Baci the
Jackapoo

Jackapoo
Baci and his Giant Ball


Baci at Puppy Kindergarden
We got our Jackapoo puppy, Baci, in October 2005. He is now two and 1/2 years old. A Jackapoo is a mixed-breed dog that is half Jack Russel Terrier and half Miniature Poodle.



Special Update! Baci was featured in
the March issue of Dog Fancy magazine!
PAGE 1   |   PAGE 2

PooPals - Meet Baci's e-friends! Now: 52 Jackapoo's

Baciwood. See the Jackapoo in action!
(Windows Media or Quicktime required - please allow time to load)
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Baci plays in
his blanket
  Baci chases
his leash

* BEST ONE *
  Baci opens his
Christmas gift
  Baci plays
with toy duck
  Baci attacks
his red shoe
 



Greek food again?

Update Spring 2008: Well, for once I have a reasonable excuse for the late update to Baci's webpage - it seems Irene and I expecting some puppies of the, errr, human kind. That's right, puppies - as in twins! With that news, take a look at Baci's newest (and arguably cutest) trick: Kiss the Babies (takes 20 seconds to load). This brings up a great topic - keeping your pup happy and not jealous if children come after he or she does. Currently I give Baci probably three hours of attention on most nights. Obviously this is going to decrease once we're caring for two newborns. How do we make him welcome and love our new additions rather than be jealous? If you have any tips please write in to share!

Terrible Teens :-(
Another Jackapoo owner (and a PooPal) has just written in to inquire about recent negative changes in her Jackapoo's behavior. Her Poo is two-and-a-half just like Baci, and unfortunately, Baci seems to be having similar issues. In a nutshell, our Jackapoo's are not as friendly as they used to be to other dogs (and for her's, people as well). Baci used to love every dog he met. Now, however, I'd say he ignores 50% of them, likes 25% of them and seriously dislikes the remaining 25%. We had chalked this up to "just getting older," but it has serious ramifications.

We too take Baci to the park much less often - and when we do I stand outside w/him to try to make sure he's cool with the dogs that are in the park before entering. One thing we have noted is that he is agressive towards puppies far more than other dogs.

Another possibility we are considering is that he is now walked is day with a pack -- 5 - 8 other dogs our walker takes out all at once. Our walker has told us Baci has become quite dominant in the pack, so we were thinking perhaps this "attitude" has rubbed off on him in other social situations as well.

I know other terrier owners who have faced the same problem, but what is the solution? I must admit, it's also possible he's just spolied. We are going to book a private session with Baci's trainer soon to try and get to the bottom of this. We will of course keep everyone here posted. One trick that seems to help is this: If your jackapoo is becoming aggressive towards another dog, turn him around so his butt is facing the other dog and hold him there. With this, you are forcing your Poo into the submissive position. We have had some luck with this...

We have about six new PooPals on deck to add - they will be up soon!



Update December 2007: The Jackapoo would like to wish everyone a a great holiday season and a Happy New Year! Baci has become an expert at opening presents and we often enlist his skills in tearing wrapping paper off a box! This is the first year Baci has been left alone with our Christmas Tree, and we are thankful (though surprised) that he has been leaving the tree alone.

Less fortunately, Baci developed a horrible case of Kennel Cough two weeks ago. For those of you who have experienced this, you know it can be very frightening as your Jackapoo hacks and wheezes and sounds like he or she can't breathe. After a trip to the Vet he has recovered nicely. This is the great caveat of the Dog Park though - although Baci loves his park and we feel it's really a necessity to let him run around off-leash almost every day, there are a lot of bugs your dog can catch there. Someone mentioned to me there is an oral vaccine for kennel cough - we are going to ask our Vet about this - I'll let you know what he says.

Strangely, only three new Jackapoo's have writtem Baci to be a PooPal lately - meet Pancake, Dora and Ruth! Have a great New Year!



Update October 2007: Apologies once again for the late updates... It's such a difference to see your Poo go from a puppy to a young man -- Baci can now actually just chill out, or keep himslef occupied playing with something - this is something we never even could've imagined just a few months ago.

As you can see on the top of this page, I was able to score a gigantic tennis ball from the US Open. We highly recommend a large, tough ball (not vinyl!) to keep your Poo occupied. Because Baci can't lift it or use his mouth on it - only push it around - it drives him absolutely nuts! Here is a video clip of him playing with it! (will take a few minutes to download)

A new PooPal, wrote in mention their Jackapoo rings a bell when he has to do his business. Since Baci does this as well, I thought I'd bring it to everyone's attention as it's pretty easy to teach them:

  1. Get a small metal bell, tie it to a string and hang on or to the side of the door you use when you take your Poo out. Hang it so the bell is even with their nose or a bit higher.
  2. Everytime you take out your Poo for a potty break, ring the bell right in front of them first.
  3. Hold treats near the bell and treat your Poo everytime he or she touches or rings the bell.
  4. After just a week or so, your Poo should start associating the bell with going out to go.
  5. The first 12 - 15 times your Poo rings the bell themsleves to signal he or she needs to go out, reward and praise them lavishly!
That's it! The only drawback is Baci has since learned to use the bell just when he doesn't have to go, but just wants to get our attention - sneaky devil!

Lastly, if you know a responsible person in the States looking for a Jackapoo - we'd like to introduce you to "Squirt". Our breeder is looking to give her a good, no great, home, so contact Janice through that link if you're seriously interested.

We have added 13 more Jackapoo's (and Jack-a-doodels) to Baci's PooPals second page. Baci will be a punk rocker for Halloween - pic to follow!



Update August 2007: Apologies again for the late updates - that darn "real world" keeps getting in the way of my Jackapoo website... First - I'm happy to say that young Baci is completely healed - his stiches are out, cone is off his head and he is 100%! Thank you all who sent kind wishes! Next, we had to deal w/a horrendous ear infection as well. Have you ever had to give your Poo ear drops? Baci was, uhmm, non-cooperative, to say the least! It got to the point where when I took the medicine out of the fridge he would immediately hide under our bed. Smart Poo. It was a brutal, twice daily battle, but the infection is now gone as well.

Baci also just had his first haircut in over a year. He is one clean-cut, dapper Jackapoo. Though I must say lots of people miss his sable mohawk. Quick, yicky note here -- a good groomer will clean out your Jackapoo's anal gland when you take him or her in for "full service" - this is important for their health and should be done once a year.

I have also finally gotten around to putting up a gaggle of new PooPals - in fact I had to add a second page. Pics of Baci new haircut to follow soon!



Update June 2007: Please forgive the delay in updating this site! We've had a rough couple of weeks as poor Baci recieved five stiches on his face after being badly scratched up by a big, mean husky. Of course we didn't see it coming, but please take this as a warning to keep a close eye on your Poo, especially around dogs you don't know well. Baci must now wear a cone on his head, which of course he's not very fond of.

Otherwise tough, he's still the same happy, spirited little guy. Even the day after this incident. This speaks volumes about the tenacity of our terriers. On a brighter note, Baci was featured in a junior high school talent contest (for charity) and was a huge smash! Although I have video I need to figure out how to get his DVD into a Web video format - hopefully it will be up here for you soon. Get well soon, Baci boy!



Update April 2007: phew! Eight new Jackapoo's (and Jackadoodles) have been added to Baci's PooPals page since our last update. If you've written in with a pup, please email again with an adult photo -- it's very helpful (& interesting) to all to see what a Jackapoo puppy looks like when he or she grows up. Zack's owner, Bill, just sent in a follow up pic of Zack (scroll down). Thanks, Bill.

But onto Baci... First, a new toy recommendation - we recently got Baci a large, hard plastic ball. It's too large for him to hold in his mouth so it drives him absolutely nuts. Here are two brief clips of him playing in the snow with it:
Hardball One | Hardball two
This is a great way to keep your Poo occupied for quite a while. One note though - this ball is too loud to use indoors!

As for tricks, Baci's latest is "Bashful," where on command he covers his eye with his paw. (ideally both eyes with two paws, but we're still working on it). Irene "cheated" a bit to teach Baci this trick-- she took a very small piece of scotch tape, placed it on his forehead, and then began to associate the arm movement Baci was making trying to get the piece of tape off with the "Bashful" command.

Health-wise, we recently had to give poor Baci a round of anibiotics, as our entire dog park had come down with Kennel cough (or something). We saw no side effects and he is fine now. If you go to any dog runs or dog parks, you may want to try to stop your Poo from drinking at a public water bowl. We've also just restarted his flea & tick medicine as it seems Spring has finally sprung. I am finally buying a digital video camera soon, so stay tuned for more, better videos of Baci in action!



Update February 2007: We have just expanded Baci's PooPals page - including adding FOUR new Jackapoo's and adding the message each owner has sent to us. Baci now has an incredible 16 online penpals! So please take a look. I am working on a new page of Jackapoo Training Tips, as that is what many are asking about, but it's not ready yet, so please be patient.

Baci passed his yearly physical with flying colors and - to our amazement - stood calmly on the vet table while being examined and getting his shots! He is truly progressing from the "little punk" stage to civilized dog, so all of you with younger Poo's - be patient and hang in there! The top of his hair has really become silver now - to the point where someone recently accussed me of dyeing it. Nope! He also weighs in at 16 lbs, amazing as we did not expect him to grow past 12lbs. We've switched to filling his bones with light cream cheese instead of the regular stuff :-) The new trick we're trying to teach him is Bow - where he lowers his head but keeps his hind quarters raised. We'll keep you all posted!

Hope to have more pics soon but, as somone else mentioned to me, it's very difficult to get good shots of a black puppy!



Update December 2006: Baci would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas & Happy Chanakuh! I would like to apologize for taking so long to update this site -- things have been hectic! In fact, Baci has been nagging me to update his webpage for some time now :-)

First, I finally have a pic of Baci in his lighted Land's End jacket from the the modelling job he did for them. It will be up here very soon.

As for tricks, we have trying to teach him "Speak" - where he barks after we say "Speak!" (or "Say Hello") This is turning out to be extremely tough as, unlike physical movements you can help coax a dog into with treats, there is no way to "prompt" him to bark. The best way so far has to ignore him when he wants to play, so he starts complaining, then reward those sounds with the Speak! command. But we have a long way to go here, folks.

Next, I'm embarassed to say that, after a year of being firm, firm, firm, we have caved and are now letting Baci sleep in bed with us from time to time. This stems from a desire - perhaps need - to sleep late on some weekend mornings. We found that if we take him into bed he curls up and goes back to sleep instead of waking us up at 7AM. But the price, of course, is that now the Jackapoo always wants to sleep in bed!

I just received some nice pics from Baci's latest PooPal - Sami from Ontario, Canada. Could they be lost twins or what?

Health-wise, Bacismo is going to the vet next week for his yearly shots and a check-up. We were supposed to practice having hims stand on a table as we was very difficult last time we went. oops. he has been evry itchy lately so I think we'll take a fresh stool sample in for them to check for parasites. I had the "pleasure" of pulling a dead mouse outta Baci's mouth on a walk through the park two weeks ago, and have been a bit freaked ever since. It's a terrier's nature to hunt though, right?

We picked up Baci two really great jackets from the same company that makes Air Force jackets, in Tennesse. Check it out. Baci looks so sharp in his new bomber jacket, strangers stop him on the street! (and we've seen this online for twice as much as it is here)

That's about it - have a Happy New Year and please do keep in touch!



Update September 2006: First some exciting news - Baci completed his second work assignment this month - a photoshoot for a children's clothing company called Crembebè. Unfortunately he was not as cooperative we would have liked -- I think all the commotion was getting to him. But some of these pics will likely be used in their next set of advertisements.

Check out some of the shots here. (Note: these are our own shots from tagging along, not official proofs).

Behavior-wise it's been a mixed-month at best. We think that since Irene was off all summer he had grown accustomed to near constant companionship. Now, with less time to spend with him he's become very demanding when we're home. We used to give him Flossies to buy a free hour, but nowadays he gobbles one up in less than five minutes. We have admittedly slacked off on modification efforts such as time-out's, so it's time to put our foot down this fall!

On the bright side, we're working on documenting some of Baci's tricks. So far I have only some basics videoed that are good enough to share:
Roll-over
Moonwalk

More shall follow soon!

There's also a very funny clip of Baci and cousin Ruby playing with the sprinkler this summer. (note: this one takes some time to load)



Update August 2006:

Baci had his first swim two weeks ago!
Jackapoo Swimming
Taking a dip with cousin Ruby.

Baci's 1st Birthday was a huge success!
Jackapoo Birthday
Enjoying his canine Kongcake.

Two more new pics have been added, below.

 
The Jackapoo has been having a terrific summer. As you can see, we took him out to cousin John's in the Hamptons and he got to go swimming. There was a bit of trepidation, shall we say, but slowly, step by step he entered the pool. Baci seemed to prefer just floating on a raft over actual swimming -- perhaps we're rubbing off on him? We also let him off-leash (the property is not fenced) for most of the weekend. It can be terrifying wondering if your pup will simply just run off into the woods - but, luckily, Baci stayed close by. We've been testing out some off-leash play in the city lately too.

Some product news: we want to mention the wonderful Larz Pet Gear Z-Leash and Z-Collar we've been using on walks. The leash has a "stretchable" elastic section, so if you have an excited pup who pulls during walks, it gently "snaps him back," and resists his pulling. The collar is thickly padded, with a Martingale style connection to help prevent choaking. There's even a way to fasten the collar through a seatbelt for safety while driving (something Irene has been doing frequently as we hate to lug his crate to the car for every trip). Products take a LONG time to arrive though.

Behavior-wise, Baci has been barking MUCH more often than he ever was before. We're not sure why he's suddenly taken to it, but it can be very annoying to us and, I'm sure, our neighbors. We haven't focused on discipline for this yet, but plan to start soon -- if you have any suggestions please let us know! On the positive side of this, we'd love to teach him how to bark on command. To me, this seems like one of the toughest tricks to teach as it's not a physical action, per se. Irene has been working on "Sneak attack" - where he crouches down and crawls forward. It's very cute. I also plan to work on saying "Other way" after "Roll over," so Baci will then roll over in the other direction -- the Double Roll.


Update July 2006: Lots of news over the last two months. First, we're pleased to report that Baci has just completed his first paid job! He was selected by Land's End for a press show, modeling their new lighted dog coats. I'll post some pictures as soon as we receive them. Great job, Baci Boy!

We've had a few health issues this month as well :-( First, after visiting family up in Connecticut, we discovered a tick on Baci's chin when we got back home. It was already dead, thanks to Frontline, I assume, but he wasn't very happy when we removed it with tweezers. Also, our poor poo had developed a "hot spot" on his back. We took him to the vet, who had to trim his hair a bit so we could treat it. After a week of antibiotics and a topical ointment, I'm pleased to say it's just about completely healed.

I'm planning on adding a page of Baci's e-friends -- posting all the pictures of other Jackapoo's we've heard from since starting this page, so if you have a Poo send me a pic asap! Our breeder recently had a new litter of Jackapoo's - they are so gorgous, like little black & white cookies. I'm working hard trying to convince my wife to get Baci a little sister! New pics will be added to this page very soon.

Last but not least - Happy Birthday, Baci! Baci will turn one year old on July 18th! Irene is planning a PooParty at the local dog park - pics to follow!



Update June 2006: Baci has completed his first paid gig! Our jackapoo was selected by Land's End to model their new lighted dog coats (they light up for extra safety). Considering all the commotion at the shoot, he did very, very well. Here he is with a fellow model:
Now if he could only get one of these jobs a week, he might begin to cover his costs ;-)

We're wishing you continued success on your path to stardom, Baci-boy!


Update May 2006: I'm sure I sound like the typical proud parent, but Baci is so smart it's nearly unbelieveable. Irene has taught him so many tricks and he's mastering all of them -- sit, stay, lie down, jump, spin, roll over and even moonwalking! I've been working on frisbee and catch -- both of which are coming along nicely. Baci was catching off a bounce but this week he is starting to catch the ball directly from in the air! I know he loves to play as he'll often walk over with a tennis ball and drop it at my feet no matter what I'm doing!

We are, however, having some issues with a big bully at the local park :-( Baci loves ALL dogs, but this big S.O.B. seems to have it in for him. One would think the owner would take some responsibility and pull him off our much smaller Baci, but no such luck.

Health-wise, we are starting flea prevention rx soon. I've started treating Baci to some of that spread-able Liverwurst in his hollow bones - he LOVES it!

Oh yeah, we also entered Baci in the Old Navy new mascot search contest. Here's his profile. Good luck, Baci Boy!


Update April 2006: phew! We are pleased to report that with great advice from our trainer, Baci has been much better behaved the last few weeks. We have implemented an aggressive program of "time-out's" any time he does something naughty, and it seems to be paying off quite nicely. Jumping up has sharply reduced, as has grabbing things, jumping on the furniture, harassing us at meals, etc. We definitely recommend you practice time-out's religiously so your pup will learn how to behave.


Update March 2006: At almost 8 months, Baci is becoming a very bad little boy :-(   Though many people warned us "it's going to get worse before it gets better," that's a small consolation when your living with a little black demon! If you have any tips on how to keep a puppy in-line -- ideally using only positive reenforcement -- please share! randrewkenney @ yahoo.com



Introduction

Baci is an extremely bright and energetic puppy. Make sure you're willing to spend lots of time with your pup if you're considering a Jackapoo -- these are by no means "lap dogs," but require serious amounts of mental and physical excercise, every single day. The saying in our house is that he's all Jack and no Poo. I'm sure some Jackapoo's have a more poodle-ish disposition, but besides his coloring Baci is exactly like a Jack Russel Terrier.

One of the best ways to provide mental excercise for your Jackapoo (or any terrier, really) is to throw away your food bowl and feed your dog only through a Kong Toy or Molecular Ball -- this way your dog is expending energy and solving a puzzle every time he eats. Baci loves rolling around his Kong to extract his breakfast or supper!


Baci in Action!

Breeders

It's difficult to find a lot of information on Jackapoo's online, which is one of the reasons I created this page. We got Baci from a terrifc, responsible breeder in rural Missouri - DoubleJ Kennel. The poor little fella had to fly to reach us in NY. Be sure to ask for Janice if you contact them!

Some, perhaps many, cannine enthusiasts consider ANY breeder who intentionally breeds mixed-breed dogs to be irresponsible. I respectfully disagree this assertion -- why on earth is it fine to breed "pure breed" dogs but not mixed ones? Yes, of course their many, many dogs in need of rescue -- but that includes lots of pure breeds, not just mixed breed dogs!

At any rate, please be sure to get your Jackapoo only from a rescue program or responsible breeder - never a pet store!

Facts About Baci

Of course I can't say for sure if the notes below extend to all Jackapoo's, but here is some info on little Bachismo:

Super Social: Baci loves other people, other dogs, kids and basically any other living thing. He is a very social puppy. In fact we've yet to run into any dog that he was afraid of. Conversely though, Baci HATES being alone. (This is just like Jack Russells.) This can make crating him to go out or attend to household chores a heart-breaking experience. We take his crate in the bedroom at night which has helped tremendously. Of course even though it's hard, you MUST ignore a whining or crying pup in his crate (unless of course he needs to eliminate).


Baci loves kids - just ask Nicholas!
Smart: At first, we were containing Baci in a 36" x-pen, as he was too young to be crated each day (a dog sitter visits Baci twice a workday). At 4 1/2 months, though, he was jumping right over it, out of his pen (this was a 7lb dog!). We quickly replaced that pen with a 48" metal pen. The very next day, we found him out again -- Baci was now pulling himself on the metal cross bars of the pen to pull himself up and over. Smart little devil! So from now on, it's the crate only when we're not home!

Playful and Energetic: As I mentioned in the introduction, this Jackapoo has almost endless energy (though he does sleep 12 - 14 hours a day). We are often worn down long before he is! Toys are a great solution to keep your pup occupied (and save your home!). Baci is especially drawn to toys that squeak or make noise. Chew toys, of course, are also essential. Baci loves flossies and Bully Sticks. Remember, your dog should always have a chew toy when he is in his crate.

Plush toys, are unfortunately out of the question -- Baci rips them apart within minutes. He loves to de-stuff any plush toy :-) So far only one of 15 has been able to survive our little devil! Last, buy some hollow marrow bones, spread cream cheese, liverwurst or peanut butter on them and put them in the freezer. This can occupy your little guy for hours - great to give him right before you leave the house and he'll be alone.

Allergies: Though irresponsible breeders often bill Jackapoo's (or Cockapoo's or Labradoodles) as "hypoallergenic" there is nothing to substantiate such a claim. I have terrible cat allergies, but Baci doesn't bother me at all. A family friend, however, is highly allergic to him. Bottom line is allergies are different for everyone, but just because the dog's father was a poodle (poodles produce no dander) certainly does not guarantee a "hypoallergenic" dog. Steer clear of breeders that claim otherwise!

Diet: We feed Baci mostly dry but a bit of wet puppy food, now twice a day. Baci also loves just about any other food -- especially meat, chicken, American cheese, cream cheese and carrots. Never give a dog grapes, chocolate or lettuce. You should also avoid high sugar foods, including many brands of dog treats.

Update 4/06 - now at 8 months old, we have switched from puppy to adult dog food. This was because a) most of his adult teeth have come in and b) quality puppy food contains high amounts of protein, which also gives a pup excessive energy. It's our hope that a lower-protein food will help calm Baci down. Similarly, we found that cutting peanut butter out of his diet has helped slow him down a bit.



Favorite Puppy Links
PupLife   Our favorite online pet store!
DogHobbyist   For VERY serious dog discussions.
Perfect Paws   Informative training tips & advice.
Empire of the Dog   Our trainer's website
DoubleJ Kennel   Baci's country home!
PuppyFind.com   Best site to find a puppy.
Riley   Another Jackapoo site!

Locate a Rescue/Shelter


MORE PICS & INFO WILL BE ADDED SOON !!

Baci with little cousin Will.   It's good to get out of the City!.
Baci with his cousin Will.   It's good to get out of the City!


Jackapoo in flightsuit   Jackapoo chillin' out.   Jackapoo coming home.
Baci is a Top Gun!   A brief moment of rest.   Welcome home! Baci has DOUBLED in size...


Baci the Jackapoo and Roxy the Bulldog.
Face Off: Baci and his main squeeze, Roxie Girl

CONTACT US -

ALL MATERIALS ON THIS SITE ARE COPYRIGHT © - R. A. KENNEY 2006

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