[dja082000]

Hello,

We have been given a 12 year old Jack Russell Terrier for about a week by my wife's parents while they are on vacation. This JRT comes from a long line of dogs with bad temperament and the apple sure didn't fall far from the tree. All his life he has never had dominance shown over him and has been the alpha dog in my in-laws house. He's been kept away from other dogs and people because of his aggressive nature and bad temperament. We have a one year old female Shiba Inu with a very sweet disposition as well who is in heat which makes matters even worse. So we have a 12 year old Super Alpha aggressive and unsocialized JRT in a new environment with a bad attitude and around a bitch in heat (something he's never been around). The next week is going to be hell.

I have raised a JRT before (and I have the bite scars to prove it) but after a few years and a lot of training he mellowed out. This dog is old and ornery and I have no clue what to do. I don't want to just leave him in his kennel all day, but when putting him in his kennel, feeding him, and putting his leash on he went exorcist and drew blood in a couple places. It's gotten to the point where I don't let him out unless I have heavy leather gloves.

What do I do for the next week? I don't want to leave him locked up in a kennel because JRT need to run around, but I'm not sure what else to do.

Please help!

EDIT: PS: He's allergic to grass so we can't let him run around outside by himself or he has to go to the vet and he'll almost die.

 

[Abbylynn]

I would take the 12 year old out of his kennel or crate and walk him for a long time and allow him to somehow run .... and then I would kennel him again after he is tired and fed. Only having him there for a week IMHO is not worth the possibilities of being around your dog in heat and what could possibly end up being .... not to mention any preventable accidents whether it be an unplanned pregnancy ( if the dog is intact) or an injured dog from a dog fight. It is only a week.

Keep them separated is my advice.

EDIT: I have used a basement before as a training and exercise room.

 

[oldhounddog]

One week and he will be gone does not give you much time to work with him. How much time per day can you give him for corrective behavior training? Do you have a spare area for his crate that does not put him in same room as female?


oldhounddog

 

[dja082000]

I can spend up to probably 6 hours a day on him, but it is just a week. I don't hope to completely fix him, I just want to know how to give him the attention he needs without him hurting me or my wife anymore, ya know. Right now his crate is in the downstairs bathroom and we are generally upstairs with the shiba inu.

 

[dja082000]

Alright just gave him some water and fed him a few handfuls of food (from my hand), took him for a long walk with a couple bathroom breaks (just to make sure his bladder was empty) and then a quarter mile run along with another pee break at the end of that, and when we got back in as soon as he was off the leash he marked two places. I told him firmly NO with the first one and got his attention, then as he was marking the second place I picked him up to get him to stop and to take him outside but he went exorcist again, gave me a big gash on my hand and now he is back in his kennel.

Did I do anything wrong or is this what the next week is going to be like? Do I just need to wear chain mail around him?

 

[Pawzk9]

You mention that he has never been shown dominance? Does that mean you are trying to show him dominance? If so, I'd suggest you are making things rougher on everyone. Especially with a female in season in your home, I would mostly manage. Let him drag a leash or use a slip leash so you don't have to have your hands near his mouth and don't have to restrain him or pick him up (which freaks some dogs out). You know that you're not likely to get much training done, and if you did, the owners wouldn't appreciate or maintain it. And I'd always have at least two shut doors between him and your female. (And always crate when you can't supervise.)

 

[trainingjunkie]

You are watching an old dog for a week. I think I would just try to make it work for a week. I wouldn't try to change him. I would just try to manage him. Keep him in a big crate. Take him out for exercise. Be kind to him. Accept who he is. He has owners that aren't interested in a different path. He's probably scared or nervous or uncomfortable.

Just take care of his needs. Be careful with your hands. A week goes by pretty quickly. I feel bad for you, but I would just dance around the dog.

 

[oldhounddog]

Yes.... You did fine up to the point where you picked him up. Could have been a fear bite.

Try this.... From the point of taking him out of crate to putting him up keep him on leash. Do not try to handle him , just use a firm No...( But do not yell ) with minor leash snap for correction if needed. I'm guessing you are using a 6 foot leash with a flat buckle collar. The next time out have him sit, (give small treat) hook up to leash at the crate before you move. Go straight out and along the way work on a sit command, and use walks for training. Use walks to feed meals by hand along the way and have dog sit and earn meal as you walk. Take your time and use friendly tone. Dog must be on leash when not in crate for now...

Try this : http://www.dogforums.com/dog-training-forum/6856-nilif-nothing-life-free.html

Be firm , consistent and use food to train on you walks. Crate dog on return to house and only you control access to all things good.

EDIT: I agree with trainingjunkie.... Be kind for sure.... The training walks are OK as long as you take it easy and have fun. You will prolly see some improvement.


Post back how this goes.

oldhounddog

 

[dja082000]

You mention that he has never been shown dominance? Does that mean you are trying to show him dominance? If so, I'd suggest you are making things rougher on everyone.

By that I mean he was allowed on couches, first out, first in, fed whenever he wanted, frequently sprays and the only discipline is pats on the butt.

@oldhounddog

That sounds like a good idea. I'll just keep a leash on him at all times so I don't have to pick him up. My hands look like I been in a motorcycle wreck today hahaha

 

[Amaryllis]

He's old, unsocialized, untrained and likely scared by being picked up. (How would you feel if a giant picked you up without warning?) Dominance isn't in it. I let my dog on the couch, he goes in and out first and receives no "discipline" and he's a well behaved sweetheart.

Please don't leash check or discipline or correct an old dog you're watching for a week. If I were his owner, I'd be beyond angry if anyone did that to my dog, especially given that dogs are very stressed by change and the stress of being around a female in heat makes dogs crazy.

Really, this is the perfect storm of stress on an old, unsocialized, untrained dog and we're giving advice on how to punish him? Wow. Just manage his behavior, exercise him as best you can, wear gloves if you have to, stop picking him up and wait it out.

 

[dja082000]

I would agree with you normally but this dog is different. This isn't some sweet spirited dog that is having an off day. This is a dog that is not allowed around other dogs because he WILL try to kill it. He is not allowed around other people because he ATTACKS.

I agree that this is a perfect storm of stress, but that does not excuse this kind of behavior. When taking him on walks, leash checking helps. By the end of the walk he is much better behaved.

If you expect me to allow this dog to spray wherever he wants and attack me and my wife if it's time to go back in the kennel then you're crazy.

I don't know if you've never had to deal with an overly aggressive dog or a JRT with a bad attitude, but I promise you, they are like a whole other species from other dogs.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that he's scared and stressed and I DEFINITELY don't want to excaserbate the situation, but I'm not going to simply do nothing.

 

[Pawzk9]

I would agree with you normally but this dog is different. This isn't some sweet spirited dog that is having an off day. This is a dog that is not allowed around other dogs because he WILL try to kill it. He is not allowed around other people because he ATTACKS.

I agree that this is a perfect storm of stress, but that does not excuse this kind of behavior. When taking him on walks, leash checking helps. By the end of the walk he is much better behaved.

If you expect me to allow this dog to spray wherever he wants and attack me and my wife if it's time to go back in the kennel then you're crazy.

I don't know if you've never had to deal with an overly aggressive dog or a JRT with a bad attitude, but I promise you, they are like a whole other species from other dogs.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that he's scared and stressed and I DEFINITELY don't want to excaserbate the situation, but I'm not going to simply do nothing.

You've been given quite a bit of advice on how to manage the situation without violence to you or the dog. Or, you can continue to pick him up, restrain him and continue to draw back bloody hands. It's entirely up to you.

 

[aiw]

A week is not enough time to reform a dog who has spent his entire life this way. He sounds like a terror and if he were your dog you would be well within your rights to correct the behaviour but I don't think its a good idea for a dog who won't be with you very long who is already stressed. Management is the way to go, protect yourself, your wife, your dog and your property by keeping the dog in his kennel when he isnt being exercised.

 

[CptJack]

I would agree with you normally but this dog is different. This isn't some sweet spirited dog that is having an off day. This is a dog that is not allowed around other dogs because he WILL try to kill it. He is not allowed around other people because he ATTACKS.

I agree that this is a perfect storm of stress, but that does not excuse this kind of behavior. When taking him on walks, leash checking helps. By the end of the walk he is much better behaved.

If you expect me to allow this dog to spray wherever he wants and attack me and my wife if it's time to go back in the kennel then you're crazy.

I don't know if you've never had to deal with an overly aggressive dog or a JRT with a bad attitude, but I promise you, they are like a whole other species from other dogs.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that he's scared and stressed and I DEFINITELY don't want to excaserbate the situation, but I'm not going to simply do nothing.

You have him a week and he's not your dog. You are pet-sitting. Do what the owners want you to do, don't let him die, don't let yourself get bitten and don't do this for them again.
That's all you CAN do in a week.

 

[hanksimon]

I agree with aiw... keep him in the kennel and crate for a week, as well as on leash, even inside. If it were raining for a week, that is what he'd put up with.