Trainability and Trials:
       What kind of activities can you do with JR's?

Prospective owners of Jack Russell's should realize that terriers, indeed all dogs, show just as many variations in temperament as humans. Jack Russell's have a soft and friendly and loyal behavior that never falters. An excellent temperament is essential for any breed to be truly versatile.
A dog that is too independent does not tend to be a good training prospect and a dog that lacks self-confidence can be just as difficult to train.

Temperament is one ingredient the Jack Russell's have that make them trainable and versatile. No matter how well a dog is structured, or how beautiful it looks, if it cannot be trained and have its energy channeled in a positive way, it will make a very poor companion and versatility will soon be lost.

A variety of trials, games and tasks are available to Jack Russell enthusiasts, some are:

Go to Ground
A trial event designed to simulate and test a Jack Russell's ability to hunt and work underground. Although, more or less of a game, it is good training toward real earthwork and stimulates the natural instinct to hunt.

Obedience
Up for a challenge the Jack Russell's are excellent obedience dogs. The dog is marked for extreme accuracy and the handler is also marked for deportment and footwork.

Agility
Agility is rather like horse show jumping. The dog is trained to run a course off lead with its handler. The course consists of jumps, tunnels, and other obstacles, and the fastest dog with the fewest faults wins. For the Jack Russell it is an excellent event channeling excess energy and mental stimulation.

Racing
Besides being bright and entertaining, Jack Russell's are very fast. Flat racing and steeplechasing races are held at meets. Some trials will be formal others will be just for fun. Flyball is another sort of racing, with the dogs running down a race lane, with 4 jumps to retrieve balls from a box at the end.

Other Tasks
Jacks are also used successfully in falconry, herding if taught, and in police work. Customs agents use them to detect snakes, especially in the Philippines. They make great therapy dogs, star in film and television shows and in multiple advertising campaigns.