UKC

I've got an eight year old Jack Russell bitch. Had her for about seven years, she has been good natured, but generally she isn't well trained, partly due to not being very well treated in her first year of life and partly due to the limits of my training knowledge / ability.

Last year she was attacked quite badly by another dog whilst we were out for a walk, since then I have been having some problems with her behavior. She is understandably more wary of dogs when we are out, but my main concern is that she has started getting very aggressive when anyone comes to the door of the house or a visitor leaves and she is generally more difficult to control.

Living on my own for the last few years, I am quite prepared to accept that I have probably spoilt her, which won't have helped. I am now in a situation where both the dog and I are spending a lot of time with my girlfriend and her 11 year old daughter and really need to sort out these issues as I want them both to be comfortable around the dog. They are both dog lovers, but the aggression is a concern.

Any ideas about how I can train this out of her?

In reply to The New NickB:

Just a suggestion (as I'm no expert), but how about getting visitors to bring in a treat for the dog as they walk through the door. This will hopefully get her to realise that visitors are in fact a good thing. A small stash of treats and a note just outside the door is easy to set up. You could possibly even train the dog to sit and wait before she receives the treat..

Plenty of praise on those occasions where she does behave herself will also help.

Do you think that you are being seen as the only provider? She might just be trying to protect you. How about asking your girlfriend and daughter to feed the dog, take it for walks etc...

Good luck and keep us updated!

Iain

In reply to Iain Downie:

They do this already. The dog is great, and they think she is great, 99% of the time. It is the 1% I am concerned about.

I am happy to punish / reward to change her behaviour, but am struggling a bit with the dog psychology.

In reply to The New NickB: Dog probably fearful, please don't punish her. The treat thing (associating visitors with something good) is a good idea, but key is that she doesn't feel forced to interact with visitors. Does she have a safe place (bed, crate, sofa) where she can go that no one will bother her? I'd put her out of the way when people are coming and going if that's the time she is worst, then let her out when everyone is calm.
this website very good for advice: http://www.dogpages.org.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=253870&hl=

In reply to The New NickB: The old saying, 'Ignore bad behaviour, praise good!' can be one way to go. Also with visitors, get them to ignore the dog initially, show no concern, turn your back to the dog. If you offer food every time someone visits, it's a signal to the dog that barking etc is OK and she gets her reward. Having said all that I have 2 dogs and one is docile and doesn't react, and the other is manic. But getting the visitors to ignore the dogs actions very quickly calms the dog. Sorry to hear about your bad experience with another dog. Remember you are the Alpha Dog so the other dogs follow your lead. Show concern and your dog echos that behaviour. Unless another dog is obviously strongly aggressive, I will walk my dog off lead and saunter past unconcerned. I have only encountetred bad behaviour from another dog once in 20 years of having a dog, and that strangly was with a German shepherd that he knew well. I literally had to jump in and pull them apart! there are lots of good books on animal behaviour out there. Best of luck.

In reply to The New NickB:

Quick possible/plausible summary.

When she was attacked you felt sorry and fearful for her after the event which has probably led to an insecurity on her part caused by your new 'fearful of other dogs etc.' energy (easy to do after an attack - very human reaction). She has sensed your weakness and become your boss/pack leader and now owns the house, you and everything else around her.

You need to reclaim/own all the things/spaces of which she is now in charge. The front door. Food bowl. Friends. Family. 'You own them all' and she is allowed to approach/join in only when you deem it acceptable. You (or your girlfriend or daughter) are the new boss.

No hard tactics necessary (ever), just continuity and you have to mean it otherwise she'll know. Try and watch some Dog Whisperer for the actual techniques; it'll make perfect sense of it all. Never too late. Dogs live in the moment not the past! Good luck.

In reply to The New NickB:

I can't add much to this good advice. Except our dog was done in by a couple of Alsatians when she was young. When she came with us to the UK she was very, very wary of all dogs, but after a year or two she gradually came around to trusting other dogs again.

However, Jack Russell can be very, very territorial by nature. I have cousin whose jack russell won't let me go anywhere inside the vehicle or tractor if she's in it first.

In reply to JH74: Check out http://www.beastlythoughts.co.uk/ - she's lovely and very knowledgeable (feel free to tell her I recommended you called for a chat).

Also, there's a great book called Culture Clash - which isn't the easiest read in the world but really does help you get inside the dog's head.

FWIW I agree with the comments above re positive reinforcements.

But it's also worth remembering that often aggression is fear and the fact that when she's aggressive you remove the problem for her ie take her away from it or take the visitor/thing she doesn't like away from her, you are then reinforcing the behaviour.

She needs gentle desensitisation to the problem until she realises it isn't a threat...

In reply to JH74:

I just think the 'pack leader' excuse is rolled out to every problem.. this sounds more like a fear, security issue..

No idea how to solve it though.

In reply to The New NickB:

She needs putting down. Aggressive dogs and 11 year old children don't mix.

jcm

In reply to IainRUK:

...stemming from the lack of a pack leader or someone to be in charge and tell the dog what is acceptable and what is not. It sounds like Nick is now wary of other dogs and has a fearful energy (totally understandable etc); this energy will inevitably pass onto the Jack, make her nervous (and therefore chippy etc.) herself and the vicious circle begins. If the animal is 'soothed' or similar while anxious or aggressive this will make it quickly worse.

When someone is in charge and has a good, strong and calm energy the dog will (with corrections) end up calm and less fearful and anxious (if at all). Anxiety can easily be passed on to animals and as a result they can often become a reflection of their owners.

There's a fascinating doc on BBC4 (Iplayer) at the moment about Buck Brannaman (horse Whisperer) which deals with some of these ideas.

My very remote general opinion only. Regards.

In reply to The New NickB:

I have decided to pay for some professional help, she is booked in to see a dog behaviour specialist next week. Thanks all for your help, except Mr Cox, I think you know what you can do!

In reply to JH74:

NO. She has sensed your fear and thinks these are things to be afraid of. She isn't your pack leader.

Anything but using the dog whisperer's techniques would be better.
http://www.livescience.com/5846-critics-challenge-dog-whisperer-methods.htm...
http://barkaroundtown.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/whats-wrong-with-cesar-milla...

In reply to The New NickB: Good decision - really hope you get some good help/advice.

In reply to ceri:

I think the fearful of other dogs, pack leader thing is a red herring, I am not fearful of dogs. I have carefully tried her to socialize better with other dogs. I think the issue is territorial.

In reply to The New NickB: Im not an expert. But from all dog training programs I've seen ( Far too many sadly) the key seems to be repetition and not deviating from behaviour altering training i.e no matter how much time it takes to get her to 'sit' she must bloody well sit if you ask her. Same applies to calming down before you open the door to guests etc.

Positive re-enforcement also to be key to building up their confidence and manipulating their behaviour.

Best of luck.

In reply to ceri:

Thanks for the links. The first one was pretty interesting; the second less so I thought. I probably mis-described my interpretation of the pack leader concept, main point being to be in charge and tell the dog what's acceptable or not thus reducing the need/urge for anxiety and fear etc.

Great that Nick is going to go a step further than many would anyway, good luck to him.