Your Jack Russell follows you everywhere you go. If you sit down, he sits within arm’s length away from you. If you try and hide somewhere, and yes, I’ve had to hide from my Jack Russell from time to time, he will find you and follow you all over the room until you pet him or pay attention to him.
If this is your situation, then your Jack Russell Terrier has become a habitual follower.
But why?
Why Does My Jack Russell Follow Me Everywhere?
Your Jack Russell is following you everywhere because he might be suffering from separation anxiety, or because he is simply trying to earn your attention and love by staying close to you and making himself visible to you at all times.
Reasons why your Jack Russell will follow you
Let’s have a look at why your Jack Russell is following you in more detail.
Your Jack Russell is a Velcro Dog
Velcro dogs are those who simply love you and want to be wherever you are. If they can’t be by your side, they will pout or find themselves in a state of stress. In extreme cases, they will throw temper tantrums or chew your things, like shoes.
Your Jack Russell is an Eager Beaver
Some Jack Russells are simply eager beavers. They are excited about you getting out of bed and ready for the day. They want to go with you on your morning routine and will follow you around the house just to say hi and to make sure nothing bad happens.
Then, once done, they will come back to their bed or favorite area until it is time for them to go outside again.
Your Jack Russell is Attention Seeking
Similar to the eager beaver, these types of Jack Russells want more attention than they get. For some Jack Russells, it is because they are needy while others simply want to have their surrounding space covered.
These types of Jack Russells will follow you around to make sure they are “visible” to you and in doing so, try to earn your attention and love.
Jack Russells that need this type of attention will often whine or bark if you pay them little to no attention. If they don’t receive your love when they demand it, they will often whine or bark until you give in out of sheer exhaustion.
Your Jack Russell has Separation Anxiety
A lot of Jack Russells are this way. Many have separation anxiety, which is a common ailment among many dog breeds. They want to be close to you and often think that if they aren’t with their humans, something bad is going to happen.
A lot of these types of Jack Russells will have separation anxiety and will become clingy and clingy and clingy. They will constantly follow you around the house in hopes that you give in eventually.
For some dogs, this results in your Jack Russell becoming slightly neurotic when left alone but most are able to face this fear with time. Experts recommend separating your dog from the family for at least two hours every day just so that your dog can socialize without being clingy.
Positive Reinforcement
Some Jack Russells just love to be near you. They like being able to smell you and spend time with you. This is the reason that many of them will follow you around the house. They know that following is the best way to earn your attention, love, and hopefully a tummy rub or treat.
This type of positive reinforcement also goes hand and hand with the eager beaver as they will put forth extra effort if they expect something in return.
How to prevent your Jack Russell from following you
Luckily, there are some things you can try and implement in your house to curb this behavior. The thing to remember about Jack Russell Terriers is that they are incredibly intelligent dogs. They are also extremely protective of their territory.
I will go over a few ways to cut back on your hyper and always-at-your-heels Jack Russell Terrier, with at least one method or technique that will work for any person living in the household in question.
1.) Give him enough exercise
Exercising can fix a lot of issues with your Jack Russell. He will be tired from running around and happy to rest with you on the couch or in the bed. While this won’t work for all Jack Russells, many of them are willing to give up their wild antics if they get a short burst of energy after most games of fetch have been played.
If you don’t give your Jack Russell enough exercise, he will often find ways to make his own fun and that usually involves bothering you.
Spend some time away from your Jack Russell
This is a great way to keep your Jack Russell’s attention away from you and give him something else to focus on. A dog that is bored will often find something to entertain themselves with, whether it is a massive chew toy or even a quick nap in your room.
You could also set up some loud/noisy toys for him or even entertaining treats that are sure to get his attention and hopefully a little bit of exercise in as well.
2.) Don’t give him too many treats
When your Jack Russell is following you around the house, it isn’t uncommon for him to grab a treat here and there. Sometimes, you will even drop one on the floor while he is running in circles.
If you continue to give treats, your Jack Russell will continue to follow you around. If he gets a treat every time he follows you from room to room or just spends the night sleeping with you on the couch next to you, then why wouldn’t he want to be around?
3.) Utilize Crate Training
This will give your Jack Russell a much-needed break from simply being with you all the time. You can give him a designated crate that is also out of sight so that he knows that you are not actually home.
If you are crating your Jack Russell and all the time and can’t seem to get him to go in there on his own, simply put some treats in your hand and set them down on the floor next to the crate. He is sure to follow this command.
Do Jack Russells have separation anxiety?
Yes, Jack Russells have separation anxiety. They are natural weavers and they get very attached to their loved ones and like to stay close by. This is especially true when it comes to their owners and the other humans in their life.
This makes sense from a genetic perspective: The dog will want to stick as close as possible since they are used to having another family member around all the time. It also makes sense from an evolutionary perspective: The dog always needs someone around while they are hunting for food or trying to protect their territory from predators.
In today’s world, of course, our Jack Russell Terriers do not have these concerns, but their instincts are still there.
Conclusion
Nearly all dogs love to follow their humans around. This is something that owners should be wary of. If you are not careful, you may come home to a chaotic house with food everywhere, an unmade bed, and used kibble all over the floor.
It is up to the owner to control these behaviors by teaching their dog boundaries and rules. However, those who already train their dogs on a daily basis will find that these behaviors are easily controlled once they are aware of the reasons behind them.
With proper training and socialization, your Jack Russell Terrier can be trained not to follow you around like a shadow.
