I hope some of you knowledgeable terrier folk will be able to give me some advice please. Background – we have an 8 month old Welsh terrier, kids took four years to persuade me to get a dog they wanted a cockapoo but as I knew I’d end up doing all the work I gave in on the condition we got a welshie. The only dog I could imagine myself with, husband’s family have always had dogs but never a terrier; I had a boxer as a kid but not much experience apart from that & dogsitting for friends.
So we love him to bits and he is a handful (as I expected) good points: never aggressive with other dogs even when provoked; great with people/kids when out & about; mostly lovely with us at home although still has mad bitey spells when playing. We consulted a behaviourist who advised time outs when he uses his teeth, it works up to a point but hasn’t stopped it altogether but I can see he really tries to reign himself in sometimes so heading in the right direction. I think we’ve done quite a good job with his socialisation, he’s happy going to the pub and in social situations.
The bit we’re struggling with is the growling/air snapping. I know they are a vocal breed so I’m not sure if it’s something I should be worried about or just accept that’s the way he is or perhaps it’s just a teenage phase. We've had him from a pup but this has only started in the last couple of months.
When he doesn’t want to be messed with he lets you know, a growl generally but sometimes a snap (although not often). Took him to dog training last night and the woman bent down to move his paw out of the way of the lead and he snapped at her. She was very taken aback, I generally always get his attention and give him a ‘pawsie’ warning if I’m moving his legs as I know he doesn’t really like it but didn’t have time to tell her before she did it. She’d given him a thorough body check over when we got there and he was quite happy with that so he’s not unhappy being handled. He’s done it with us when he’s been disturbed when resting or when he’s settled in the car and doesn’t want to get out. I usually use a treat to distract him and get him to do what I want.
So big question – do we just accept how he is? I get the principle of reward based training but how do you let them know it’s wrong to snap. I’d rather have a warning growl than a bite obviously so presumably I don’t want to encourage the growling.
Sorry for the essay, at the moment everyone thinks it’s my fault as I chose a terrier 
If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.
The doghouse
Wise terrier folk - advice needed please
Bilbomum · 10/10/2017 10:59
I have two terriers; a Yorkshire and and Irish. The yorkie we are sort of long term fostering and we got her aged about 4 and she is/was very growly, snappy in the situations that you describe. I use that phrase as she is getting better. The Irish terrier would not dream of growling or snapping, she is simply the most gentle and kind little dog you could imagine. But she will take hold of my hand in her mouth if she is uncertain about something I am doing to her (stripping her coat for example) in a sort of tacit "we're not going to hurt each other now are we" kind of way 
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With the Yorkie I have dealt with her growling by listening to her - I take it that she is growling because she is unhappy so I do back off, same with the snapping. I don't really know why she is improving, I haven't taken a structured training approach. I always let her know what I want and she is slowly starting to do what I want with good grace and manners. I brush her a lot and clean her eyes and feet, she likes this and it seems to have got her used to me touching her where before she wasn't happy with. She is very food motivated so she gets a lot of tiny treats when her manners are good and this seems to be helping a lot too.
Even DS who is 17 and hated her on arrival (she is only 3.5kg and not exactly the sort of dog a teenage boy wants to be seen out with ) has admitted that she is turning into quite a nice fun little dog.
I would say no, you don't just accept that is how he is. If you don't like the behaviour then you must discourage it, it is too easy to let things escalate.
Keep going with the training, it really helped Ddog to get used to other people handling her. And the thing I have found with a small dog is that other people will want to touch them. People are naturally cautious of large dogs but dont realise that terriers are a big dog, just in a little body
Also, at 8 months your dog is probably approaching his 'teens' and this is the point to really make sure they don't display aggressive behaviour due to hormones. Has he been neutered?
Hi Bilbomum, we have a miniature poodle, not a terrier, but I though I'd join in as we are convinced he must have some terrier ancestors! Some of his behaviour is very terrier-like and I recognise a lot of it in your first post. He also started growling and snapping at us at around the same age and also began resource guarding - not with his own stuff but anything of ours that he got hold of/could sit next to - ie schoolbags!/could sit on - end of sofa, end of bed. When he was playing, he knew not to use his teeth and would immediately open his mouth if he accidently got a finger rather than his toy, but we were having terrible trouble with the guarding as it was quite unpredictable - you'd think he was having a lie-down in the hall and then realise he was guarding someone's wellies!
We had a behaviourist come round to assess him and she gave us a very detailed training plan to follow, using a clicker and treats, so that over time we reinforced the good behaviour - letting go of things, getting down off furniture. I don't think he'll ever be perfect but when I approach the end of the sofa now, he shifts down to the other end without being told!
We have discovered that our boy really does not like being stroked by strangers, unless he has the freedom to approach them first and decide whether he wants to say hello. I have to be honest and say that this is not the dog we imagined before we got him (had him from 9 weeks old), we envisaged a dog that loved everyone and was happy to say hello and be stroked - but having got our heads round his temperament, we now work with it and have no qualms about telling people that he doesn't like being stroked. I do think that dogs are individuals and some need their personal space more than others. I imagine that everyone wants to stroke your dog as he's little and cute, as is ours, but it sounds as if he is telling you that he doesn't want that. Oddly perhaps, ours has never been anything but brilliant at the groomers and the dog-sitter.
I hope you find a solution/approach you can all work with - but rest assured, it's not down to having a terrier
Thank you for all your messages and advice, I really appreciate it.
Elphame - lovely to hear from a fellow welshie owner, we are already doing a lot of what you suggest so I think we are roughly on the right track, treat trails at late night wee time; a quick hiss of 'where's the fox' usually gets him up and out of the car now. I don't think he's enjoying the training, it's quite rigid walk to heel stuff at the moment which both he and I are finding challenging (lots of tripping over each other ).
MissW - yes he is in the middle of teendom and not been neutered so I might need to talk to the vet about that. I think you're right about discouraging the behaviour but it's how to do it without meeting him head on - it's worse than dealing with a toddler, drives dh mad as his instinct is to challenge him which makes it all worse I think.
Thewolf - your Irish sounds lovely, how I imagined ours would be (but isn't!!) Yes I think listening to him and avoiding the triggers is certainly the way to go along with some gentle discouragement.
Thank you all
Kipper that sounds like a nightmare! I hide food in taped up boxes so he has to rip them up to get it which is quite distracting and turns it into a game. Don't know if that would help in your situation but as you say I'll keep persevering as I too love him to the moon & stars
MissW we have a local fox that spends ages following/stalking ddog (he's very tame - fox not dog!) so I'm afraid the hunting fox instinct is already in full flow! They are quite the cat & mouse on our evening walk although I suspect ddog is more the mouse...
Oh yes, the instinct is always there! Ddog will still go wild at a cat in the garden even though she is so old now that she a) can't see where it went, and b) can't get up the garden step. She just ends up crazy barking at the wall while the cat is under the gate at the other end
Terriers just don't need that side of their personality encouraged IME, it is already so strong. It is listening and following commands they aren't so good at, so I have always worked on that throughout DDogs life.
She is now reasonably obedient.......for a terrier 
Thank you all. I will try some of those tips! I’m on a beddie fb group and all I hear is how wonderful everyone else’s is!
She is due to be spayed next week and hoping that may chill her a little.
Oh my god, Kipperiscool, I wanted a Beddie next!! Our boy is too young for us to think of getting a second dog yet but I fell in love with them when we were in Norfolk in the summer and a couple got on the bus with one each! I now follow the Beddie rescue page on FB. Perhaps I should have second thoughts - although given all the issues we've had to deal with first time around with poodle boy, perhaps we'd be well-prepared . have you got a photo of her?
I have a Scotty T who is only 6 months but can be a bit snappy and growel, I spoke to a reward dog behaviour therapist who said stand like a tree, don't move no eye contact. It just bemused her, and us. We now say no and if she continues she goes straight in her bed to calm down. Seems to be working as she has sussed the next stage and it happens rarely now. Anyone got advice on digging holes and burying things
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