We have a 2 year old JRT and had him since a puppy. He is fine with me and our own kids but is aggressive with my husband and other children (I could never trust him alone). When I say he is fine with me to look at him sometimes you would think that he was going to bite my hand off, but I know that he will not actually bite (a bit like a teenager swaring and mouthing off!). I think it is a dominace problem but can anyone help or know of any behavioural experts in the St Helens area? He has not been neutered yet, will this help? We have always owned dogs rather than bitches in the past and never had this problem.

His (or should I say MY) other problem is when ever we get visitors (adults) he bounces of every piece of furniture in the house but gets aggressive if you pick him up to shut him in another room. I have looked all over the web to see if anyone can suggest the appropriate action but they all say to see an expert. I'm not worried for myself but he also had the other JRT trait of jumping any fence to wonder off (I think he's half flee!). He normally has the run of two gardens but because he escapes now has to go everywhere on the lead. I'm worried in case he nips anybody if he does get out.

Please help!

Jo

Hi Jo
My mum has a Jack Russell who too hasnt got the nicest temperament in the world . He is good with my two boys as he has grown up with them but isnt too keen on other children- especially little girls .
I put this down purely to mum not socialising him when he wasyoung I'm afraid . I'm not saying this is the reason for your JRT being the way he is .
He has much of the same traits . As I have never had a Jack Russell I cannot say whether this is usual for the breed or not .
Someone with experience will probably be along soon .
Lel

HI JO
My mum has the most aggessive jrt i've ever heard of.Cookie is a 6 year old bitch, and bites anyone who dares to even reach down to stroke her if she's not in the mood. I personally think it's partly because she was sold at too young an age, and mainly because my mum and brother treat her like a delicate baby.She is unbelievably territorial, and will only walk when she wants to, and will only eat what she wants.She is allowed to do what she wants and when she wants it, or else she'll have an attacking fit, which scares my mum and bro. I have told them repeatedly that it's because she thinks she's pack leader and is controlling them,and I don't think they should keep her as it's ruining my mum's life. Sorry,Jo, not much help to you, but I think jrt are the type of breed that must know the strict rules when they are young otherwise they are too dominant in the household. This Cookie barks at anything that moves, and sometimes spends the whole night barking.She's a beautiful dog, but I wish I could make my family listen.
I suppose JO, your terrier needs to know who's boss, but at what age is it too late? And maybe you've done all that and it's just the nature.Please forgive my rambling...Good luck and please post if you find any good advice.

HI,
Whilst i dont fully subscribe to the 'pack' theory, (some of it makes sense, some imo is utter rubbish) i would say that you need to get tough with this dog NOW.

Try him on a Tardak injection, this is like chemical castration, when it wears off he will be back to himself. If that works, and you may need to give it a while, like have it done twice so you have a month or so of him on it. then neutering him may be PART of the answer. The other part im afraid will be completely down to you.

If he was mine, then he would get absolutely nothing from me unless he earned it. NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE. you can do this by getting him to sit, or do whatever you tell him, before he gets ANYTHING that he wants.

The way to best make this work, is to pay him absolutely NO attention whatsoever for a couple of days, dont speak to him, make eye contact or anything, just pretend he doesnt exist. Also, for those two days, i would cut down on his food, it wont hurt him in the slightest, so long as he is fit and healthy, but it will make him far more willing to pay some attention to YOU.

Then, everytime he wants something, make him earn it, with a sit, or a lie down, or whatever he does.

I highly suspect that he has learned that by growling/snapping/making mean faces, he can get exactly what he wants, and he sounds like he is ruling your house.

Also, i would take a look at the protein levels in his food, and probably i would switch him to something else, with less chemicals in it. I feed raw, so if he was mine, thats what he would get. Dogs can react like kids do to lots of chemicals, which is become hyperactive, and aggressive.

I hate to say this, but he needs to learn that he is NOT the boss of your household, in no uncertain terms.

Em

Thank you to everybody. I was getting to the end of my tether. I've never heard of the injection be will DEFFO be asking the vet. I have also started as you suggest making him sit etc.

The thing is I know he wont bite me but should the rest of the household ignore him and make him sit etc so that he knows he is at the bottom of the pile?

Hopefully the injection might help (might even take my husband for one at the same time!)

Thanks again

Jo

Oh yes, definitely get the whole family to do this too. There's a question-and-answer on a very similar problem in the May edition of Your Dog ("small dog syndrome") - perhaps you could get a copy?

:)

Hi
Just a thought , do you put your dog into another room everytime you have visitors? If so perhaps he associates vistors/ other people as being put in a room on his own which could make him aggressive??????

Newbie to this!

HI there

As my username suggests, I am the proud mum ot 2 JRT's! One of mine I have owned since she was 8 weeks old, (she is a real treasure) the other we adopted from another family at the age of 6 months. The reason that he came to us was that he was showing signs of aggression towards the child, but the child was agravating him and the family were thinking of sending him to a shelter. We thought we would give him a chance as out children were a little older and used to treating dogs with respect. However when he first came to us he did turn on my son, daughter and husband. Nothing major but we felt it had to be dealt with. I took advice from another website and started to make him work for EVERYTHING! His dinner, his walk, his affection, his ball......everything. Also he was not allowed on any furniture - not even on our laps - for 2 weeks. It wasn't easy but what a change in a dog! He has become the most wonderful family pet. Gentle, loving, obedient.....just fantastic. I still get both of mine to 'work' from time to time for things so that they do not take anything for granted. In fact Teddy, the male, automatically and puts up his paw to 'shake' when I go to put his dinner down for him.

I love JRT's. I love their spirit, character and inteligence. But I also feel that they are a breed that need firm but fair discipline (without any physical punishment) and consistency. I read somewhere that someone said that 'JRT's are always a work in progress' and up to a point I think this is true - give them an inch and you are in danger of them taking a yard.

I wish you well and hope that you can overcome this problem

Karen :)