Hi all, I've posted before about my BT being aggressive with other dogs and this is a serious post. Just recently he attacked my hot water bottle cover (please don't laugh!), quite sneakily the first time - a quick bite to the nose, but I saw him - and now he has got this bizarre thing where he is "stalking" my soft toys. He did get one down from its perch and totally worried and attacked it. The ones that are higher up, he seems obsessed with trying to get at them to the point of yapping/growling and barking and getting up on his hind legs. He has his own soft toys but he isn't interested in them, only the one's that are out of reach. It's not such a major problem in the house, apart from the fact that I don't want him to be snappy at anyone or anything, but I'm worried that he might see a child outside with a toy and go for it. I do keep him on a short lead outside and also muzzle, but this is a new development which I don't think is positive. Anyone else encountered this? Only had dog about 5 weeks, was rescue before that. Advice gratefully received.

CG

I had a patterdale when i was a child and i do remember him being like that with my teddies. I can't remember why he did it although my dad did say but i know he didn't do it all the time....

Sorry wish i could help more...Maybe it's a dominance thing.?

maybe there are just too many of them and it's just too exciting. my border has lots of toys and chews but only one soft toy. when he destroys it (usually lasts about 3 months) i buy another identical one. that way he knows that it's his. a child would be just the same i'm sure, will always want the toys out of reach or that belong to a friend rather than the ones he/she has. could you try hiding all the others and limiting playtime with your dogs own soft toy.
good luck.

val

He's a Terrier! The one thing about getting a dog from rescue is you never know the TRUE reason they ended up there. I'll tell you now of an incident that happened here. My neice came in the house she was 8yrs old, my Borders adore kids, but they are a working Terrier. "Parsley" a dog I lost last year jumped on her back, I was horrified, Faye (my neice) fell to the floor. I shouted "NO" and Parsley stepped back. I had no idea why he did it, then we heard it, she had a "Furbee" in her ruck sack which was on her back and it was going "yum yum" We all creased up with laughter, Faye was in stitches on the floor, Parsley was licking her to death because he thought he had done wrong, but he hadn't, he had reacted to his instincts. There isn't a fluffy toy of any description in this house, all squeaky toys are destroyed in seconds, and I think I can safely say the majority of Terriers we board do not come in with fluffy or squeaky toys, unless they are wrecked ones! You must remember that a dog bred to kill squeaky, fluffy creatures is not going to react to them the same way as a Labrador should.

I think you are experiencing problems that are specific to Terriers and are not "dangerous", but I can see how they would concern you. Maybe you should consider professional help by consulting a behaviourist, to help you deal with these issues.
Dawn.

Hi Dawn

Couldn't agree more. Every recognised breed of dog has been bred to perform specific tasks for man whether to hunt, set, point, retrieve, herd, guard etc. The breed specific instincts will prevail and be stronger in some dogs than others of the same breed type. You've got a BT - welcome to the world of terriers!! (If I'd learned how to do smiley faces there'd be one right here 'cos I'm remembering the fun we had with ours!!).

Thanks to all for your replies. Having looked at his behaviour again, I noted that the toy he has found was previously in a big box of unpacked stuff - he must have had to dig to find it! Probably that was the fun part. I think he is maybe just playing with it because when he worries it he is wagging his tail and not growling or barking. I have decided to let him have this particular toy and all the others (although there aren't THAT many!) are out of his reach. He is a bit excitable at times but his good points outweigh all his bad ones. I think you are all right and he is just being a terrier and I am just worrying a bit too much.

CG

i think you're completely right - also (if you've looked at any of my zillion posts on here!) i think when you have a new pup its really easy to worry about it all the time, cos you just don't know how much what you do now is going to influence how they turn out. i am gradually learning to chill out i hope!

our 14 wk pup (a cavalier so more bred for retrieving/digging and lapdogging - oh how she loves to sit on a lap!!!) is desperately interested in anything that's out of her reach - i think its partly pups/dogs, they just want to explore and anything they can't have is OH SO MUCH MORE interesting than what they are allowed!

the look of pure delight on ruby's face when she has 'found' some new 'treasure' - it can be a stone dug up, a gardening glove she's come across, an unusual leaf, mum's new pansies (oops), a bit of cardboard or envelope she's foraged off the floor, anything - is just joyous! i mean who'd want an expensive activity toy when you can chew on an envelope that you know your mum doesn't want you to..... ;)

Enjoy!

Ruby sounds just like lewy! Particularly the envelope thing, i cam down the other day having left him and bufffy for 5 minutes to find them both charging around with their insurance documents in their mouths! They'd kindly retrieved them from the coffee table, where they'd been sat for 2 months waiting to be filed, i managed to wrestle them of them and finally put them away. Luckily no damage was done to the paperwork (the envelopes were dead though!), can you imagine how embarrassing it would have been ringing petplan to ask for duplicates because 'the dog had eaten them!'

Dogs! Don't you just love them!

Erin

My poodle only plays with stuffed animals. He has his and I have a few I always try to leave out of his reach that I got as gifts. He only wants them because he is not allowed. Whenever he starts trying to get to the ones he is not allowed to have I walk him to his corner and pull out his favorite (an Alvin doll from the Chipmunks) and entertain him with that for a while. Then he loses interest in mine. It's something new and exciting for your dog.

I know you said not to laugh, but I couldn't help it your post was so funny!!

Seriously though, Molly (Terrier also - Westie) has never had a fluffy toy until recently. We moved house and about a week before we moved we had loads of boxes around and poking out the top was a jointed teddy with a jumper on which she just went up and stole from the box. (Don't have any teddies around the house so was prob te first she's ever seen) Was going to take it off her but she was going totally mad with it - throwing it round the room and leaping on it. Now it's her favourite toy as I couldn't bear (ged it?) to take it away from her. Last night she ripped his leg off but she knows who 'teddy' is and sleeps in her bed with him.

Its a terrier, bred for generations to hunt/ kill small fluffy things & you cannot expect it to react any differently just because it lives in a house with you!
Just accept it for what it is.

Well said. people seem to forget that dogs have been adapted for certain purposes.
I myself owned a border terrier and she was a nightmare when near other dogs ( especially jack russel terriers!) A good way to tackle the situation is to femove the stimulus and therefore stop the undesirable behaviour.

I admit I haven't had a dog for many years, since a child in fact and I'm only now learning that different breeds bring different things. I'm very grateful for all your advice and tonight the little one is snoozing in his basket like he had no cares in the world! I've never had a terrier before, just labs, which are a whole different ball game. I do love my dog and I agree I accept him for what he is - he is learning to behave (Cadburys Twirls work wonders!!).

CG

My yorkshire terrier adores cuddly toys and currently has 4 on the go. Her absolute favourite is nessy, which she commandeered before i found it was a present to my boyfriend from his mother, oops!! She carries it all the time, presents it to me when i get home, it is her most prized possession, much washed and repaired (while she sits patiently on marks lap for its return!) We knew she had definately accepted Lewy into the family when she took nessy over to him to play, up until then if lewy showed any interest in nessy she'd take him another toy and swap!

Erin