Millie is my 9-month-old Jack Russell Terrier who joined my family in September 2024.
I've had three Jack Russells before, and while most people make comments like, “Wow, those dogs have a lot of energy!” or my favorite, “You must have your hands full,” I truly believe all puppies are a lot of work. My general response is, "I’m a high-energy human, so we make a good pair!"
The reason I love Jack Russells is simple: they’re a big dog trapped in a small body. I want a dog who can do things with me, not one who’s going to nap on me. (Ask my husband how often I’m napping, and you’ll understand why I don’t need a napping partner!)
Jack Russell Terriers are often listed alongside breeds like Border Collies, Vizslas, and German Shepherds as great running dogs. Outdoor Magazine describes them as “small but mighty, with boundless energy,” and I can absolutely attest to that! Jack Russells were originally bred to hunt foxes and small rodents, which is why their biggest flaw as runners is their distracting noses!
My previous Jacks were named Hops and Stout. Both of them ran with me regularly, covering distances of 5 to 10 miles, but they were known to tag along on 20-mile marathon training runs and overnight backpacking trips. Just like humans, dogs need to train for long distances, and it’s important to monitor them for overexertion and injury.
So, how did I go about training Millie?
Thanks to my experience with Hops and Stout, I had a few things I wanted to do differently, and better, this time around.
First, I tackled the puppy basics:
Potty training
Crate training
Basic obedience (Sit, Stay, Lay down)
Walking on leash
Some of these were easy (like crate training and sit/lay down), but others were harder than expected (like walking on a leash). Jack Russells are incredibly smart but also very opinionated, which can make training frustrating. Their simple way of thinking is: “I want to do that” or “I don’t want to do that.” They don’t respond well to discipline, so it’s best to ignore bad behavior and praise the good behavior—something that can be difficult to do!
After getting the basics down, we moved on to more advanced tricks:
Shake and roll over
Running around the block on leash
Running on the trails off-leash
Millie’s strong motivation for treats was key in all of this training! Were tricks like shake and roll over essential for running? Not at all. But any training helps to learn new commands and bond us further.
Millie also spends a lot of time with me at work. Here’s what a typical day looks like for her:
Morning: Millie wakes up, goes outside for potty time, then has breakfast and chews on a bully stick or something to keep her busy.
Walk/Run: Once we’re ready, we head out for a walk or run.
Work: Millie joins me at work, greeting clients and napping while I do my massage sessions. She also enjoys harassing Tiny, our cat, throughout the day.
Evening: We like to play tug-of-war, and on nice days, I take Millie for walks between clients so we can both enjoy the fresh air.
When I decided to get Millie, I knew there would be challenges that many dog owners overlook. It's easy to get fixated on the outcome (getting a running partner) or the cuteness of a puppy, and forget about the work involved in raising one.
I wanted to get Millie in the winter so I’d have more time to train her before summer, when I would want to take her on adventures. This meant a lot of potty training in the cold! Since I don’t have a backyard, I have to go outside with her every time.
I also knew that getting a dog meant I would be taking on the bulk of the work. As a self-employed person, I can take Millie to work with me, which gives me flexibility in deciding when she stays home or is crated, depending on my client schedule. But I was also on “puppy duty” nearly all day. In the early days, it reminded me of being a new mom—there was no escaping it!
But the biggest challenge was getting through the early puppy days when all I really wanted was to take her running. Even though my patience was tested (sometimes I didn’t have much left to give), it paid off. Millie is a much better running partner than my previous Jack Russells, and overall, she’s a much better-behaved dog.
Here are the 5 steps I took to train Millie to run with me:
1. You have to walk before you can run.
Millie didn’t like the leash or harness at first. She did well walking off-leash, which made it tempting to train her that way from the start. But I knew that could lead to her being bad at running on a leash, and sometimes, a leash is necessary. I needed her to be leash trained. After trying a few harnesses, I found she did best (to my surprise) with just a collar. I also started taking her on a weekly 2-mile hike in the mountains to build endurance, even though she wasn’t old enough to run at that point.
2. Little jogs during our walks.
Since dogs shouldn’t exercise vigorously while still growing, I started with short jogs—just a block at a time, alternating with walks for 10-15 minutes. If she got tired, we’d walk, but that rarely happened. This approach is similar to what I’d recommend for a human runner starting out.
3. Short runs during my warm-ups.
As I was training for a race, I used my 15-minute warm-up to run with Millie. We’d run for 15 minutes at a time on a leash, which helped her focus and stay engaged. I also learned some key things about her: It takes her about 5 minutes to settle in, and she always needs a potty break in the first 15 minutes of her run.
4. First long-duration runs on the trails.
Trail running is where Millie truly thrives. The freedom of being off-leash is great for her, and since my pace varies on the trails, she can run and walk as needed. This was the perfect environment for her early long runs.
5. Running on leash for longer durations.
Once Millie had recovered from her spaying procedure, I started taking her on my 45-60 minute runs on-leash, spacing them out every other day. This helped build her stamina for longer runs.
The key is not to force it and to keep it fun (even though that can be challenging if they’re misbehaving!). As someone who takes training seriously, I don’t take Millie on key workouts where I need to focus or run faster than she can sustain. It’s important to avoid situations where your dog becomes a trip hazard, or you’re getting pulled, or running too fast too often.
Overall, I’m so proud of how far Millie has come as a running partner. I had a vision of what I wanted her to do, but I also had realistic expectations. Each dog is different, and I knew it might not go exactly as planned. So far, I’m pleased with how it’s worked out!
Comments