Hiking America with your Jack Russell Terriers
- This site is for people who like to go hiking, and it is for people who wonder about taking their dogs hiking, more specifically their Jack Russell Terriers. You don't have to have a Jack Russell Terrier, but hiking with your pet can present you with special problems.
- This site will help you plan and successfully complete hikes with your Jack Russell Terriers. We have completed over one hundred hikes with our Jack Russell Terriers. We will be posting new hikes as they are completed. Our Database is called Hiking America as we attempt to hike with our Jack Russell Terriers in most of fifty states of the United States of America. Send us an Email if you know of some good hikes in your state.
- Your visit to this site will give you the tools and information to successfully complete hikes with your JRT's or pets, and the both of you will return safely and with a rewarding outdoor experience, even if you have little or no experience at hiking.
The Trouble with Jack Russell Terriers
- Jack Russell Terriers are first and foremost hunting dogs. The traits and skills that make them excellent hunting dogs like the ability to follow scents, digging underground, and their overall aggressive nature can get them and you in big trouble on the trail. They will chase deer for miles or go down a fox hole in a blink of an eye. You can spend the rest of the day chasing a herd of deer down to get your dog(s) back, or end up digging them out of a quarry hole. They tend to wander off the trail which can lead to big trouble. Encounters with porcipines, skunks, or a mother bear with her cubs are situations that you want to avoid. You don't want to see your Jack Russell Terriers running back to you as fast as they can run with a bear chasing them. Another predicament with Jack Russell Terriers, they often get aggressive with larger dogs that they meet on the trail causing chaos in the middle of nowhere.
- By nature Jack Russell Terriers are disobedient, so off lead is always a dangerous situation. They will chase any moving vehicle, so their life depends on how well you are able to train them to obey commands on the trail. Seventy-three percent of Jack Russell Terriers killed by age three are hit by a moving vehicle. Hiking in populated areas is hazardous to your JRT's health.
- If Jack Russell Terriers do not have an outlet for their natural instincts, they can become destructive and develope behavioral problems. They are extremely intelligent and continue to test their boundaries thoughout their lives. This is where hiking fits into the picture. Hiking with your Jack Russell Terriers gives them an outlet for their stored up energy. It allows them to use their intelligence in the woods away from high density living. They have room to run and satisfy their boundless supply of energy in a much safer enviroment.
Tips for Hiking with Jack Russell Terriers
- Over the years, we have discovered a few tricks to help keep control of our Jack Russell Terriers in the field and in the woods. We have three (3) Jack Russell Terriers, Nitro (F), Bandit (F), and Buzz (M). Keeping track of all three of them on the trail is to say the least, a chore. Here are some tips:
- We have special collars with metallic tags that jingle as they move through the woods. Their tags also have their owners name, address, and phone number. You really can track their movements by listening to their tags. If we loose sound of the jingle of Nitro's tags, we stop to investagate before she gets into too much mischief.
- Our Jack Russell Terriers have been Hiking since they have been six (6) weeks old. The sooner they get out on the trail and develope acceptable trail habits, the better. I will admit that for the first six (6) months, you will spend a great amount of time calling them back, scolding them, and making them hike on lead, but it makes a tremendous difference as the reach adulthood (usually around eighteen (18) months). When we leave the trailhead and are a safe distance from the road, we let them loose until we return at the end of the day. They enjoy hiking so much that they are willing to listen to our commands most of the time. They are not perfect by any means, but they try to be obedient.
- At all trailheads, we use a metal "T" stake to attach the JRT's leads too until we are prepared to leave. They are quite geared up to go by this time, and the last thing we need is a loose Jack Russell Terrier running madly around the parking area or out on the road.
- We also carry a small water dish on the trail and dog treats. The treats are for rewards for returning on command if danger or problems develope. The water is neccessary because the JRT's become so involved in the hike, they become overheated. These four tips will help keep your hikes fun and safe.
Fitness and Equiptment
- Fitness...We started hiking as a way to get into shape. The Jack Russell Terrier seemed like a good breed for hiking. Not only are they good for hiking, but there are Jack Russell Terrier trials all over the United States and Canada all year long. The trials include events like go-to-ground, agility, racing, lure courses, and confirmation. To learn more about Jack Russell Terriers click on the links at the bottom of this page (Jack Russell Terrier Club of America, Buckeye State Jack Russell Terrier Club, or Winn Creek Jack Russells). These trials are fun, and they help get your JRT ready for hiking. Agility is very good practice for command training and for endurance because you have to run with your terrier. We usually attend one or two events a year. The backyard practice is where you really get into shape. If you never hiked before, or it's been a long time since you have hiked, start out slow on short easy trails. Work your way up to more difficult hikes, one at a time. Your dogs can gradually increase the distance as you do. We have listed trails that are easy, to trails that are very difficult. Some of our best hikes have been the easy ones. Wherever you hike, make sure it is an unpopulated area. We find the U.S. National Forests the best place in most states, not the U.S. National Parks. You are not allowed to have pets on the trails in the National Parks. There are too many people and cars anyway!
- Equiptment...We only day hike so equiptment for camping is not neccessary. Many of the hikes listed at this site travel into or through designated Wilderness Areas in one of the many U.S. National Forest where roads and civilazation end. The Wilderness Act enacted by Congress in 1964 defines Wilderness as a natural enviroment where "the Earth and its community of life are untrampled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." In short, Your on your own. If weather conditions turn sour, or you become lost, there becomes a chance that you may have to survive the night in the woods....Be Prepared, even if it never happens...Here is a list of the equiptment we take on every hike no matter how short:
- Good Quality Hiking Shoes
- Day Packs for both of us
- Full Length Rain Panchos
- Six (6) Bottles of Water (16oz)
- Water Filter Pump (Never drink from a stream)
- Compass and Topographical Maps of the area we plan to hike
- Extra Dry Shirt, Wool Socks and Liners
- Lunch and Extra Protien Power Bars
- First Aid Kit with Childrens Benadrill for Bee Stings
- Rope, Safety Pins, Lighter, A Sharp Knife
- Treats and Food for JRT's
- Water Bowl for JRT's
- Light weight "T" Stake for Securing JRT's
- Insect Repellant w/Deet and Head Net
- Optional
- Gators (Lower Leg Protectors)
- Gortex Jacket and Pants w/zip off legs
- Hand Gun (Lightweight)
- Camera
- Small Field Binoculars
- A Can of Pepper Spray (In Bear Country)
The Dangers of Hiking with Jack Russells
- We have discussed several dangers when hiking with Jack Russell Terriers. The most dangerous situation again is motor vehichles in motion. The second most serious situation on the trail is getting stung by bees. Because of the nature of JRT's to dig constantly, they tend to find and get into bees' nests, especially yellow jackets that burrow underground. If they get into a yellow jacket nest, they will be stung by quite a few very angry bees that will be trying to protect their nest. Nitro is notorious for getting stung. Her entire head was swollen with both eyes closed shut. We were concerned that her breathing would be cut off. Twice, we had to take her to emergency care. Our vet recommends giving Jack Russell Terriers a tablet of childrens' Benadrill or a teaspoon of childrens' Benadrill for the swelling immediately. Include it in your first aid kit, It works.
- The Forest is by far a much safer place for Jack Russell Terriers than the city. You can ensure a good trip by making sure you and your Jack Russell Terriers have plenty of safe drinking water, purify it when neccessary. Other important items are a topographical map and a compass. If you have never used a map and compass, We highly recommend "Using a Map and Compass" by Don Geary. It will explain Magnetic Declination, True North, Magnetic North, and all the information for ordering the right topographical map for the area you planning to hike. It is easy to get maps for just about anywhere in the United States through the United States Geographical Survey Offices online at:
http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/topomaps/. The 1/24,000 scale maps are five dollars each, but they are delivered in about a week after your online payment. Compasses cost between $15 and $40 and are a must. We prefer an orienteering compass for use with topographical maps.
- Wildlife and Insects
are part of hiking. Insects like ticks, mosiqitoes, and black flies are all waiting for your arrival. They really have nothing else to do but wait. When you finally show up, they take full advantage of you being unprepared. We use insect repellant with Deet. It is powerful, so use it as sparingly as possible. Regular backyard insect repellants are not very effective in the deep woods areas. We have even used head and face screen covers when black flies are active. We use an oil base tick and flea repellent on the dogs called Top Spot by Frontline. We apply it once each month from May through October. This stuff is incredible. The ticks come dropping off in about an hour or so after leaving the trail. Always check your dog several times after returning from a hike and make sure they don't drop off your dog and on to you, especially in your bed. Wildlife is the least of your problems. Moose and deer will get your Jack Russell Terriers excited, controlling them is your only hope. Porcipines, skunks, fox, and groundhogs require the same. Rattlesnakes and Cooperheads are a real threat in many areas. A reader wrote us that their JRT name Jack was biten by a rattle snake in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania on Memorial Day weekend. Even though they got the dog to the vet in time, the vet didn't have the anti-venom serum at the office. They travelled to a nearby hospital to get the serum, but returned to late to save Jack. This is a terrible tale, so be aware of rocky areas where snakes are known to hole up or sun. Bears, wolves, and wildcats should be of concern, but most will leave the area before you arrive. The special metallic tags will warn wildlife of your presence. Should you encounter a bear, there are different approaches for different situations. I would not attempt to advise one solution for every situation, but try to control your dogs first, then back away slowing (never turn and run, a bear can easily out run you and so can your dogs, so that leaves you with the bear). Some experts recommend shouting and waving your arms, while other recommend pepper spray as your best defense, but that's easy to say sitting behind a desk in an air conditioned office. It's quite a different story when your are staring at a Grizzley Bear in the wilderness in Colorado or Wyoming with three Jack Russell Terriers. Our logic is to make extra noise when we are hiking in bear country. It just makes more sense to us to tell the bears we are coming rather than just showing up unannounced.... We have never came up on a bear on the trail. The only bear we have seen was a black bear up on a ridge running away from us while in Colorado. Respect all wildlife and move on is the best advise we can give.
- The last issue of concern are Human Beings. Hikers are probably the best human beings you will ever meet. They all come to the wilderness to get away of the stresses and pressure of everyday life. Most will enjoy meeting your Jack Russell Terriers on the trail, but some want to be left alone. This is especially true on long trails like the Appalachain Trail where solitude is King. So hook up your JRT's and give other hikers the respect that they deserve if they have a problem with your dogs. Then there are the Other People who show up at trailheads, and they are not so nice. Trailheads attract psychos, drugheads and alcohol abusers, who have no thought of hiking. They are there to party, break into your vehicle, rob you, or even kill you. We never carried fire arms until a psychotic gulf war vetern murdered a woman's husband, and then rape her before blowing his own head off with a hand gun just yard up from the trailhead at one of our favorite hiking areas. He had her husband kneel down with his hands behind his head, and then he shot him in the back of the head. Sorry, We're not going that way..... We might be shot, but we're going down kicking and shooting. Everyday you read about damaged vehicles and robberies at trailheads. The hand guns we carry are not for bears, wolves or wildcats. They're for self defense, and that is just a sad fact of life in today's world..... You will probably never need a hand gun on any trail you ever hike, but that's what the lady and her husband thought at our favorite state park. At the trailhead you are disorganized while trying to get your gear together, and trying to keep your dogs under control. When you return from the hike, you are tired and worn out. This is when you are least aware of your surroundings. The trailhead is when you need to be extra aware of anything out of place or strange, just use caution and some common sense. Hiking can be the best way you and your Jack Russell Terriers enjoy the great outdoors. This web site is just fuel for thought before you head out on the trail. We have learned many of these lessons the hard way, but sometimes that is the only way you learn. We hope that we have helped make Hiking with Jack Russell Terriers more enjoyable and most importantly, safe..........!
