Dog driving me up the wall!
Discussion
Evening all.
After a bit of advice really, we have a 1 1/2 year old jack Russell that's absolutely bonkers. Had him from a puppy and was alright when young butis progressively getting worse, the second he wakes up in the morning till he goes to bed at night all he does is growl at the slightest noise in the street and then start barking repeatedly ignoring any commands, other half is too soft and doesn't really do.much about it, he's actually decided to rip the letterbox off the door on the inside. If you try and correct his behavior by getting him away from the door he snaps, doesn't actually bite but does put your hand in his mouth. He's also now started barking at everyone who walks past when he's on the lead out for a walk though does seem to be getting better at this when I take him out yet just does whatever he wants when the other half does. He's now also developed the need to sprit out the house and bark at anyone he can find in the street, my main worry is sooner or later he's going to turn around and bite someone if he continues like this, also feel bad on the neighbour given the fact our walls our paper thin. He's walked for a good few hours daily and behaves very well when he's off the lead, we've tried the whole distraction method but basically if a dog could stick his middle finger up at you that's what he does, also tried a vibrating collar but didn't make a blind bit of difference, not even a 10oz steak waving infront of his nose would stop him. So dog people of pistonheads do you have any advice on how to correct his behavior before he 'woofles' someone's feathers a little too much? Cheers.
After a bit of advice really, we have a 1 1/2 year old jack Russell that's absolutely bonkers. Had him from a puppy and was alright when young butis progressively getting worse, the second he wakes up in the morning till he goes to bed at night all he does is growl at the slightest noise in the street and then start barking repeatedly ignoring any commands, other half is too soft and doesn't really do.much about it, he's actually decided to rip the letterbox off the door on the inside. If you try and correct his behavior by getting him away from the door he snaps, doesn't actually bite but does put your hand in his mouth. He's also now started barking at everyone who walks past when he's on the lead out for a walk though does seem to be getting better at this when I take him out yet just does whatever he wants when the other half does. He's now also developed the need to sprit out the house and bark at anyone he can find in the street, my main worry is sooner or later he's going to turn around and bite someone if he continues like this, also feel bad on the neighbour given the fact our walls our paper thin. He's walked for a good few hours daily and behaves very well when he's off the lead, we've tried the whole distraction method but basically if a dog could stick his middle finger up at you that's what he does, also tried a vibrating collar but didn't make a blind bit of difference, not even a 10oz steak waving infront of his nose would stop him. So dog people of pistonheads do you have any advice on how to correct his behavior before he 'woofles' someone's feathers a little too much? Cheers.
Get to a training centre with him asap, we have had pretty much the same issue with 1 of our 2 jacks and training does work, also sounds like he needs major exercise.
Must laugh though as we had to put a post box on the wall due to them attacking the door when the postman came and also ripping the letterbox flap off, sounds like a common theme. Bet he his pretty clever!!!!
Must laugh though as we had to put a post box on the wall due to them attacking the door when the postman came and also ripping the letterbox flap off, sounds like a common theme. Bet he his pretty clever!!!!
I’d start by addressing the root of his conditioned behaviours rather than the symptom of them - he's now effectively taught himself that barking at movement outside the window = movement goes away.
This behaviour does need a root cause identifying to help address it, but reading your post, it sounds like he's perhaps not as secure in the house-hold hierarchy as he could be (i.e. he's allowed to do as he pleases, with few "rules" for his behaviour, other than the shouting that accompanies his barking).
- this can be changed with more input from yourself and your OH. Clear boundaries for his behaviour need to be set (e.g. "no barking" (although I appreciate this is a big one to achieve on its own!), "no bouncing up at the letter box", etc.), and then you both (yourself and your OH) should put training steps in place to support and achieve this.
An added advantage of addressing the causes of his behaviour by implementing some training will be that learning and working with you will offer a lot more in the way of constructive mental stimulation for him - as Rosie alluded to above, his little doggy brain will be all tuckered out! Couple this with a good level of sprinting round a safe environment (enclosed field, etc.), and you should see improvements.
In the meantime, a baby gate across your hallway door will be a good safety net - it will prevent him damaging himself when he's attacking your door (as he won't be able to reach it), and will act as a barrier between him and the front door, reducing unwanted solo front-door-exits from him. You can usually get safety gates for £30 or so from places like Argos etc.
Did you crate-train him as a pup? -I ask this as a crate (if they're used to it from an early age, or if they're introduced to it properly otherwise) can usually offer a safe, "time-out" zone for them.
RE the nipping - I know his behaviour is driving you up the wall, but try to refrain from shouting, grabbing him to move him away, etc. If he's lost control of himself already, shouting/grabbing won't aid in addressing his behaviour, and will inevitably result in a tooth/hand interface. I'm a firm believer in addressing the cause of why he's doing what he’s doing, rather than just addressing the symptom of it (i.e. in your scenario, helping him feel more secure and increasing his mental and physical stimulation, rather than simply shouting at him to stop his barking or forcibly removing him from the window.)
Are you both home during the day?
A starter for 10 for the immediate problem of growling is using a distraction technique the very second even the slightest low growl escapes his throat. Grab his favourite toy and a handful of his favourite treats, and become the most exciting, friendly, treat-and-toy festooned person in the world. Generally be mental… wave the toy around, roll around on the floor… whatever it takes to get his attention away from growling/outside noises and onto you. This should be quite easily achieved if you catch him before he becomes fixated on whatever he’s growling at. Rinse and repeat for every growl he makes.
If he breaks away from you and turns his attention back to the window, make a sharp noise that’s not shouting (“AH”, for example), then hold a treat (or his toy) right in front of his nose, and use it to lead him out of the room. Note, you’re not forcing him to do something he doesn’t want to do, so you’re immediately more likely to get positive results. Then, once his attention is back with you, reward fulsomely. (praise, treats, play with him etc.). After a couple of minutes, take him back into the room; you go back to whatever you were doing, and mentally prepare to start from the top (distracting him when he growls) within the next 5 minutes…
To be honest, it’s not uncommon for A) dogs to bark at noises outside, and B) terriers in general to take “A)” to a ridiculous, obsessive level that makes people want to skin them and get a nice new rug out of it.
We have one of them, fret not – thankfully, all that’s needed for her, when she barks at the foxes doing their “taking the piss” dance on our front lawn, is for me to walk into the kitchen saying, “now what can I find for dogs to eat?” in a sing-song voice… she’s usually makes it into the kitchen before me, as she knows that something nice her way comes! Foxes/noises are forgotten immediately!
Hope this is of some help – let us know how you decide to deal with it and any improvement! 
This behaviour does need a root cause identifying to help address it, but reading your post, it sounds like he's perhaps not as secure in the house-hold hierarchy as he could be (i.e. he's allowed to do as he pleases, with few "rules" for his behaviour, other than the shouting that accompanies his barking).
- this can be changed with more input from yourself and your OH. Clear boundaries for his behaviour need to be set (e.g. "no barking" (although I appreciate this is a big one to achieve on its own!), "no bouncing up at the letter box", etc.), and then you both (yourself and your OH) should put training steps in place to support and achieve this.
An added advantage of addressing the causes of his behaviour by implementing some training will be that learning and working with you will offer a lot more in the way of constructive mental stimulation for him - as Rosie alluded to above, his little doggy brain will be all tuckered out! Couple this with a good level of sprinting round a safe environment (enclosed field, etc.), and you should see improvements.
In the meantime, a baby gate across your hallway door will be a good safety net - it will prevent him damaging himself when he's attacking your door (as he won't be able to reach it), and will act as a barrier between him and the front door, reducing unwanted solo front-door-exits from him. You can usually get safety gates for £30 or so from places like Argos etc.
Did you crate-train him as a pup? -I ask this as a crate (if they're used to it from an early age, or if they're introduced to it properly otherwise) can usually offer a safe, "time-out" zone for them.
RE the nipping - I know his behaviour is driving you up the wall, but try to refrain from shouting, grabbing him to move him away, etc. If he's lost control of himself already, shouting/grabbing won't aid in addressing his behaviour, and will inevitably result in a tooth/hand interface. I'm a firm believer in addressing the cause of why he's doing what he’s doing, rather than just addressing the symptom of it (i.e. in your scenario, helping him feel more secure and increasing his mental and physical stimulation, rather than simply shouting at him to stop his barking or forcibly removing him from the window.)
Are you both home during the day?
A starter for 10 for the immediate problem of growling is using a distraction technique the very second even the slightest low growl escapes his throat. Grab his favourite toy and a handful of his favourite treats, and become the most exciting, friendly, treat-and-toy festooned person in the world. Generally be mental… wave the toy around, roll around on the floor… whatever it takes to get his attention away from growling/outside noises and onto you. This should be quite easily achieved if you catch him before he becomes fixated on whatever he’s growling at. Rinse and repeat for every growl he makes.
If he breaks away from you and turns his attention back to the window, make a sharp noise that’s not shouting (“AH”, for example), then hold a treat (or his toy) right in front of his nose, and use it to lead him out of the room. Note, you’re not forcing him to do something he doesn’t want to do, so you’re immediately more likely to get positive results. Then, once his attention is back with you, reward fulsomely. (praise, treats, play with him etc.). After a couple of minutes, take him back into the room; you go back to whatever you were doing, and mentally prepare to start from the top (distracting him when he growls) within the next 5 minutes…
To be honest, it’s not uncommon for A) dogs to bark at noises outside, and B) terriers in general to take “A)” to a ridiculous, obsessive level that makes people want to skin them and get a nice new rug out of it.
We have one of them, fret not – thankfully, all that’s needed for her, when she barks at the foxes doing their “taking the piss” dance on our front lawn, is for me to walk into the kitchen saying, “now what can I find for dogs to eat?” in a sing-song voice… she’s usually makes it into the kitchen before me, as she knows that something nice her way comes! Foxes/noises are forgotten immediately!
Hope this is of some help – let us know how you decide to deal with it and any improvement! 
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