Irish Terrier out of control...can anyone help?

[HeIsSpartacus]

I originally posted in AIBU but would be better off asking for advice here I think....does anyone have any experience of training Irish Terriers please?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1266755-to-think-that-this-is-extremely-irresponsible-dog-ownership-and-a-bit-of-WWYD-too-please

Blimey. I would suggest that they need to be taking the dog to a class with an APBC approved trainer. Someone who actually understands dogs and knows that "pack theory" (see The Dog Whisperer) is bunkum.

That said, they have been to 3 classes already so it sounds as if they are not carrying out any training outside of the classes whatsoever? They need to get a handle on the dog and I would say, by the sounds of it, they need some one to one training (of them, not the dog) and then they need to carry out what they have learned, consistently.

They are obviously good friends of yours as you are trying to help them. Good luck!

I also posted this in your other thread -

Firstly, ignore anyone spouting the 'alpha' and 'dominance' bollocks. Cesar Milan is WRONG on those things. The research on wolf packs which led to all that thinking was completely flawed as it studied a captive wolf pack, not a wild pack and the behaviour was totally different.

And anyway, dogs are not wolves. They are dogs.

How old was the puppy when they got it? Where did they get it from? If they got it from a puppy farm then the pup may not have been with its mother long enough to learn bite inhibition. Tell your friends to Google it and use the 'yelp and shun' method. It really works.

Plus the dog sounds to be bout 1 year old? This means it's entering a 'teenage' phase and is going to be naughty! Has it been neutered yet? That could make a big difference in calming him down.

Ultimately they need to go to dog training so they can learn to be better dog people.

I think they definitely need to see a good behaviouralist. A puppy class isn't always the best place, because the owner and their dog don't really get a lot of one-to-one with a good trainer, and the dog can be distracted by all the other dogs and people. I think your friends need to get back to the beginning with their dog and be guided by someone who knows their stuff.

How much research did they do about the breed before acquiring the dog?
What are their expectations of dog ownership?
Can they understand the things that their dog is trying to communicate with them? Often things escalate because inexperienced dog owners don't really understand what the dog is subtly saying.

A good behaviouralist is someone who is experienced at understanding dogs and their language (no whispering involved!) and can teach the owner to both listen to and communicate usefully with their dog. Good behaviourists have saved the life of many dogs. Bad trainers can make things worse I would advise they go via their vet for a recommendation. Whereabouts are you all? I know some good people in West of Scotland, if you were nearby.

The dog can be trained and his behaviour is very normal for a dog that has not been trained. However the big problem is training the owners and they need to be committed to the training for the whole of the dogs live - not really a lot that you can do about that.

if they do have a change of heart any APDT trainer will be able to get the dog back on track - maybe not the owners though

How old is the dog and is it actually biting or mouthing which is very normal for a puppy?

How did it go nuts when it seen the young boy? Was it aggression (unlikely) or over excitement and wanting to play (more likely), albeit boisterously.

I second the advise about an apdt trainer. And yelping or removing the dog for time out when it's too excited.

The the rehoming people did this with my terrier. I was convinced it woud not work. Everytime he got over excited and started trying to hump the new dog, they put him outside the room and did not let him back in untill all was quiet. They only had to repeat this about 5 times before he got the picture, it is the quickest I have ever seen him learn anything.