JRT becoming hysterical and aggressive

Doormouse

Doormouse

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I have a 2 year old JRT who is 5 weeks younger than my daughter and they have literally grown up together. They adore each other and he is brilliant with her.

However, I am really struggling with 2 issues with him, one has been going on a while and one has only just started.

The Car! He gets hysterical as soon as he knows we are going in the car, we mainly go to the yard, and I don't know if it is just excitement because he knows where he is going and will see his friends up there or if he is actually terrified of travelling. As soon as I open the gate, if he is not on a lead, he is like a cannon ball escaping to get to the car, then he runs round flat out in the car park, won't come to call or anything. As soon as he gets in the car he tears at the seats, seat belts, barks and tries to bite me when I open the door to get in? He will then yip and whine for about 1 minute then settles down and is fine for the rest of the journey although he sometimes chews the seatbelt in the back if he thinks I'm not looking.

He has destroyed the car, I put up a dog guard so that he and my old terrier bitch could travel in the boot without getting the car filthy and he has ripped all the backing off the seats. I thought that maybe being shut in the boot was frightening him so let him travel in the car, he is just as bad. I am at my wits end because he never chews anything at home and he is very well behaved and always comes to call at the yard and never needs a lead so I don't understand why he is so bad getting in the car. Once we are going he seems perfectly settled but as soon as I stop and get out, like to get petrol, he starts again.

The recent problem is that he went for one of the other dogs at the yard over a carrot they had stolen out of a feed bucket. He is never normally aggressive with other dogs but yesterday he just launched at the other dog and really meant it. The other dog backed down straight away so no fight ensued but I was really upset because he has never shown any signs of this before.

I feel I must be doing something wrong and wondered if anyone could give me some clues as to what that might be? He is such a sweet little dog but I can't afford for him to become aggressive and I am truely fed up with the state of the car!
 
Doormouse said:
I have a 2 year old JRT who is 5 weeks younger than my daughter and they have literally grown up together. They adore each other and he is brilliant with her.

However, I am really struggling with 2 issues with him, one has been going on a while and one has only just started.

The Car! He gets hysterical as soon as he knows we are going in the car, we mainly go to the yard, and I don't know if it is just excitement because he knows where he is going and will see his friends up there or if he is actually terrified of travelling. As soon as I open the gate, if he is not on a lead, he is like a cannon ball escaping to get to the car, then he runs round flat out in the car park, won't come to call or anything. As soon as he gets in the car he tears at the seats, seat belts, barks and tries to bite me when I open the door to get in? He will then yip and whine for about 1 minute then settles down and is fine for the rest of the journey although he sometimes chews the seatbelt in the back if he thinks I'm not looking.

He has destroyed the car, I put up a dog guard so that he and my old terrier bitch could travel in the boot without getting the car filthy and he has ripped all the backing off the seats. I thought that maybe being shut in the boot was frightening him so let him travel in the car, he is just as bad. I am at my wits end because he never chews anything at home and he is very well behaved and always comes to call at the yard and never needs a lead so I don't understand why he is so bad getting in the car. Once we are going he seems perfectly settled but as soon as I stop and get out, like to get petrol, he starts again.

The recent problem is that he went for one of the other dogs at the yard over a carrot they had stolen out of a feed bucket. He is never normally aggressive with other dogs but yesterday he just launched at the other dog and really meant it. The other dog backed down straight away so no fight ensued but I was really upset because he has never shown any signs of this before.

I feel I must be doing something wrong and wondered if anyone could give me some clues as to what that might be? He is such a sweet little dog but I can't afford for him to become aggressive and I am truely fed up with the state of the car!
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Hi. I feel your pain. My GSD is a lunatic about the car and wails wherever i go. He is like a siren but i cant shut him up.

As for your lad destroying the car the best thing i could suggest would be a dog crate in the back. He wont be able to wreck your car and the way he is behaving at the moment is unacceptable.

He sounds like he is just majorly over excited but it would be a good idea to get a boot crate to prevent him from damaging your car.
 
thewonderhorse said:
Hi. I feel your pain. My GSD is a lunatic about the car and wails wherever i go. He is like a siren but i cant shut him up.

As for your lad destroying the car the best thing i could suggest would be a dog crate in the back. He wont be able to wreck your car and the way he is behaving at the moment is unacceptable.

He sounds like he is just majorly over excited but it would be a good idea to get a boot crate to prevent him from damaging your car.
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Thank you, it is pretty painful and I'm sure the neighbours must think I beat him everyday the noise he makes when he gets in the car.

I got a crate for him because he had a cage as a puppy for sleeping in and still loves it now but he seemed to get worse. He has bent the bars and he just screams hysterically all the time in it. I was worried that I was making him worse so gave up with it. I also tried a muzzle to stop the damage but he does the wall of death round the car with it on which isn't very safe with my daughter in the car.

I'm not usually soft with dogs and my instinct sort of tells me that he is frightened about something and meeting it with aggression, I'm just not sure what it is or how to help him.
 
If he isn't neutered get them off would be my first reaction, the second would be a crate and just ignore him when he wails. The other option would be stop taking him in the car to the yard for a while, take him elsewhere to different places and have him learn that he's not always going there.
 
Doormouse said:
Thank you, it is pretty painful and I'm sure the neighbours must think I beat him everyday the noise he makes when he gets in the car.

I got a crate for him because he had a cage as a puppy for sleeping in and still loves it now but he seemed to get worse. He has bent the bars and he just screams hysterically all the time in it. I was worried that I was making him worse so gave up with it. I also tried a muzzle to stop the damage but he does the wall of death round the car with it on which isn't very safe with my daughter in the car.

I'm not usually soft with dogs and my instinct sort of tells me that he is frightened about something and meeting it with aggression, I'm just not sure what it is or how to help him.
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Hi. Its awful when they are like that but the way he runs to the car suggests to me not fear but brain overloaded excitment.

I would still crate and also cover crate in old sheet perhaps to block out some of the visual stimulation. Destroying the car is not on and even if it means getting a cat carrier type affair with solid sides so he cant get a latch on it that would be the way i would go.

As for the aggression it might be a good idea to either leave him in the car or muzzle when on the yard as a precaution.

Also...and this might not please everyone. When my dogs been a bit too full on or squabbly and the normal 'OI', 'PACK IT IN' or 'GIVE UP' doesnt work, a half filled bucket of water will. I have only done it once or twice and only when i've happened to have a bucket in my hand at the right time!

My dog has the RSPCA on speed dial......
 
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Please be aware that it is illegal to have a dog loose in the car. 3 points on your licence and £300 fine. Dogs must be contained in some way so either crate, dog grill or harnessed to the seat belt. Sorry you are having problems have you tried stugeron tablets?
 
So if he is charging to the car (as I understand it from your post - he's not trying to get away from it?) I would re-evaluate how you handle this - the getting in and out of the car bit. I know it's not easy when you have a little child to load up and if you have a dog that leaps straight in then it can be tempting to go with that, but it sounds like a more disciplined approach might help here - I'm reading between the lines here so forgive me if I've misread the situation. It's like a horse that rushes - you need to refocus the horse and get it listening to you to overcome this - if you let the horse rush every time, the problem can escalate. Sounds like this is what you might have here, on a JRT-sized scale.

I would not try to train this when you actually need to get anywhere on time - you need to be able to relax yourself and not have an eye on the clock.

Put his lead on, and have him walk at heel to the car. If he pulls for the car, turn around and take him away - he does not get near to that car until he is on heel.

Have him sit as you open the boot. If he starts leaping about, close the boot and walk away again. The boot does not open until he has his bum on the floor! How long that takes is down to him - again this is why you need to set time aside for this, and not be trying to do it with one eye on the clock.

Ask him to leap in, using a command - 'in you get' or just 'in', 'car' - whatever suits you. Keep hold of end of the lead - if he starts wall of death-ing, he is out of that car again - this is not acceptable behaviour. Use a harness if you need to so you aren't popping his neck (and therefore raising the stress levels even more!) - but out he comes and you walk away from that car! Calmness is rewarded with a nice sweetie, then get him out of the car and go back indoors - once he's reliably calm you can start taking small trips around the block and work up from there.

You won't get all of this done in one session - do always end on a high note, even if that means going back a stage. Do this when he's hungry, and use yummy food rewards to incentivise him - you won't need these forever, but there's nothing like a smelly bit of something to get a dog's attention.

I would agree with those saying get a car crate, and treat the bedding with DAP spray to help him calm - you could also try a DAP collar. I would try to avoid car travel at the moment whenever possible, as every time he does this, the pattern of behaviour works into his brain a bit more. It is dangerous as it must be horrendously distracting for you - and if you were to be in a crash and it was found that he had distracted you, you could be in a lot of trouble. :(

Similarly with exiting the car - he does not charge out at will, he sits politely and waits for permission, and if that means it takes half an hour for him to get out, tough one for him... if he gets up, you close that crate door again, as many times as it takes. I don't like travelling dogs with leads on in case they get tangled up, but a short end of lead will do him no harm and gives you a handy grab handle.

Remember, this is something a trainer could potentially help you with, so don't be afraid to ask one if you need to. :)
 
Spudlet said:
So if he is charging to the car (as I understand it from your post - he's not trying to get away from it?) I would re-evaluate how you handle this - the getting in and out of the car bit. I know it's not easy when you have a little child to load up and if you have a dog that leaps straight in then it can be tempting to go with that, but it sounds like a more disciplined approach might help here - I'm reading between the lines here so forgive me if I've misread the situation. It's like a horse that rushes - you need to refocus the horse and get it listening to you to overcome this - if you let the horse rush every time, the problem can escalate. Sounds like this is what you might have here, on a JRT-sized scale.

I would not try to train this when you actually need to get anywhere on time - you need to be able to relax yourself and not have an eye on the clock.

Put his lead on, and have him walk at heel to the car. If he pulls for the car, turn around and take him away - he does not get near to that car until he is on heel.

Have him sit as you open the boot. If he starts leaping about, close the boot and walk away again. The boot does not open until he has his bum on the floor! How long that takes is down to him - again this is why you need to set time aside for this, and not be trying to do it with one eye on the clock.

Ask him to leap in, using a command - 'in you get' or just 'in', 'car' - whatever suits you. Keep hold of end of the lead - if he starts wall of death-ing, he is out of that car again - this is not acceptable behaviour. Use a harness if you need to so you aren't popping his neck (and therefore raising the stress levels even more!) - but out he comes and you walk away from that car! Calmness is rewarded with a nice sweetie, then get him out of the car and go back indoors - once he's reliably calm you can start taking small trips around the block and work up from there.

You won't get all of this done in one session - do always end on a high note, even if that means going back a stage. Do this when he's hungry, and use yummy food rewards to incentivise him - you won't need these forever, but there's nothing like a smelly bit of something to get a dog's attention.

I would agree with those saying get a car crate, and treat the bedding with DAP spray to help him calm - you could also try a DAP collar. I would try to avoid car travel at the moment whenever possible, as every time he does this, the pattern of behaviour works into his brain a bit more. It is dangerous as it must be horrendously distracting for you - and if you were to be in a crash and it was found that he had distracted you, you could be in a lot of trouble. :(

Similarly with exiting the car - he does not charge out at will, he sits politely and waits for permission, and if that means it takes half an hour for him to get out, tough one for him... if he gets up, you close that crate door again, as many times as it takes. I don't like travelling dogs with leads on in case they get tangled up, but a short end of lead will do him no harm and gives you a handy grab handle.

Remember, this is something a trainer could potentially help you with, so don't be afraid to ask one if you need to. :)
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Thank you, that is really helpful. Stupidly I never really thought of it like a horse until you said it! I would never dream of allowing a horse of mine to become as wayward as the terrier has, 'facepalm'! Are the DAP collars easy to get or do I need to get through the vets?

I will definitely try this system and put his crate back in the car for now. I don't know any trainers that are local to me, how would I go about finding one?
 
Agree an aircraft type crate might be better. Nothing to add to the excellent advice so far except to agree it will take lots of time and repetitions. If he has behaved in this way and STILL gets rewarded by a trip to the yard, the behaviour will have been reinforced many times over. He would absolutely be going EVERYWHERE on a lead, from point A to B from now on and the car would be turned into the most boring, dull thing ever...feed him in there, make him sleep in the crate, take him to the shops to buy crisps and come back.
My dog is something similar, he gets ridiculously excited and vocal through anticipation and loads off his own excitement. If he fixates on something like a ball or tug I make him carry it around for days. If he drops it, no, pick it up. He goes from crate to car, from car to field, from kennel to car so if he mucks about I can physically prevent it.
 
In fact I'm actually sitting in my car replying to this thread because the dog was whining and I'm reacting by just sitting here all chilled out not doing anything, PMSL!!! He's quiet now so I guess we'll go do some jumpies!!
 
You can get various DAP (now called Adaptil) thingies from Pets at Home and the like, although your vet will probably have them too: http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wc...xt=adaptil&msg=&langId=-1&catalogId=10601&y=0

Like CC says this could take a while, you are dealing with a pattern of behaviour that has built up over time and is well rehearsed, so it's going to be really well burnt into his little brain. But stick with it because the results will be worthwhile!

For trainers, word of mouth is best or start googling :) There are various schemes trainers can sign up to, but no one central scheme and they all have their own rules, so research is key. The best thing to do is ring, talk to them, and if you get a good feeling from them, go and watch a class - any decent trainer will allow this, then you can see if you like they way they operate before committing to anything. Don't feel embarrassed about asking, car problems are probably one of the most common things people take me to one side about - you're definitely not alone in finding travel a bit of a challenge! :)
 
It might be a bit time consuming but I think it would help for him to go for a walk before going to the yard. This should: A) Get rid of some energy and excitement for the car journey and, B) A tired more chilled dog is less likely to squabble over a carrot.

Good Luck.
 
Is it truly an offence to have a dog loose in the car? 3 penalty points and a £300 fine? This I did not know, please confirm.
 
Spook said:
Is it truly an offence to have a dog loose in the car? 3 penalty points and a £300 fine? This I did not know, please confirm.
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My husband said 'Rubbish' to that too, he isn't a cop though! I understand that if your dog was loose in your car and was tearing around and contributed to an accident that is one thing. THe other day I took my old dog to the vets sleeping on the back seat and I doubt I was breaking the law.
 
Dunno about the 300 but I know someone who got done for £60 and 3 PPs. He was an ex cop as well!!
It stands to reason to be honest - if my dog was loose in the car and I crashed he would do a hell of a lot of damage. You would secure a child in the car, so why would you let your dog run around?
 
"When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars."

To add, as well as not wanting to get hit in the head by a flying dog in the event of an accident, I don't want to lose the dog out of the car in the event of an accident or have a confused/upset/hurt dog trying to stop the emergency services getting into my vehicle if I crash and/or have him get into trouble by doing so.
 
I had my sister's dog loose in the car (a spoilt mutt she was too) and she jumped from the back seat into the front and got caught in amongst my feet and the pedals :eek3:. I had to do a handbrake stop (in the middle of Exeter) approaching a roundabout.

I have always used a guard or better still a crate since then.
 
just a thought, is this jrt very excitable normally? if so it may be worth checking what you are feeding(the same as with the horse) a friend of mine had a rescue rottie cross who was very hyper all of the time, she was feeding bakers complete!!!!! her vet suggested chappie as it is very bland and within 2 or 3 weeks(cant remember exactly) he was a different dog and much more manageable and sensible. hope this helps
 
Thanks guys, interesting, our dogs don 't get to go off farm, but honestly I did not know this...... plenty of folk taking risks then unknowingly.

Hope you get the jack russel sorted to your satisfaction OP...... but I've nothing sensible to add, good luck.
 
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