Health Issues Affecting Jack Russell Terrier Training
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Few of the things that can potentially stop or slow down jack russell terrier training are the health concerns common to this breed. Even though jack russell terriers are recognized to be generally healthy with long life expectancy, some lines are noted for having some health issues including:
Eye Problems.
One of the most common health issues affecting jack russell terriers is lens luxation. Usually appears in dogs about three to eight years of age, lens luxation is characterized by dislocation or displacement of the lens inside the eye. It could be an inherited disorder or a result of injury or trauma to the eye. Luxation, particularly anterior luxation, can also trigger another eye disorder called glaucoma which can further lead to partial or total blindness.
Cataract is also another eye disorder common to this breed.
Congenital Deafness.
Hearing problems in dogs may either be inherited or acquired caused by infection, injury or toxic exposures before or immediately after birth.
Musculoskeletal Problems.
A jack russell terrier may suffer from Legg Perthes, a condition in which the hip joint deteriorates because of the blood flow being interrupted. It may cause progressive lameness, stiffness of affected limb and pain when moving the hip.
Patellar luxation (also called luxating patella), a condition affecting the knees is also common to this breed.
Although the talked about health issues do not usually change a dog’s mental capacity, dog training can be quite difficult considering their physical restrictions. Your pet with luxating patella may find it hard to learn and perform various tricks such as play-dead, crawl, roll over and others. He may not even play fetch with you due to painful hips caused by Legg Perthes.
If you own a dog with particular medical condition, the least you can do is know more about the disease and find out what is ought to be done to help prevent the disease from progressing if you cannot completely eradicate it. Be wary of your pet’s condition and be sensitive to his needs instead of pushing him to obey what you would like him to do.
