I dont know what to do

SmartieBean09

SmartieBean09

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Hi Everyone, Ok so ive not posted in a long, long time but I really need some advice as I feel as though I have an Angel on one shoulder and the Devil on the other at the moment.

We have a Jack Russel who we have owned and loved for the past 3 years, so much so that when we lost our cat we decided that the time was right to get another. We thought it was fate as our Jack Russells breeders had a litter of pups ready to go and had just has a buyer pull out. We went down to see them and took Clyde (our JR) with us so that we could catch up with the Breeders too. We decided to buy the last Puppy and collected him the next day. His name is Reggie.

Reggie seemed much bigger in comparison to Clyde at that age but we thought nothing of it as it was entirely irrelevant anyway. A few weeks past and it became apparent that Reggie was completely different to Clyde in everyway! Clyde is very quiet and calm and Reggie is not! Reggie was also very food orientated again Clyde is not. Reggie early on showed signs of aggression towards food and this worried me but having been around dogs all my life (although Ive only owned 2 as an adult) I know that this could have also have been because we have another dog in the home. The aggression towards food did disappear but Reggies obsession for food has not.

Fast forward 7 months and I have had up teen rows with my Husband that I feel we can not provide the suitable home/lifestyle for Reggie. He is hyper, bolshy and destructive, all things that I feel would change if he was worked but unfortunately with our lifestyle we arent in a position to offer this to him. Now im not talking about 1-2 hours walks as weve tried this, I think he needs to be ideally on a working farm or belong in a working home. I feel so sorry for him. He is a very insecure dog and wants attention all of the time.

Anyway, today my Dad came over, hes met Reggie a handful of times and Reggie is all over him when he comes in. Today I had a cake base that I needed to give back to my Mum and so I put it by the front door in the hall. It still had icing on it and as Dad was leaving, Reggie ran out and starting licking it and so my Dad just said "mind out Reg" and went to pick up the base......Reggie turned, lip curled and went for my Dad! I know he may not have reacted in the same way had it have been either myself, my Husband or our 5 year old Daughter but I feel like that trust has just gone! I guess admittedly it may also be because I feel that we can not provide the right environment for Reggie and so in the back of my mind I have thought about re-homing. He is a lovely dog he really is and so, so loving but what do I do????

A few other facts that I feel I should mention....Reggie is still currently entire. He also does not look like a Jack Russell other than his markings, he looks very Bull terrier type and perhaps this is just something coming through the breeding lines I dont know.

Id appreciate any advice however harsh, constructive or sympathetic as I really dont know what to do for the best. Thank you.
 
Take his bits off and see if it makes a difference. It can make a big difference to some dogs, others not so much. It's worth a go and it will then make it much easier to re-home him if you do decide to.
 
What is he fed? And yes, bits off. Might not make a difference but two less things to worry about, will make him easier to rehome and he really doesn't sound like breeding material.

I'd either rehome him or make sure his entire world view is changed by putting him into a boot-camp style regime. Which I appreciate is not for everyone, especially with OH, young kid and another dog in the house as you have to be very strict and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Bear in mind that if you don't particularly like him, it's probably best to rehome, as any insecurity he does have will be magnified, dogs are sensitive and they do get stressed and pressured by things we think they wouldn't be able to perceive.

If you know he has issues with food, don't allow these situations to happen. Don't let him have free run of the house when there is food about.

What happened in the immediate aftermath of him going for your dad?
 
Thank you CorcusCorax.

He is fed Barking Heads and he has been on Orijen, JWB and Burns....Ive tried different foods and even tried taking him off Puppy food. Ive always left Kibble down for the dogs and Clyde will only eat when he is hungry but Reggie will eat the food put down in the kitchen as well as the food he has down in his crate just for the simple reason that it is there! He will also take food from my Daughter and jump onto the dining table if left for more than 10 seconds!

He really is such a lovely dog, his obsession with food is just letting him down and after today Ive lost trust in him and that breaks my heart. Hes very insecure, my Husband has tried taking him to work with him but Reggie didnt cope well at all. He was sick and shaking and so my Husband brought him home. He is absolutely fine with other dogs, plays but can be boisterous! Im just looking at him now asleep in his cushion and I want to cry. I just really feel in my heart that he would be better off in a more appropriate home. Our small house and 40ft garden is just not enough for him and every spare hour walking him just doesnt have any effect.

We did try removing his crate and letting him have the run of downstairs but because of his insecurities this just didnt bode well and because he had the run of the kitchen, he almost claimed it and if Clyde so much as tried to get a drink, Reggies would barge him out the way to have a drink himself and this then distressed Clyde so much that he would wet himself! Oh it just breaks my heart!
 
I would get him cut straight away, as christmas is just around the corner, and keep him in a cage, he does not sound like a good family pet, so I am afraid you shouid think about re homing, what about a gamekeeper?
 
Well I'd stop the free feeding. No free access to food, it will only create conflict when there need be none.
Do not let him have access to your daughter when she has food, do not let him anywhere near the dining room table, do not let these situations occur. You wouldn't let your daughter run around grabbing food and being obnoxious and climbing on the table, so it will be even easier with a dog :)
He has a crate, use it to your advantage. If he is insecure, the crate will actually be better for him. If he were mine he would not have free run of the house and he'd be going everywhere with me on a lead. Physical barriers mean the dog cannot do whatever he likes and then the whole palaver starts all over again.

It doesn't matter how big your house or garden is, my house is tiny and I don't have a garden, the dog is in a kennel and run during the day and a crate overnight, but he does lots of different types of exercise, on lead, off lead, swimming, biking, and more importantly, he has to use his brain.
Big long walks don't work for every dog, it just makes them fitter.
He is also a total gannet but he has to work for his food.
 
Thank you. With the walking, the thought/fear even crossed my mind that by making him fitter am I creating a serious problem later on. Im happy to crate him as much as I need to and may have done already if I didnt feel so guilty about locking up such a hyeractive, boisterous puppy.

I think crating him at meal times is a good idea and I will remove the free food from the kitchen. Ive ended up feeding Clyde seperate already because he misses out with Reggie around! Clyde resides himself upstairs and we have to physically pick him up for toilet breaks because he just doesnt want to be around Reggie. Ive even tried making Clyde stay downstairs as I felt I was creating a conflict by leaving them to seperate. I kind of felt that Clyde had to man up but all thats happened is ive created a very miserable dog.

I havent explained this bit and perhaps I should. I fully expect a telling off.....

Our first Dog Clyde is the best dog you could ask for. He is calm, quiet, loves us all especially our Daughter and when our cat was alive, they were best of friends. Since Reggie has been here, Clyde has practically lived upstairs, he just doesnt want to be around the maniac that is Reggie. Ive let Clyde do this and he spends most of his time asleep on our bed. This is where I have failed him....a few weeks ago, Clyde was asleep on the bed and my Daughter came in and gave him a cuddle (she is very gentle and this is something they have always done as they have always seemed like the best of friends) Clyde growled and as my Daughter screamed, Clyde ran downstairs and I ran after him and told him off...he then growled at me! This is Clyde for goodness sake...our pet, a member of our family who we adore and he adores us! I feel that Reggie has caused Clyde to be defensive and by my allowing Clyde to reside upstairs that Clyde felt very territorial. What have I done....im typing this and just thinking "what a mess!" I feel like an absolute idiot!!!!
 
Dogs.jpg


Im hoping the image code works. Clyde is on the left and Reggie is on the right. This photo was taken a few months ago and Reggie was about 4 months old and Clyde 3 years.
 
Yep, think the whole situation has got a bit topsy turvy and out of hand and nobody is very sure of their place in the world.
It's your house, you decide who lives and sleeps where, not the dogs.
I don't think anyone sounds very happy with the current situation and with Reggie being the common denominator he would probably be better off in an active home as an only dog.

Re the crate, if the dog is getting good bursts of exercise and is allowed to burn up energy, it actually helps dogs like this to chill out a bit more. Also, you don't want him eating something he shouldn't when your back is turned and ending up with a massive vet bill.
My dog is a proper little fireball, but I exercise him, he does not exercise himself, thems the rules, and when he is in his crate he sleeps. When he is in his kennel, he does not really move from the one spot either.

What a lovely pic :)
 
Thank you so much CC. I think my Husband and I have some serious talking to do. I will also show him your posts as Ive mentioned that I dont think its fair on Reggie that we keep him in an environment that isnt suitable to his needs but it doesnt go down very well as my Husband adores him....we all do!

Thank you for your advice CC. I feel better for it although I still very much a failure but Reggie deserves better.
 
If your hubby adores him can he not get into running or biking with him (when dog is old enough, obviously) or as suggested, something like obedience, agility, flyball, so he can channel those brains?
 
Just to say cc helped me loads with my hyper gsd. We do a lot of obedience training now, it's built into our day, and it has made a huge difference. Mine was never aggressive, he just used to chew stuff despite all the exercise I gave him. I have just done 5mins trick training andhe's gone for a nap! Tiring the brain has truly been the key for us.
 
He's doing great thanks cc! He picks up tricks in a heartbeat so we are doing a lot of indoor stuff. He has learned a beg style sit up, clockwise and anti clockwise spins and a full roll over this week. I do worry about running out of stuff to teach him but I got a book called 100 brain games for dogs which has a lot of good stuff in it. And I've been able to leave him alone and he hasn't destroyed anything! Miraculous!

His daddy is such a handsome dog, I am amazed that he's happy being a house dog tho... Gives me hope for the future to be honest hehe!
 
What an upsetting situation OP, I hope you manage to get it resolved.

If it was me, my loyalties would definitely lie with Clyde as he was there first and I would just want to create a nice environment so that he is happy and settled at home again.
 
OP don't forget Reggie is still a puppy & it sounds like he has been able to rule the roost. I have a young terrier who is also very food orientated and can be aggressive with my other dogs even tho the terrier is only 1 & the others are 5. When I feed I put the terrier in his cage until all dogs have had their meal there is never any other food available if they have a bone terrier goes straight in his cage . As others have said bits off this made a huge difference to my previous JR. I'm sure with a few changes if caging & being much more disciplined he will settle trouble is I'm not sure how many 'working' homes you would be able to find these days good luck
 
He is gorgeous, they both are.
I'm not sure that he needs a working home as such, probably just a home where he is properly disciplined and managed. I think you were lucky with Clyde as not many JRTs can be allowed to be in charge without becoming little *******!
I would get him done and try to rehome him, or do as CC says and go for a complete adjustment in his lifestyle.
 
Sorry you are having such a hard time...your boy does not look as if has any bull terrier in him at all! Hope you manage to sort him out
 
Sounds like you got a full on terror of a terrier puppy on your hands. He looks like a normal jrt in those pics btw I dont see any bull terrier....and tbh he sounds like a relatively normal JRT bolshy pup as well!


Step one castrate. it will still take 6 weeks to see the longterm effects but it should help slightly.All those teenage hormones will not be helping at the minute. Get him done before xmas so he will be improving over that chaotic time.

Step two.TRAINING!He is highly food motivated.This is a hugh advantage and should make training a lot easier.So ever bit of food he gets should be earned. No feeding from a bowl but let him earn his daily ration through training. if he is that food motivated then he should be a wonder to teach. He needs his breakfast...sit stay down pay roll etc ...repeat until his food is used up.hes a jack russell he wont be eating a lot anyway!
I also find its great to teach him to sit for everything he wants!Attention and other rewards can be earned by a calm sit down.
Example.you are going for a walk.. he likely always wants to be outside right now and rushed through the door when you open it.rushing means returned to door and ask to sit then allow him out only once he has sat as asked...and repeat until the lesson sinks in.
Repeat in anything you can.he wants attention and is clammering all over you.Remove him off you,ask him to sit and only reward him with attention when he does.A smart dog soon realising sit nicely gets me food and nice things.

Step 4. Boundarys. A bolshy puppy has not earned the right to sit on the couch or any other high value areas unless invited up. So dont let him. Attach a lead to his collar(saves having to pick him up and is highly advised if hes starting to be aggressive about what he wants) and continue to remove him everytime he breaks this rule. Its easiest if rules are consistent and he's not allowed up at all tbh. When he gets the idea that hes not allowed up you can let him be invited up but only if he has a solid get off now down.

Step 5. No free toys or food. Unattended toys or food are flashpoints for bad behaviours as they are high value resources to a dog and he will want them and may defend them. Dont set him up to fail by having them around.
Treats should be given and eaten in his crate after he has earned them if he gets chews etc. Safer for all as well.

Step 3 Exercise.A tired dog is a happy dog.At his age mental exhaustion will be of more addition than long walks however but even a 15 minute break outside should give him hugh mental stimulation...and if he gets a chance to have an off lead run even for a few minutes it will help him deal with all that pent up energy.

Step 4.Consistency. Everyone who deals with the dogs needs to be following the same plan.One person giving him toys, food at will and allowing him on the couch will seriously hinder his learning.

He is a 7 month old puppy.he isn't going to be a mature sensible dog for a long time,your other boy sounds like he is an unusually easy going jack tbh!This lad is at the teenage phase and full of beans.Things will get better!

He doesn't sound like a bad dog. Just one who needs some security and discipline in his life.

I feel your pain though.My last dog was an easygoing lab who was a lot like your first boy.
My newest addition is a whirlwind mentaller of a terrier cross. Thankfully she is also a foodie and the rules above have made a HUGH improvement in her behaviour.Most of what I have listed are ideas from sophia yins behaviours lectures and they do work!
Consistency can be a disaster though. Mines still a devil for jumping on other people because they reward her by petting her!
 
Aru said:
Sounds like you got a full on terror of a terrier puppy on your hands. He looks like a normal jrt in those pics btw I dont see any bull terrier....and tbh he sounds like a relatively normal JRT bolshy pup as well!


Step one castrate. it will still take 6 weeks to see the longterm effects but it should help slightly.All those teenage hormones will not be helping at the minute. Get him done before xmas so he will be improving over that chaotic time.

Step two.TRAINING!He is highly food motivated.This is a hugh advantage and should make training a lot easier.So ever bit of food he gets should be earned. No feeding from a bowl but let him earn his daily ration through training. if he is that food motivated then he should be a wonder to teach. He needs his breakfast...sit stay down pay roll etc ...repeat until his food is used up.hes a jack russell he wont be eating a lot anyway!
I also find its great to teach him to sit for everything he wants!Attention and other rewards can be earned by a calm sit down.
Example.you are going for a walk.. he likely always wants to be outside right now and rushed through the door when you open it.rushing means returned to door and ask to sit then allow him out only once he has sat as asked...and repeat until the lesson sinks in.
Repeat in anything you can.he wants attention and is clammering all over you.Remove him off you,ask him to sit and only reward him with attention when he does.A smart dog soon realising sit nicely gets me food and nice things.

Step 4. Boundarys. A bolshy puppy has not earned the right to sit on the couch or any other high value areas unless invited up. So dont let him. Attach a lead to his collar(saves having to pick him up and is highly advised if hes starting to be aggressive about what he wants) and continue to remove him everytime he breaks this rule. Its easiest if rules are consistent and he's not allowed up at all tbh. When he gets the idea that hes not allowed up you can let him be invited up but only if he has a solid get off now down.

Step 5. No free toys or food. Unattended toys or food are flashpoints for bad behaviours as they are high value resources to a dog and he will want them and may defend them. Dont set him up to fail by having them around.
Treats should be given and eaten in his crate after he has earned them if he gets chews etc. Safer for all as well.

Step 3 Exercise.A tired dog is a happy dog.At his age mental exhaustion will be of more addition than long walks however but even a 15 minute break outside should give him hugh mental stimulation...and if he gets a chance to have an off lead run even for a few minutes it will help him deal with all that pent up energy.

Step 4.Consistency. Everyone who deals with the dogs needs to be following the same plan.One person giving him toys, food at will and allowing him on the couch will seriously hinder his learning.

He is a 7 month old puppy.he isn't going to be a mature sensible dog for a long time,your other boy sounds like he is an unusually easy going jack tbh!This lad is at the teenage phase and full of beans.Things will get better!

He doesn't sound like a bad dog. Just one who needs some security and discipline in his life.

I feel your pain though.My last dog was an easygoing lab who was a lot like your first boy.
My newest addition is a whirlwind mentaller of a terrier cross. Thankfully she is also a foodie and the rules above have made a HUGH improvement in her behaviour.Most of what I have listed are ideas from sophia yins behaviours lectures and they do work!
Consistency can be a disaster though. Mines still a devil for jumping on other people because they reward her by petting her!
Click to expand...

Agree with this and much of the other advice given, they look a lovely pair what a shame, I have a JRT bitch she is two now and she is a lovely dog but I learnt very early on they have to be put in their place, my oh is not as strict with her as I am and she so knows how to get her own way with him, I think with good ground rules getting his bits off and doing some sort of training agility and getting him to use his brain you will turn him around, and by doing this I think your other dog will also be much happier, please let us know what you decide but I really hope you give it a try.
 
Hello everyone,

Thank you all so much for your wonderful advice, especially Aru and CC. Since last night, ive spoken to a lady who runs an agility club and practices at our stables. She is going to help us do something and our first session is tomorrow. Ive also booked him in for castration and micro chip next week.

I called a dog behavourist this morning too who said that having him castrated will help with his energry levels and may help with his food obsession if the obsession is hunger as the castration will reduce his metabolism. However if his obsession is greed then this is likely to have no effect at all. She suggested a one on one 3 hours session at our home for a rate of £250. Thing is, she'd have to be here for 6 months as this is how long it has been between his two episodes of aggression.

Ive also been in contact with a lady who has 2 dogs, one a spaniel and the other an elderly food obsessed Westie. The lady has a 150 acres and is looking for another dog to keep the Spaniel company on her farm. She is interested in Reggie but I have 2 concerns...one is the other food obsessed dog (although she sounds much more experienced than I and probably knows exactly how to handle them) and the other major concern is approaching the subject with my Husband!

My head is about to go bang and my heart is in control of the detenator button :-(
 
There is no bull in that dog so don't assume there is a change in the behaviour because of this.

Jrt are very active dogs and as you say are working dogs. Many won't make good pets, many will.

I'd get off the barking heads, get bits off, up the exercise by making him work (fetch, hide and seek, training) no free food and consistent commands.

A hyper and potentially agro dog in a crate is a disaster waiting to happen - unless they are going in willingly to relax.

Personally I would be contacting the breeder and asking if they have a home in a more suitable environment like a farm..but not until you've tried bits off and less hyper food (like wainwrights or fish for dogs or something)

Theres a site called all about dog food I think that's really good for reviews.
 
It sounds like the incident with your Dad was resource guarding and that can be sorted with the right training. Personally I would not jump into castration until you see a behaviourist ( I would be interested to know who you contacted, as I think we are in the same area). Poor Clyde does sound overwhelmed and it may be that rehoming is your best option, but bear in mind that a dog who snaps will be much harder to rehome unless you can get to the bottom of why first.
 
Thank you everyone. Can I just say that the picture I posted is not a true reflection of how Reggie looks now. I merely posted it so that you could see his size compared to Clyde at just 4 months old. I shall try to get a more acurate picture. However even if he does have Bull Terrier in him, Im not slating the breed I only mentioned it as perhaps some traits from the breed may be coming through in Reggie?

I contacted Anna at Pets in Practice Teaselmeg. She was very informative but im still not sure she is the correct route as id really like to tackle the aggression and as this doesnt happen often, Im sure id need more than one session and at £250 a session, it really isnt viable however much id like it! :-(

Im concerned about the amount of work Reggie is going to take and our current lifestyle at the moment just can not accommodate it. Im swaying more towards rehoming him, especially as I have found a potential home for him, my husband just doesnt want to give up on him. I think my Husband feels like he has let him down more than I do as he is a huge dog lover and has a huge collection of dog books and probably feels like he should do more for him.

Ive brought Clyde downstairs and in almost ten minutes, Clyde has told Reggie off 3 times! Now do I leave them, put Reggie back in his crate (ive just got back from the stables so he has literally just come out of it) or do I put Clyde back upstairs? Argh!!!!

If Im 100% honest just on my part, the thought of Reggie not being here fills me with huge relief and also sorrow but equally the thought of persuading my Husband fills me with huge guilt!

Equi, Im happy to change his food. His breeders must be in their 70s, ive thought about calling them but Im pretty sure they wont want the responsibility of a puppy but can ask. They live on a farm and the JRT are used for ratting.
 
Pets in Practice are definitely the best in the area, Kris Glover who runs it is very good and actually has a two JRT's, one is a rescue who had real issues and is so much better with her help. But it does not happen overnight and if you have a potential suitably experienced home on the cards, then I would go with that.
 
Barking Heads is a good food?? Also, I think letting a strong willed dog go where he wants and do what he wants, when he wants, then getting into conflict over it, is much more of a 'disaster' than crate training a dog, which can teach them self control and encourage them to enjoy downtime, and distinguish between work/rest/play rather than feeling that they have to be on the go the whole time.

OP, without seeming harsh, you need to start managing this situation instead of being passive and letting these situations develop and then getting stressed out over it.
If Reggie has been in his crate for a while, take him out, exercise him or do a bit of training (or get OH to do it) and let Clyde have a chillax in the house. It sounds like you might have to operate a one in/one out system until you can get this sorted.

Do not LET Clyde tell Reggie off, that's your job.
 
Thank you CC. I do not mind you being harsh at all. That is what ive come on here for....advice, however it is presented!

Ive just put Clyde upstairs with my Husband who is suffering from a serious case of man flu and spent some time with Reggie, making him sit and rewarding with chicken. I didnt reward him just for a sit because he would sit and then jump up for his reward so I made him sit, wait and take his reward gently. He did it! Not just once but 3 times! took a while but he did it! Ive filmed it and once my phone has some charge I shall upload it on here.

Ive said to my Husband that although ive had the thought of rehoming Reggie in the back of my mind long before the incident yesterday, I am willing to try all we can by him but not on my own, if I can make time in my day then my husband has too aswell otherwise Reggie may aswell go. He deserves help from both of us!! My husband agrees. So tomorrow is his first agility lesson and he is booked in for the snip next week. If all else fails, ever tried our best by him.

Thank you so much everyone

ps CC, I thought Barking Heads was ok too. He was the same on Orijen as he is on Barking Heads and Orijen was the best I could afford but as I say, Im happy to try something else. Cant hurt.
 
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