At my wits end with JRT pup :(

[JingleBellsJuliet]

I've posted before about my pup and, despite working with a behaviourist, things are going from bad to worse :( I don't know what to do.

He's 10 months old, came from a friend of mine who has both parents; both lovely, well balanced, nice natured dogs. I've had him from 8 weeks, carried him everywhere before his jabs had kicked in, introduced him to "nice" dogs, traffic, bikes, kids etc etc. I've tried to do everything right, I really have.

He's scared of everything. He starts to tremble as soon as his lead and harness come out (yet he seems to quite enjoy his walks), he's petrified of cars, bikes, horses, cats, strange dogs, noises, bins... The list is endless.

We've had problems with dog aggression from around the time he was allowed to go down for his first walk. With dogs he's known from day one (my other dog, plus about 10 others), he's absolutely fine; very playful, happy and no hint of aggression, however, if he so much as spots another strange dog, he launches a full on snarling attack. We've been avoiding triggers, as much as you can with a dog that's scared of everything, but there are occasions where we've encountered someone with a dog coming round a blind corner, or coming out of their front door, or some bloody idiot has let their unleashed dog come running over to my on lead, muzzled, clearly aggressive one and he just flies at them. I've been bitten several times now whilst trying to stop him hurting another dog. He's also injured himself, ripping claws off whilst trying to get out of his muzzle. If anything, muzzling makes him worse as it stresses him out, so there's a hyped up dog before we even meet a "trigger".

I posted just after Christmas after he went for ds. He was stressed out by the snow, it was dark, and ds came running over with his hood up and covered in snow, and pup just lunged. Fortunately, he was on the lead and no damage was done, but we've been working with a behaviourist ever since.

In the house, he's a fab little thing; happy, loving and sweet when it's just me and ds. At the weekend, my neighbour, who he's met several times before and always been happy with, popped round to help me with something. Pup barked a bit when she first came in but then seemed fine, and didn't bother us for the first 10 minutes or so. We were sat chatting, pup was on one side of me and neighbour on the other, she spoke to him and he just lunged at her face, full on attack. Fortunately, I managed to grab his scruff as he went over me, but he wouldn't calm down and was really going for her. Cue, I've been bitten yet again :(

I'm at a loss with him. I love him to bits, and I can deal with his oddness and aversion to other dogs, but I can't cope with aggression towards people. I just don't trust him at all. I have a 9yo ds and I can't stop him having friends around, or avoid having people around myself, and I don't want to have to shut the dog away in his crate all the time just in case. He's never shown aggression to ds in the house, but I'm on edge all the time just in case he does, as he can turn at the drop of a hat, and I'm losing count of all his triggers.

My behaviourist has basically said that sometimes, it's just how a dog is, and I need to make the decision on whether I can cope with him being unpredictable, as training can only do so much, but I don't think I can cope. It would break ds's heart if we had to get rid, and I've never given up on a dog yet, but I've also never had one that has shown human aggression like this, and I don't know if I can take the chance with my child.

On top of this, my older dog, who used to be a bit odd with strange dogs, but has had lots of training and positive reinforcement and is now pretty good on the whole, has started joining in with the barking and growling, and seems hell bent on defending her mate, which is making it impossible to walk them together, but walked separately, the one left at home is just bloody miserable. I'm bloody miserable. I hate walking the dogs nowadays, big dog isn't getting the long walks she used to because I can't do them both together and pup screeches the place down when I leave him without her there.

I don't know what to do :( Someone tell me they had a dog like this and it got magically better, please!

[lougle]

It sounds like you have gone above and beyond, but this is not the right home for your dog. It sounds like it needs somewhere calm and quiet with outdoor space for exercise.

[JingleBellsJuliet]

He'd make a brilliant lap dog, as he's as happy as anything curled up on my knee of an evening, but he finds people and everything outside the door very stressful :(

His breeder is willing to take him back, but they've got 3 JRT's and I just don't know how he'd be in that situation, plus they have kids around a lot and a very busy household and it worries me that he would potentially go to a more stressful place.

[catsdogsandbabies]

Hi there, I read your post last night and thought about it. I think you have worked very hard. However the dog is dangerous. If he was a larger breed I expect you would be clearer about what to do. It is very sad but he needs to go. The breeder is experienced and I think you should return him. If he has the same issues there tell the breeder you will help look for a different home. This is unpalatable but if he really bites someone in the face he would probably be put to sleep. I have been asked to euthanase dogs for less. (Am a vet) Owning a dog should be a pleasure not like this. Return him. You have been unlucky. Another pup would be different I am sure. You have worked v hard.

[tabulahrasa]

Well nothing ever just gets magically better...

There are a few things you could work on that would improve things, IMO.

The separation anxiety for starters...that would mean you could walk the dogs separately.

Muzzle train him properly, if he's trying to get it off you've either moved too fast or skipped a step with that.

You also need to set up some sort of management system to keep him away from visitors...both for their benefit and his.

My dog has a kennel and a run in the back garden, it's not something I would have wanted, but, he's a very large dog and I just can't risk him taking against a visitor. Depending on who is visiting and for how long he either is put in the kitchen or outside.

My dog has similar issues, not through fear though, because he has a couple of medical conditions...so while I always work towards improving his behaviour, realistically I have to accept that this is just the way he is. Accepting that in a weird kind of way makes him easier to deal with as I never put him in a situation where he'll kick off unless I have to (I have to take him to the vet and of course I can't control other people's dogs while walking) and I don't have expectations of him behaving like a 'normal' dog...which means I've stopped trying to treat him like one and instead I manage him really strictly instead. That's easier because I'm just avoiding things instead of hoping he'll be ok and then having to deal with him when he isn't.

[BeggingYourPardon]

You have worked so hard to do the best for your dog.

If you want to keep him. All I can add to the advice you have been given and the good work you are doing is to avoid any situation that may trigger him at home, don't set him up in a situation to fail.

Can you fit a baby gate to your kitchen/hall? If you get a visitor can you pop him on the other side of the gate with a delicious chew? something he will ONLY get when visitors come. A meaty knuckle from the butchers etc. If he cries, ignore him, however hard that may be. Ask for people to visit to help you with this. Pop a bed in there with him. don't let him out as soon as they have gone if he is crying. He must be silent and calm to be let back into the room. You can even start this before you have visitors. get him used to moving to an area with your other dog and they both get a big treat. It's a happy calm place to be.

Tell visitors to ignore him completely, don't make eye contact, don't bend over to greet him, don't let him on the sofa. They must ignore him. Especially important with visiting children.

I'll have a think about the walking. Good tips above. Start your muzzle training right back from the beginning with positive association.

[JingleBellsJuliet]

He's got a crate in the kitchen which he's happy enough in. Neighbours say they don't hear a peep from the dogs when I'm out but he's awfully noisy if I pop him in it while I'm home! If people are around and I crate him, he screams like he's being killed and has hurt himself on the crate before, so I stopped crating him as I don't want him to think of it as a punishment iykwim? But that was before he launched at my neighbour :(

In a lot of ways, he's a fab little dog; he's been so easy to housetrain, hasn't really chewed apart from the odd sock and soft toy and has fab recall on the odd occasions I get the chance to let him off his lead. He's very good motivated, so has been fairly easy to train, but he's bloody stubborn when he wants to be, and when he's scared/hyped up, no amount of food will distract him. I've tried feeding him in the car, as he's terrified of the car, but he doesn't even seem to notice it.

[cedricsneer]

This dog is seriously affecting your quality of life. Please don't keep him.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

I feel for you, I really do. You must be so attached to him by now. I don't think I could honestly live with the guilt though if my dog hurt someone and I could have prevented it. He just sounds like he's got a screw loose, poor thing. I don't know what you could do with him. He sounds dangerous. I can't imagine how difficult it must be but I don't think I could offload him on to anyone else either. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh but it would just frighten me having a dog like that around my children and other people and I wouldn't want the worry.

[Molecule]

We have a little dog much like this, we were given him at 10 months when we were told it was because he kept running off, nothing was mentioned of him being a vicious little sod. We've had him three years now.

We always lock him in his crate when we have visitors, and no one outside the family is allowed to stroke him, but he still exhibits some uncertain behaviours with us. He will cuddle up to you on the sofa, ask for a tummy tickle, then suddenly bite. I thought he was improving, as he has started to give a warning growl first, but in the past week he's had two quite nasty goes at dd3, whose dog he is, despite apparently loving her most of all. Dd is 15, so not an annoying child.

We are farmers, have had and trained dogs all our lives, dc are used to animals, but this little dog has defeated us all. Tbh I agree with catsdogs and if I'd realised early on how difficult little dog was going to be I'd have sent him back. Dd of course will not hear of him being pts, but I keep thinking of how nice a cute little cavalier King Charles would be.

[Airfixkitwidow]

Some years ago we had a rescue Kerry Blue Terrier with similar issues. We were experienced dog owners but she had severe problems with nervousness leading to biting through fear. We struggled with her for four years before rehoming her after she had bitten my dd, my nice and one of my dd's friends. She also attacked our other dog... A very gentle airedale. We had never before given up on a dog but in this case we had to. We felt dreadful but once she had gone it was like a weight had been lifted. A couple of years later we were asked to rehome a newfoundland who was a wonderful gentle giant and lived until he was 13 and we now have a cavapoo. So there is no shame in admitting defeat and it does not mean that you will never have another dog.

[tabulahrasa]

Oh and for what it's worth - I find the human aggression the easiest of his issues because I can control his interactions with people.

I can tell people he's not friendly when he's out and I can warn new vets (I'm assuming it's on his files anyway) I can keep him away from visitors, so if he's not interacting with them there's nothing for me to deal with.

I can't stop other people's dogs approaching (I can try, but I can't actually do it) and I can't stop cars driving past on the days where he's decided cars are evil. So that means I get the joy of wrestling with a raging dog to stop him from injuring other dogs or himself...he's a Rottweiler btw, it can be quite hard going.

[GrannyGoggles]

I'm not a get ridder. Nor are you, however at some point, and I say this as a long term JRT owner, you need to think about letting him go. Don't make yourself miserable or put your children at risk.

I'm now putting myself forward to be flamed: a dog that has demonstrated aggression towards a child is one that's on a a careful watch on a one way street IMO.

I repeat: children at risk.

No magic:
re home;
PTS;
or KBO till he really hurts someone.

[Boomf]

You're still keeping this biting dog, even though you have a young child?

Get rid of it. It's going to seriously injure someone in due course. Yours is not the right home for it

[StripeyCustard]

I wouldn't take risks with children.

[Reggiesmom]

I had a Jrt and he was aggressive and he actually tried to go for me and my kids i would never have the breed again.Your life is going to be a misery if you keep this dog. Maybe home him with an older couple but of course tell them what he is like first. If this was a bigger breed i dont think you would be debating weather to rehome him.