Play and Exercise
Play and exercise are an important part in a dogs life. It is very unhealthy, and indeed cruel, for the dog if it is kept locked up day after day.
The first task is to teach the dog to wear a collar and leash. You should try to get the dog used to wearing a collar whilst it is still quite young, between 10 and 14 weeks. It will probably resist by twisting its head or running away the first time you try to put a collar on it but persistence is the key. Don't get angry with it as that will only make the dog think that a collar is a bad thing.
Once the collar is fitted attach the leash and teach the dog to walk gently alongside you. Remember, when you take a dog out you should be taking it for a walk not the other way round! If the dog does start to pull a command of "heel" and correction by grabbing it by the scruff of the neck will hopefully teach the dog what is expected. It is probably a good idea to practice around your house or in your garden before taking your dog outside for the first time.
There are several different types of collars available. There is the traditional collar with a buckle and a number of pre made holes. These may be made of fabric or leather, what you use is a personal preference. Make sure that you have a collar of the right size. It obviously should be tight enough so that it doesn't slip over the puppy's head but equally it should not be so tight that the puppy chokes. You should be able to place two fingers between the collar and the puppy's neck. There are a range of collar sizes available including puppy collars which are designed especially for dogs with small necks. Evenso, I have sometimes found it difficult to obtain a collar that is small enough. You could try a cat collar but make sure that it has a loop on to hich you can fasten a leash. Alternatively, you can buy a harness that fits on the dog's body. Personally, I only use a harness with my puppies.
Of increasing popuplarity are collars that you clip together and the size is adjusted by means of a buckle. These tend to slip off easily.
There are also what are known as choke or check chains. These are basically a chain which you loop over the dogs head and which can be yanked, choking the dog, if it does not comply with your commands. Although they may have a role to play in dealing with dogs with particular behaviour problems they should only be used by experienced handlers and for a short time only. They can be counter productive as the dog may end up resenting the collar being fitted and they can cause injury if used inappropriately. Therefore, I recommend that choke chains are not used.
Once the dog is ready to be lead on a collar and leash then it is ready to be taken outside, once the vaccinations have taken effect. Dogs do get incredibly excited when going for a walk and soon just picking the leash up will make the dog go into a frenzy. Dogs should be taken for a walk at least once day. In fact, in the city of Rome it is now illegal not to take your dog out for a walk at least once day and there is a heavy fine if you don't. Not only is it good for the dog, it is doing you good as well!
You should also play with your dog. There are many different types of dog toys available from pet shops or you can use something like a tennis ball. Jack Russells love tennis balls! Dogs love to have things thrown for them to chase which they then retrieve for you. Start early and teach your dog to drop something from its mouth on command it will make life an awful lot easier.
Dogs also like tug 'o' war games. Now, there are some who disapprove of such games as they say it teaches the dog aggression and dominance over people but as long as some simple rules are followed they are great fun for both the owner and the dog.
First of all it is best to have a single toy for playing tug 'o' war with, a rope toy is ideal. The dog should only grab the toy once it is offered to him and the dog should be taught to release on command. If the dog 'wins' and run off with the toy, don't give chase. Give the command to come to you and when he does command the dog to drop the toy.
Tug 'o' war naturally means that the dog will be showing its teeth and growling but remember that a dog must never touch human flesh with its teeth so should an accident occur and he does bite you immediately stop the game and ignore him for a few minutes. In a young dog you are unlikely to damage its teeth but more care should be taken as the dog gets older as their teeth, like humans, can weaken. Finally, a child should not be left alone to play tug 'o' war with a dog and indeed I would recommend that great caution should be exercised in allowing a child to play tug 'o' war with a dog in the first place.
When the dog is left alone then you should leave it some toys to chew on. Now, many people recommend synthetic toys that you buy from pet shops. I do not. While they are fine for interactive play they all tend to have a synthetic, rubbery, leathery taste and so you are letting your dog acquire a taste for such materials. Look around your house and see what else is made from similar materials, slippers, shoes, furniture etc.. Leave your dog alone to chew on a leather ball and don't be surprised to find that he also takes a fancy to your Doc Martins.
Instead, for chew toys I favor natural items such as pig ears, pig trotters, rawhide or marrow bone. The first three items are fairly easy to find in pet shops and indeed some supermarkets but there is increasing difficulty in obtaining marrow bones. First of all the traditional high street family butcher is on a decline and out of those that do remain often have their joints prepared in a centralised factory rather than doing it themselves. Even out of those who do still prepare their own joints some mistakenly believe that they can no longer pass bones to the public because of a European directive, This is not true. All the directive stipulates is that bones that have already been thrown away cannot be passed to members of the public but as long as they remain in the same area as where the joints are prepared then they can be passed on. I like to leave my dogs home with a toy that you can put treats or peanut butter inside, it passifies them for hours. I had a 7 wk. old puppy (Josie) get her top and bottom jaw stuck in the wire door of a kennel once at night, thankfully I came in and found her after about 20 minutes or she could have been dead the next morning. I removed the door and slid it against a wall.