will get to go each lunch time, holding it in the morning will be much easier.

5

Evening potty time

Once he has had dinner, wait 15 to 20 minutes or so and then take him out to the toilet again. You may also want to take him out again before bed. In fact, if he’s a puppy he may need to go out at several other points throughout the day. The logic to this technique is straightforward, if he’s always at the potty when he needs to go, he will quickly get into a habit of only going there.

The Verbal Cue Method

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‘Potty time’

Take him out to the potty regularly each day. Wait until he’s just about to go or going and then give a ‘potty time’ command. Jack Russel Terriers can learn hundreds of different commands, so you can use any word or phrase you like. Give the instruction in a playful, upbeat tone.

2

Turn around

When he’s going about his business, try not to stare. This will only make him feel uncomfortable, so turn away and try to give him some privacy.

3

Reward

As soon as he’s finished his business, go over and give him a generous reward. You can give him treats, verbal praise and even play with a toy. The happier he feels, the more likely he is to repeat the behavior again.

4

Click

A clicker is a fantastic way to communicate with your Jack Russel Terrier. Simply click whenever he behaves correctly or performs a trick as you would like, then offer him a treat. Used correctly, this can speed up the learning process. So click and treat once he’s been to the potty.

5

Consistency

Now practice using your command every time you take him out to the potty. After a while, your instruction will be a trigger that automatically makes him need the toilet. You can then use it whenever you want to take him out or need him to go. Then once he’s fully got the hang of it, you can gradually phase out the treats.

The Attractive Potty Method

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Same spot

Make sure you take him to the same spot each day. If he’s been there before he will feel more relaxed and likely to go there again. Also, try and choose somewhere that is relatively close and not too busy.

2

Yesterday’s potty

If he seems nervous and unsure about going, wipe some of yesterday’s toilet visit down in your chosen potty spot. If he can smell he’s already been there, he’s much more likely to go there again.

3

Privacy

Make sure you look away and give him some privacy when he is going about his business. Jack Russell Terriers may seem confident, but just like humans they like having some privacy during such moments.

4

Reward

Make sure he always gets a generous reward when he’s gone to the toilet where you want him to. Do this consistently and he will begin to associate going to the potty outside with positive consequences. This is precisely the incentive he needs to make it habit.

5

Clean up accidents

It is important you clean up any accidents thoroughly. In fact, use antibacterial spray. If he can smell he’s used that spot as a toilet before he’s more likely to have another accident there again.

Written by James Barra

Veterinary reviewed by:

Published: 02/20/2018, edited: 01/08/2021

Training Questions

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Training Questions and Answers

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Pickles

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Jack Russell Terrier

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14 Weeks

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Question

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We have potty trained him to use a pee mat now we want to move him to using the backyard I have moved the mat to the back door as to bring him closer to this but he still uses the area where the mat was before we always cleaned down the area with wipes after all mat changes do you have any advice that could help

Sept. 1, 2021

Pickles's Owner

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Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

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Hello, First, know that pee pad training is based on a dog learning to go on a certain type of surface (the pee pad fabric) AND in a certain location. The location part of the pee pad training is why pup is still struggling despite moving the pee pad. For pups who have previously used a pee pad, I recommend using a crate to potty train to ensure accidents are prevented for a long enough period of time for habits to change and pup to start to want to keep the home clean due to a track record of keeping it clean due to a schedule and confinement in the crate when their bladder isn't empty. Check out the Crate Training method from the article I have linked below. Since pup is a little older, you can add thirty minutes to all the times listen, and the maximum amount of time pup will be able to hold their bladder in the crate during the day when you are home will be four hours at this age - any longer and pup will be forced to have an accident. Be sure to set up the crate without anything absorbent in it, including a soft bed or towel. You can use something like www.primopads.com or k9ballistics non-absorbent crate mats in the crate if you want to give padding. Not giving anything absorbent in the crate is especially important for a pup who was used to pottying on pee pads though - you do not want to encourage pottying in the crate with something absorbent in there. Crate training method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-poop-outside I would also put something over the area where pup's pad used to be, like a piece of furniture, or physically block off pup's access to that area for the next three months at least. If pup is still struggling with accidents despite doing all the above, then you will need to tether pup to yourself with a hands free leash, when pup isn't in the crate also, to prevent pup from sneaking off to pee. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Sept. 1, 2021

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Sid

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Jack Russell Terrier

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3 Months

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Sid, would do his business on paper and I would give him lots of praise. For the last couple of weeks he has started to use the kitchen floor 😲 Nothing has changed in his diet and I fed him at the same time each day. He has also started to pee on his toys! He knows exactly where to go but chooses to go indoors, I can't understand why this has happened. He is confident happy go lucky we have lots of play time fantastic on the lead. I teach him a word a week, he knows his name, sit, leave, drop, ball, garden and car . Can you throw some light on the situation please. Many thanks Carol

Aug. 9, 2021

Sid's Owner

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Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

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Hello Carol, At this age I recommend moving away from the paper and to something else. Paper often works well for nursing/little puppies but many puppies struggle with it once they get past two months. I recommend either doing outside potty training at this age, or setting up an exercise pen and using a disposable real grass pad to help pup differentiate the grass pad from the floor and the rest of your house. Exercise pen method for indoor potty training: https://wagwalking.com/training/litter-box-train-a-chihuahua-puppy Outside potty training - crate training method or tethering method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-poop-outside Disposable real grass pad brands: www.freshpatch.com www.doggielawn.com www.porchpotty.com Also on Amazon Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Aug. 11, 2021


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