at a loss as to what to do!

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Miss Twilight

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Hi all

Last year my daughter talked us into getting a rescue dog. We already have an extremely laid back lab aged 8 years. We brought home a jack russell cross (with whippet I suspect). Told aged 4 years but seemed a lot younger to us. Growls when he plays (but I think that is just him as he wags his tail at same time. although he has nipped 3 out of the 4 of us over a year). He is very anxious and I don';t believe he has been treated well as I think he has been taught to chase his tail - once even bit it so hard he constantly yelped, drawing blood but still kept doing it.

He is so so affectionate and is a total lap dog. 4 months after we got him my soft husband came home with an unwanted 8 week old lab so now we have 3!! The jack russell constantly scents (even though he has been doctored) and there is definiate jealousy between him and other dog. They have all been together a full year now. The jack russell cross has scented everywhere - even in the bath and last week pooed there! yet other times asks to go out. Clearly that was the reason he was taken to a rescue home but having said that we love him to bits and my daughter would literally be suicidal if we got rid of him. Does anyone have any idea what on earth I can try to do with him. The scenting is his main issue - I can deal with the others!
 
Had the same problem recently when we got a second rescue that our first boy (had been badly treated previously and not very confident but not so unconfident that he was a problem) felt that he had to "step up and be the boss" but this wasn't a role he was very confident in, we found that as the other dog didn't challenge him for him to give up we had to build his confidence so that he was happy in the top dog role so we took him to training classes and did organised walks to get him better socialised and this along with cleaning the floor with blue lenor in the water (no bleach or ammonia smells) worked. Good luck 🍀
 
I wouldn't try to advise anyone, as I am no expert. I have two pups, (no probs so far, fingers crossed) I do, however limit their access in the house when unattended, which helps with "lttle accidents" and marking territory etc.
 
Miss Twilight said:
Growls when he plays
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Most (or a lot of) dogs do this. It's normal.

Miss Twilight said:
he has nipped 3 out of the 4 of us over a year
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Under what circumstances? How did you deal with it?

Miss Twilight said:
He is so so affectionate and is a total lap dog
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From this I'm gathering that you allow the dog to sit on your laps? You should have stopped letting him do this as soon as he started nipping at you. You shouldn't let him sit all over you and be (quite literally) higher up than you.

- How often are you walking him?
- What are you feeding him?
- Where does he sleep?
 
It sounds as if your JR is stressing, hence the constant marking, at least until things settle, (they will) treat them all as dogs, no sitting on your laps or settees, have their own beds and if they get pushy, send them to it, you dictate when the dogs get attention, call a dog to you, a quick fuss from the floor then send away, make them wait until you tell them they can feed, be consistent and keep to the ground rules, I once had to encourage a dog to chase sheep and chickens before I could teach them not to, dogs need to know where they stand in the pack otherwise chaos rules as you have found out
 
It sounds like your JRT X is stressed, but you need someone qualified in dog behaviour to assess and advise. It will have nothing to do with being pack leader ( we are two different species, so that is impossible). Advice on the internet is useful for most things, but for behavioural issues you are best getting an expert in to view what is going on.
 
Sounds as though there is a lot going on - I once went to treat a problem with a barking collie, when in reality the problem was the JRT in the same household who was winding her up. It may well need a very experienced eye to disentangle the dynamics of what is going on, so a good behaviourist might very well be worth the fee.
http://www.apbc.org.uk/help/regions
 
Teaselmeg said:
It will have nothing to do with being pack leader ( we are two different species, so that is impossible)
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It's nothing to do with being a pack leader, just basic manners and respect of one another.

You wouldn't allow your horse to barge into you, so I don't see why you'd allow your dog to jump all over you, either.
 
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