We have a 2 yo female JRT who is just a delight. I too have read
some negatives about these dogs, but found that at least our dog,
"Cuddles" (she came already named, we adopted her at a year old),
doesn't have many negative traits.
She is very affectionate, is my constant "shadow" as I am working
around the barn, yard, house....She does not come on training rides
as she is pretty small (weighs about 8 lbs). I sometimes have
a problem locating her when I am walking, and will stop to call
her in fear that she has wandered off only to find that she is
just *very* close to me.
However, I have taken her to be "camp dog" when we go to CTRs. She
is very well behaved, also can be very "guardy" (unlike our year
old lab, who also goes). Is friendly to everyone when she is told
it is "OK".
Digging: Well, we *do* have moles/gophers, and yes, if she scents
a tunnel she will dig. But, she is a terrier, and I have heard,
digging goes with a terrier. She doesn't just dig randomly though,
and has not messed up flowerbeds, etc. She is a very efficient
mouse/mole/gopher dispatcher. She has gone down groundhog holes
which make me nervous because of her small size.
Cats: Cuddles and our cats are "best friends". When she first came
to live with us, she did chase our chickens across the paddock - *once*.
She was told NO, and hasn't done it again.
>What do I like/dislike most about them?
++Very smart, I agree about the "more personality". She is an absolute
dynamo, but when told to "go lie down", she jumps on the couch and
stays put (albeit gazing at me for the slightest indication that
she can come back on my lap or "help" do whatever I am doing).
++She *loves* children. Although we don't have any left at home,
she will go out of her way to play with any child who visits.
She immediately attached herself to my 2 yr old niece, not
letting her out of her sight...
++She is quiet. Not barky like many terrier breeds I've been
around (I really thought I wouldn't like one). She barks as an
alarm, but only a few "barks".
--Stubborn - no matter how many times I scold her, she *will* eat
the cats' food when we go into the barn if I forget to move it
out of reach. Apparently chasing chickens was not as gratifying
so she chose to obey the NO command....I find her easy to train
as long as it makes sense to her, unlike our lab, who obeys
no matter what he make think about it!
She is top-dog in our household of female beagle and lab. I've
*never* heard such a growl coming from such a small creature
when she is guarding something. We call her the Tasmanian Devil.
I too would never want to be without one.
Sorry this got to be so long. She is great for an endurance
companion though, and if she were bigger, I don't doubt she
would keep up with the horses.
Jude Hall
hall@cc.denison.edu