Hello,

Let me first say I love dogs and all animals. So if these seems harsh you have to understand IT IS JUST THAT BAD.

Ok, my husband and I adopted our Jack Russel Terrier from the humans society last May. He has been with us for a little over a year now and he has only gotten worse from day one.

At first he just simply had an out door problem. We fixed it soon after but he still has accidents. Honestly I think the dog is doing it on purpose when he does. But whatever.

Over the past 6 months he has just developed about 20 bad habits and he just keeps getting worse. I will list them.

-He opens the fridge and eats EVERYTHING
-he gets into the garbage and spreads it all through out the house. (TMI WARNING he would eat my pads)
-He pees in our bedroom only
-he gets on the table
-he climbs on things when we aren't home and pushes breakables onto the floor.
- he climbs the entertainment center so he can see out side
-he will bite us if we try to move him out of our bed
-he trys and has bitten my husband when he is getting ready for work. the other day he leaned in to kiss me and Max bit his chin.
-when someone leaves, touches their keys or coat he barks at them and jumps 4 feet in the air nipping at them
- he pulls when we take him for a walk to the point of making himself blue in the face sometimes passing out. ( harness doesn't work he wont even move if you put on on him)
-have i mentioned he has escaped from crates. He bent the metal bars on one crate. Opened the doors on another and ripped his pet carrier in half. I mean he took of the top half.
-if a stranger trys to pet him he bites them
-he bites other dogs and barks at everything that walks past the house
-when we try to leave he runs out between our legs to go with us


I can go on for hours. Pretty much he has anxiety, can not be alone, and is a TERROR. We have tried training him. Crates obviously do not work. Rewarding does not work. Repetition does not work. I am at the end of my rope here. I am 7 months pregnant and have been trying so hard to get him trained before the baby is here. I fear he will harm the baby because he is so jealous. honestly I want to take him back, I have argued with my husband to just take him back, but he feels we have a responsibility to him. I don't. I think there is something mentally unstable with this dog. I fear him. He turns on us for NO REASON. I don't know what else to do. Should we take him back to the shelter? I can not afford thousand of dollars of dog training. I feel the shelter did not tell us the truth and I am angered and will never get a dog again after this. I think he was abused even though they insisted that he was not. I don't know what to do here. HELP!?!

I strongly suggest trying again with the crates. Probably a metal cage one. If he opens them, you'll just have to reinforce the door with something else.

Crating him when you cannot watch him is the ONLY way you will be able to teach him correctly. You can't keep him from getting in to stuff without one. Then when you are home, all you have to do is monitor him closely. If he starts misbehaving, correct him (obviously).

I would use a squirt bottle with him. It's quick and difficult to ignore.

Harnesses make it easy for dogs to control a walk because their chests are strong and don't mind pulling. Though, if he won't even move, that doesn't really matter. Try getting him to follow food he likes? Raw hotdog works like a charm with my dog.

If you have a PetSmart nearby, training would only cost 100-200 bucks.

One more thing, Jack Russels that I know are more or less high strung. My friend's JRT didn't calm down until the third year she had him. Anyway, if you do decide to take him back, this shouldn't make you rule out dogs altogether.

If he is making you that miserable and full of anxiety for the new baby then take him back or find him a new home.

Your dog is not out of control. He's totally in control! He's controlling you, your husband, and everything that goes on in your house!

Seriously, you need professional help. He CAN be trained. But it's going to take a professional trainer to sort him out. It's also going to take a professional to show you how you've created this little monster, and what you have to do to take back control.

He also need a whole lot more exercise. JRTs are high energy, highly intelligent dogs. They may be very cute, but they were never intended to be house dogs. They were intended to live in the barn, with the horses, and keep the vermin away. So you have an energetic, smart dog with no job. He's making up his job as he goes along.

Last of all, your first responsibility is to your unborn child. This dog could be a great danger to an infant, even without intending to be. You absolutely must take whatever measures are necessary to protect your baby from harm, even if it means rehoming the dog.

I absolutely agree with vetgroomer! Your number one concern is for the wellbeing of your newborn on the way. If your JRT is already attacking you and your husband...its no telling what kind of damage it could do to an infant which has delicate skin.

Maybe your husband needs to take more initiative at getting this dog trained better so that you can lessen your stress which is not good during pregnancy. I do not know your situation, so maybe he is really involved. But if he thinks you both have a responsibility for this dog, he should more feel that he has a responsibility for the well-being and safety of you and your new coming family member. (personal opinion of course)

It would actually be pretty funny if you could tape your dog while you are away. Like those videos you see on "Its me or the Dog" or "Animal Planets Funniest Pets".

Take care and let us know how things go.

I have solutions for most of these problems but I will not say, it would take forever to type it all out. For now all I can say is watch all the animal planet training shows you can, get dog training books, I suggest Ceasar Milan. Please do not get rid of this dog. You CAN fix it's problems, you just need to learn how. I really hope that you can train this dog because I do not want it to discourage you from getting another dog. You just go unlucky.
Get some books, and get familiar with Google is all I can say.
Good Luck!

Ashlei, what are you going to do about this? You've let your dog get out of control, now you're going to have to hire an animal trainer or read up on how to get him back under control yourself.

Time is running out.

First, as a professional dog trainer, I can tell you that your dog is not peeing in the house on purpose to spite you. Dog's do not think like that. Be careful to assign human psychology to canine behavior.

Second, ALL of this behavior comes from lack of pack leadership by you and your husband. There are no rules or boundaries, at least that the dog understands. You need to invest some time in learning about dog training and behavior.

Your dog has too much energy. I understand that you are pregnant but that is not a reason to leave your dog's needs unfulfilled. The dog needs exercise. He's is releasing energy by destroying your house.

Don't rely on a trainer, you and your husband need to make this a priority. Learn about pack leadership. Go to virtualdogtrainer.com and read the free articles on the left side. It's a centralized location for pack leadership, training and effective exercise. You can change this behavior in the course of 2 weeks but it's up to you. There is no such thing a bad dog.

There is a lack of leadership in your house and it starts with you. Take control of your emotions (I understand you are pregnant and that is a bit difficult). If you are yelling and stressed, your dog will read that and act accordingly.

But get the information you need and put some effort into training your dog.

Chad

www.virtualdogtrainer.com

[tania]

Hi Ashlei,
Have you resolved the problems with your dog?
Tania

[Marlene]

I hope she has resolved her problem. Best if she brought the dog back to shelter home, after all she was going to have a baby. If the dog is the jealous type, it will be harmful to the baby.

We used to have a jealous dog. She was very closed with one member of the family. When I gave birth, whenever my baby cried, the dog would bark. Whenever the particular member of the family will carry the baby, she gets angry and will start to bark again.

So we had to let her stay outside for fear she may harm my baby.

[silent watcher]

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[silent watcher]

Originally Posted by silent watcher

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[dogsclothesplus]

I don't believe there are many dogs that are NOT trainable. It is up to the owner to take the initiative to figure out the best course of action by conducting their own research. A dog like a Jack Russell is a high strung animal. Take him to a dog park or long jogs to release some of the pent up energy. I agree with the statement that it doesn't seem like he has a job so he is making it up as he goes along with no guidance or correction. Repetitive training does work but you need patience and time, not necessarily hundreds of dollars. I have had the pleasure of having 7 dogs at one time in my home. What do you think would have happened if my entire family didn't take the time to set the boundaries. Both husband and wife need to be on the same page with the training. I wish Ashlei luck

[Lara's mom]

As a mom of a 2 year old Jack Russell (soon to be the mom of a male puppy of the same breed), it breaks my heart to hear stories like this. Jacks are NOT the breed for everyone. They are extremely high energy little dogs. They were bred to be hunters and are one of the few breeds who have retained their original characteristics. They truly are "big dogs in the bodies of little dogs." They are constantly on the move. Jack Russells require a lot of exercise and human interaction in order to be truly happy. This is a highly intelligent breed and if they don't get enough stimulation, they will "create their own", sometimes at the expense of your possessions. Having a second Jack for a playmate will alleviate some of these issues but, be warned - same sex aggression is well noted with this breed so, it advisable to have one of each sex.

Ever since television has increased the popularity of this breed of dog, there has been an explosion in Jack Russell puppies by people looking to make a fast buck. As a result, the shelters and rescue organizations are filled to overflowing with Jacks that were sold to people without them really understanding what this breed is all about. In the end, it is unfair to both the owner and the dog.

This breed is highly intelligent and learns quickly. However, they require firmness, positive reinforcement, an outlet for their endless energy, and time with their human parent(s). Rules must be established and adhered to by all family members. You CAN train your dog. It just takes time, commitment and repetition. You might want to consider a basic obedience class.

Good luck with your Jack Russell. After having one, I'd never consider another breed. They are SO much fun to be with!!!

[CorkyMax]

Just wanted to note that this thread is over a year old (14 months)----Whatever became of that original problem has got to be 'done with' by now.----But as far as the recent posts--maybe someone can glean some useful info there!