It's an owner problem not a dog problem

[Dogincharge]

I was wondering if anyone has any similar experiences or advice on how to manage my devil of a dog.

Brief background that may or may not be relevant: my partners ex got a dog whilst they were together. Dog was a rescue with some of his history unknown. He'd been in a few different homes before and they got him as a two year old. He definitely did not have enough work put into him at this time and picked up on a lot of bad habits. When they broke up she left and didn't take the dog as she was moving back in with her parents so couldn't take him as their dog couldn't be with other dogs. The plan had been that she would take him once she got settled into her own place. That never happened as she moved abroad so the dog stayed.

The dog is generally a nice friendly dog but is quite high needs. He is reactive towards other dogs and can appear really aggressive but is just all bark. He gets very easily over stimulated and just feels like a big ball of nervous energy at the end of the lead. He loses it at the door, delivery drivers, people walking past the house etc. Generally he is fine with people however sometimes if someone is wearing an odd coat, walking in an unusual way, carrying a big bag, etc. Again never physically aggressive but will bark a lot.

We got a trainer to help and he is a different dog with them. So I accept that this is a case of it's an us problem but how do we change that? We follow what the trainer has advised but it's almost like it's an energy that they give off that we don't (or vice versa). Has anyone else experienced anything like this and had any success or any experience dog owners have any wisdom? I've never had a dog before so am out of my depth with dog ownership but have had other animals so would like to think I'm not totally clueless!

First I would try and avoid as many triggers as you possibly can. Hire a safe field for walks. Make sure he can’t see people walking past the house. Secure drop box for deliveries? Teach a “settle” in the house.
FB group dog training advice and support is great. There is also a group for owners of reactive dogs.

You need a behaviourist, not a trainer. Someone accredited with the APBC is the way to go.

Make sure you check their qualifications though as behaviourist is not a protected title in the UK.

What breed/mix/general type is he? He could just be immensely bored and frustrated. I've seen this with several dogs, including my own: if one of mine doesn't get some suitable training for a few weeks, she turns into a complete pain in the arse who runs up barking to dogs on lead - normally she completely ignores them, or exchanges a polite hello.

You need a trainer who can work to his strengths and who is able to teach you as well. What limited (and very poor) research has been done doesn't show that behaviourists are any better than trainers, though that just might be because there was no baseline of behaviour recorded and the behaviourists just got the tougher cases.

Thanks, will check those groups out! We have tried to minimise some of the triggers like moving the sofa away from the window so he couldn't people (and dog!) watch. We've also tried to not take him out at high stress times or to places like the park. This has now meant that if we do try and take him he is even more agitated than he used to be :(

He's a terrier mix with mostly JR I think. So part of it might just be his breed. I do think part of the issue might be that he is bored as we end up avoiding taking him out as much as it's so stressful taking him anywhere. Will look into the behaviouralist stuff as well! The trainer has explained what they're thinking is and how to manage him which definitely works a bit but the issue seems to be our energy. He really seems to picks up on peoples moods. If you're sad/stressed he gets really agitated. It ends up being a vicious cycle in that I feel stressed taking him out, he then gets stressed and starts barking, I get more stressed at him barking, so he gets even more stressed. I just don't know how to act confident in a way that he feels contained by us if that makes sense.

Brain games are good to keep him occupied at home. Chewing is calming. Don’t know what you feed but scatter feeding or snuffle mats are useful. Soak dried food and stuff a kong before freezing it.

Since he's a terrier, he will want to hunt. You can give him that outlet by hiding treats or other things he likes in the house and garden - or even elsewhere - for him to search for. He might like to rag a rope toy with you; you could hide one of those for him to find and reward him with a game. If he is less bored, he is likely to be less stressy as well.

JRTs have a well deserved rep for being little bastards (no, not all of them, but ours was afraid of nothing except fireworks and thunder). Even though they are small they relish huge amounts of exercise (ours would do a 7-8 run behind DH on his bike, and not be tired at the end of it).

He might also be the sort of dog who likes predictability and structure: walk, then breakfast, then a sleep, then a bit of playtime/ brain games, then a sleep, then the afternoon walk, then dinner. Within that structure, build other structure: get him to sit and wait for his food, for example. This will help him learn self control, and also to pay you attention.

Good luck with him. JRTs can be wonderful family dogs - ours was, though she was always quite keen on having a bit a bark until the end of her days.

our dog had similar issues (came as a rescue) but very different breed.

We do a mixture of avoiding triggers and training.

When we go for a walk, we cross roads and do extra circles of fields so that we never come close to unknown dogs (he is fine once he gets to know a dog).
I spent a LONG time at the far side of the field, with him next to me, me talking in a light happy voice while feeding him treats as a dog walks by in the distance. Once he was chill with that, we got closer and did the same.

Now we can walk past another dog at about 5 metres, but can never meet a dog face to face, even dogs we know, we walk off the path and approach formt he side.

He MASSIVELY responds to my voice and temperament. I had to train myself to say
Hey silly dog, no need to bark, you're ok, COME that's it COME here, sit with me yadda yadda yadda.
All the time he is pulling at the end of the lead and barking his head off.
It gradually worked.

Also I taught a crisp COME command. When I say it now, he flicks his head round to me. If I can get him to do that when barking, it breaks the fixation and then he will focus on me.
I should say that I can never walk him off lead because of the was he reacts to other dogs.
I walk 1hour 15 minutes every morning and dh walks him 45minutes in the evening. Without that exercise he would be manic.

Same with front door. We had a mat on the other side of the hall, and we taught him to sit on the mat when the doorbell goes. I don't answer the door until he is sitting. then person comes in and shuts the door, then he is allowed to come over and say hello. I got friends to come t the door and follow the rules with him. Initially it took 2 of us, one opening the door, while the other stays with the dog, repeating SIT, and again positive voice and rewards when he is sitting and not barking.

he does still bark out of the front window at passing dogs, so that door is shut unless I am in the room